ANALYTICAL REPORT CAPACITY OF THE MUNICIPALITIES OF , , AND FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN A CROSS-BORDER REGION

Part One

1. General Characteristics of the region а. Territory, , natural assets

The four municipalities are located at the foot of the and Mountains and in the Western-most part of the . Their total area is 1,568 sq. km. and there are 5 towns and 31 villages situated there, including high in the mountains. The infrastructure is relatively good and ensures access to all settlements. The local roads are being renovated as per the adopted municipal pans. There is Internet in place, which ensures good conditions for modern communications. The region is mountainous and includes reserves, protected territories and National Parks. The area is rich in water resources: rivers, high-mountain lakes, waterfalls (the most famous one being the Sv. Nikola Waterfall – Municipality of Bansko). There are also many thermal springs, the majority of them being unique. The Banya village, located along the Razlog – Yakoruda road, is one of the richest settlements in in terms of thermal water – 72 springs have been found with various temperature and composition. Along the course of the Dobrinishka River, there is the mineral water pool built in ancient times and known as Rimskoto Banche (the Roman Bath). There are two thermal water deposits in the Municipality of Belitsa – one of them with low-mineralised water suitable for daily use and the other – with water suitable for treating locomotor problems. The natural rock formations – wonders of nature, which are the subject of various legends, are also numerous and varied. The most famous of them are: The Steps (Stapalata) – marble formations in the area of Bansko; Pirostiata (the Trivet) – in the area of the Mesta village where three granite pillars support a semi-spherical plate with a diameter of about two meters; Svatbata (The Wedding) – occupies an area of 13.2 ha along the Bansko – Osenovo village road; the megalithic Thracian sanctuary Sv. Georgova skala (St. George’s Rock) – near Bachevo village; Kyoshkata – a karst spring and a cave near Razlog, etc. This region is famous with the varied flora and fauna, protected species from the plant and animal world: more than 127 endemic species and 130 herbs and wild flowers. Large territories of the Rila and Pirin Mountains are declared national parks and protected territories, many reserves have been established and all this helps preserve the natural wealth. The only reserve for dancing bears is located in the region, the only edelweiss greenhouse, the largest biosphere reserve in Bulgaria – Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa. The natural resources are a wealth, which perceived as such by both the local authorities and the population. The natural resources are in the basis of development of

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various tourism services and this has been addressed in the strategic development documents of all municipalities. The tourism sector development is a priority. There are many eco paths passing near the natural sights, conditions exist for organising photo safaris, bird and animal watching and exploration of rare plants. b. Demographic characteristics for 2016, work force, employment and unemployment, education The total population as of 31 December 2016 was 52,825 inhabitants 1, living respectively in the Municipality of Bansko – 12,189, Belitsa – 9,350, Razlog – 21,150 and Yakoruda – 10,136. The population of the region is relatively evenly distributed according to gender (Table 1.). There is a trend of gradual ageing with the exception of the Municipality of Belitsa (Table 3.). As a whole the population of the region is decreasing, which is a result of both the demographic crisis and the increased mobility? The educational level is presented in Table 2. The majority of the people have primary and general (secondary) education. The share of people with education lower than elementary is high – every fourth person living in the municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda. Among them there are people who have never been to school. Table 1. Population in the Municipalities Bansko, Belitsa, Razlog and Yakoruda by Gender

Municipality Population total Male Female Bansko 12189 48,62% 51,38%

Belitsa 9350 49,79% 50,21%

Rrazlog 21150 48,66% 51,34% Yakoruda 10136 48,66% 51,345

Total 52825

Sources:Civil Registration and Administrative Services Directorate General,2016

With regard to the active population, there is relatively favourable distribution per municipalities (Table 3), however the employment conditions are different. The main occupation is similar – wood processing, food industry, agriculture and services related to tourism. In the Municipalities of Bansko and Razlog, there are more employment opportunities, the unemployment is close to the country average, while in the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda it comes to more than 80% of the active population. People live in

1 As per data from the Civil Registration and Administrative Services Directorate General 2

poverty there. They make their living from their own farms, occasional sale of local food products at the local markets – forest fruit jams, dairy products – curds, cheese, milk. Some people are engaged in retail trade, mainly to satisfy the needs of the local population. There are 2 professional gymnasiums in the region (Professional Gymnasium of Tourism and Food Technologies in Razlog and Professional Agriculture Gymnasium in Bansko), as well as 2 secondary schools with transport profile in Razlog and with electric engineering profile in Bansko. At the Professional Gymnasium of Tourism and Food Technologies there are classes where tourism is taught and classes for acquiring the “cook” profession. The students have practical training in the tourism sector, through which they acquire their first labour skills. In Razlog, there is also the Bratia Kanazievi Secondary School, also known as the Razlog Gymnasium, where the classes are with profiles in foreign languages and computers. A big part of the graduates continues their education mainly at the South-Western University and at other higher education schools. In the other towns and villages there are elementary and primary schools, as well as kindergartens. It is typical for the region that as a rule there are no drop-out students, 100% of the children are covered and are cared for/taught at the kindergartens and schools.

