The great importance tourism sector represents for the Romanian and Bulgarian cross-border Black Sea coastal area, both at present and in terms of future development strategies, determine the local authorities and tourism actors to act for the improvement of the relevant infrastructure, promotion of tourism attractions and destinations, and stimulation of tourism-related business development. Moreover, the whole region enjoys untapped potential due to its outstanding natural and cultural resources that has not yet been sustainably valorised and further promoted.
In this context, LIMANU Local Council, Constanta County, Romania, in partnership with
• Shabla Municipality, Dobrich District, Bulgaria,
• Mangalia Employers Association, Constanta County,
and the associates
• The Association for the Conservation of Bio-Cultural Protected Areas – the Civic Movement “Vama Veche”
• “Bilal 2000” Cycling Sport Club Constanta
intends to implement a cross-border project that will support tourism sector development based on local/cross-border resources, and thus, on long terms, to contribute to the cross-border sustainable economic development.

The project’s main objective is to stimulate the regular cross-border cooperation between coastal tourism-related businesses, through developing a leisure infrastructure with cross-border impact, as well as through encouraging and creating the nucleus of a cross-border network that will promote and capitalize on this infrastructure.

The project will reach the main objective through the activities structured on th following groups:

I. Preparative activities for the investment’s construction, such as the awareness raising on the cross-border dialogue frame; works, goods and services tenders.
II. Execution of investment’s construction
III. Preparative activities in view of capitalize on the investment, such as promotional activities; visitors’ security measures; triggering the economic-related activities, etc.
IV. Project and results promotional activities
V. Management activities

The project total eligible budget is of 487,628.90 euro, of which Phare contribution 429,601.06 euro, representing 88.10 %, and the local contribution 58,027.84 euro representing 11.90 %. The project duration is of 12 months.

The concrete outputs

Phase: Preparative activities for the trail execution
1. One-day kick-off meeting including the launch press-conference, organised in Limanu - Vama Veche, with 30 participants. The Bulgarian partner will be represented by 4 persons.
2. A list of cross-border business and not-for-profit organisations interested in CBC, following the kick-off meeting. A report on cross-border promotional activities for these organisations, including concrete results at business level.
3. Files and evaluation reports on the public procurement tenders. Contracts signed with the works and service subcontractors.

Phase: Execution of pedestrian and bicycle trail: the bicycle trail, of 5117.50 m length, and the pedestrian trail, of 4100 m length

Phase: Activities for the capitalization on the investment and promotion of the cross-border sustainable tourism
4. 15 panels with tourist information map, safety rules on the trail and EU visibility elements, of which 10 will be erected in Romania and 5 in Bulgaria, in the proximity of the tourist attraction promoted on the map.
5. Promotional materials: 2 types of leaflets, printed in 100.000 copies each (a total of 200.000 copies), promoting the trail and its cross-border region, and (1) natural reserves, and (2) cultural attractions. The format of the leaflets: folded A4, coloured. The leaflets will be largely disseminated in the local communities of Limanu Municipality and towards tourist, in summer time. 20.000 leaflets will be disseminated on the Bulgarian coast.
6. The website „Cross-border tourism by bicycle”
7. Mailing towards app. 100 addressees, on the trail and its business opportunities at cross-border level – list of addressees.
8. „Cross-border tourism by bicycle” Conference, in the end of the project, also including the final press-conference. A two-day event, held in Vama Veche is summer or Mangalia if off-season, 50 participants, of which 20 Bulgarian participants.
9. One cross-border inaugural race, with 50 participants of which 16 Bulgarian cyclists.
10. One guide on safety rules on the trail, published on the information panels along the trail is available in electronic format on the website.
11. One incentive-package for companies interested in developing trail-related businesses. A report on the local promotional of the package and business opportunity.
12. 2 persons recruited for the trail maintenance jobs, observing transparency and equal chances rules.
13. List of 20 addressees for the final dissemination.
14. Project’s press dossier.
15. 12 management meetings, of which two with all partners/associates participation.