Programme description

Title: Regional programme to establish a Danube Competence Center
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Economic and Regional Development of the Republic of Serbia
Overall term: 2009 to 2014

Context

The countries along the Middle and Lower Danube are currently undergoing a radical transition process as they move toward a market economy. The lack of effective public structures continues to hamper efforts to make the best possible use of their economic potential. While open conflicts in the region may have ceased, international cooperation has been slow to address these countries’ needs. Even the tourism sector, which is important to the region and has a future, is suffering as a result. Within the framework of the Danube Strategy, the nations on the Lower Danube now seek to refocus their tourism potential towards serving the EU market.

Objective

The general conditions for promoting regional, cross-border tourism in the Middle and Lower Danube region have improved.

Approach

The key, innovative element of the project approach is to structure and establish a regional institution aimed at fostering the development of tourism, targeting in particular economically relevant promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the region along the Middle and Lower Danube. The project is supporting efforts by this Danube Competence Center (DCC) to:

• act as a regional cooperation and marketing platform for the tourism sector in the Middle and Lower Danube region;
• become a partner of the Danube countries, the EU and other relevant institutions;
• be part of the tourism network for sustainable development of the Danube region;
• develop and launch regional tourism products with international, cross-border focus;
• contribute to developing, introducing and marketing new quality standards for tourism services throughout the Danube region, and to driving development of sustainable tourism.

Results achieved so far

The Danube Competence Center (DCC) has quickly developed an effective momentum that bodes particularly well for small and medium-sized enterprises. DCC members working in regional cooperation have already organised continuous presence at trade fairs, developed their own marketing and pilot projects, and launched initial investments aimed at expanding the range of tourist offerings across the region.

At the political level, the DCC has for the first time pushed for efforts to harmonise the various tourism strategies pursued by the individual Danube countries, and become actively involved in the EU Danube Strategy process. The DCC is now a recognised intermediary between public and private tourism institutions, and has meanwhile assumed responsibility for members from seven Danube countries.

Further information

• Danube Competence Center – the regional tourism cooperation platform
  Website of the Danube Competence Center
  http://www.danubecc.org
• EU Strategy for the Danube Region
  European Union information on the European Danube Strategy
  http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/...