09
Nov2022
Published: 05.04.2022
Seminar on “Using the “Design Thinking” Methodology for Destination Development through Creative Tourism”
The seminar is the first event within the project “Culture and Origins through Mutual Events in South Eastern Europe (COME AND SEE)”, held on the territory of the LAG - Gotse Delchev - Garmen
- Hadzhidimovo.
The event was attended by partners from Bulgaria,
Romania and Greece and representatives of the local community. Within three days,
the participants got acquainted with the "Design Thinking" methodology
as an opportunity to develop destinations through creative tourism, the role of
modern digital means of information and communication, the opportunities they
provide for development and promotion of territories and authentic cultural
experiences for the tourists. The common assets on the Balkan area, presented
by the project partners, in terms of local cultural wealth, identification of
unique and authentic characteristics that can be used to promote the
territories through experience and creative tourism, were identified and analysed
during the seminar.
theparticipants were introduced to design thinking, experience design and visitor familiarization. They saw an example of how something as simple as a white bean can be turned into a memorable Rhodope experience. During the work in groups, they identified the common and unique cultural resources of their territories, their strengths and weaknesses and the resources needed to overcome them. The guests immersed themselves in a creative tourism experience, during which spring customs and wedding traditions from the village of Banichan, Gotse Delchev municipality were presented. The participants made “martenitsas”, got acquainted with the embroidered map of the village of Banichan, representing the natural and cultural heritage, through embroidery and the symbols of the village - the five Orthodox churches, the twelve stork nests, two mineral springs, onions and two rivers, and received a copy of it.
of the seminar, the
participants worked in groups, each of which aimed to help their potential
guests by creating a map of their journey, history and design of a creative
experience. Each of the teams developed an idea for a tourist experience and
created a prototype of their idea.
During a creative tourism experience
in the village of Breznitsa, Gotse Delchev municipality, the seminar
participants enjoyed authentic folklore from the village of Breznitsa and a
demonstration of typical local foods – “macarina”, sweet and savoury “banitsas”
(pies) and bulgur dish, which were prepared in front of the guests.
of the seminar, the groups
shared their stories and presented the prototypes of their experiences, created
during the second day.
The proposals for
creative tourism on the territory of the
LAG - Gotse Delchev - Garmen - Hadjidimovo, identified by the participants, are
related to:
• Festival and
creative tourism: tourism motivated by interest in different arts and providing
visitors with the opportunity to actively participate in various forms of
experience - music, dance, crafts and local customs;
• Culinary
tourism: tourism for the purpose of demonstration, preparation and tasting of
local dishes and drinks typical for the destination;
• Wine tourism:
tourism for getting acquainted with the local terroir, wine production
technology, meeting with producers, wine tasting and combining them with local
foods;
• Complex
tourist experience: special attention was paid to the possibilities for
combining creative tourism with historical, cultural and natural resources in
the region by adding the theme of recreational tourism (mineral waters, clean
nature and air), as well as presenting opportunities for pilgrimage tourism,
thanks to the historical facts and the preserved multi-religious and
multicultural environment, monuments and traditions.
The project “Culture and
Origins through Mutual Events in South Eastern Europe (COME AND SEE)” is funded by an administrative contract №
BG06RDNP001-19.355-0004-C01 / 23.02.2021 (RD 50-28 / 23.02.2021) under
Sub-measure 19.3 “Preparation and implementation of activities for cooperation
of local action groups” of measure 19 “Community-led local development” of the
Rural Development Program for the period 2014 - 2020, co-financed by the
European Union through the European agricultural fund for rural development.