Table 2 Population by Working Age in the Municipalities: Bansko, Belitsa, Razlog and Yakoruda Municipality Population – total Under Working Working Age(%) Over Working Age (%) Age (%)

Bansko 12189 14,33 57,63 27,21

Belitsa 9530 21,18 59,10 19,72 Rrazlog 21150 12,63 57,67 25,06

Yakoruda 10136 17,94 59,93 22,13

Sources: National Statistical Institute, Labour Office, Civil Registration and Administrative Services Directorate General,2016

Table 3. Graduates in the Municipalities Bansko, Belitsa, Razlog and Yakoruda (per cent of the population over 7 age)

Municipality University and Secondary, incl. Primary school Under Primary equivalent vocational school school, incl. never (VIII- grade) institutes been to chool Bansko 16,1 45,5 26,4 12,1

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Belitsa 8,0 28,0 39,1 25,0 Rrazlog 13,4 44,0 23,2 12,0

Yakoruda 8,5 34,9 35,1 21,5

Sources: National Statistical Institute, Census ,2011

The community centre (chitalishte) network is another part of the educational infrastructure. The community centres have been preserved as cultural and educational centres, initiators of various educational activities. Modern community centres are extending their functions and are turning into one of the communication channels with various communities outside of the or the village. In some of the smaller settlements, the community centre remains the only educational institution. с. Cultural and historical heritage – the most prominent sights, status through the prism of tourism

The whole region is studded with numerous cultural monuments – Thracian sanctuaries, consecrated grounds and churches, remnants of a Thracian settlement, fortresses, necropolises, mounds, etc. There are numerous archaeological finds of ancient, late ancient and medieval settlements. A Roman road passed through the region connecting Philipoppolis and the Maritsa River valley with one of the main roads of the Roman Empire – Via Egnatia. Another road that passed through the region is the one connecting the with the Zograf Monastery in Athos. Remains of a Thracian fortress were discovered in the Velyov Egrek area (Municipality of Razlog).

The archaeological explorations in the Razlog valley show that life here was well evidenced as far as the Neolithic-eneolithic age of the 6th-4th millennium BC. The oldest archaeological finds date from the late Bronze and early Iron Age (3rd-2nd millennium BC). Numerous archaeological sites have been discovered and registered, some of them have been explored but this is still to be done for the majority of them. It is important to note that most of the archaeological findings are not known to tourists and explorers outside of Bulgaria. Therefore, they have a potential for development of tourism services. Only some of them – the most famous ones – are mentioned below. On the Sv. Ivan Height, a Thracian sanctuary of the fire has been studied – used for cult practices during later ages, as well. During the archaeological excavations in the Karagonsko Area, a part of a necropolis from late antiquity has been discovered with a Roman legionary buried in one of the graves. During ploughing in the Dobrokyovitsa area, a grave was accidentally discovered belonging to a healer of the 2nd century with the necessary instruments for his activity. In the Stolovatets area near Razlog, there is a finding dated back to around 2,400 BC and defined as a temple sanctuary of the Sun.

One of the valuable findings is a Mycenae perfume vessel from the late Bronze Age (13th century BC), discovered during excavations performed by archaeology students from the New Bulgarian University, the Ludwig

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Maximilian University in Munich and the Regional Historical Museum in . Due to the collaboration with the Balkan Heritage Foundation and the Institute of Field Studies, students from the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom took part in the project along with the students from the NBU and Munich. Early Christian basilicas have been discovered and are being explored. These are the early Christian basilicas “St. Ilia” in Razlog and “St. George” in Yakoruda – dated back to the 5th-6th century. In village there is the unique “St. Theodore Tyron and St. Theodore Stratilates” Medieval church dated back to 1614, recognised as a cultural monument of national importance. The temple was included in the list of 100 national tourism sites of Bulgaria. The church is unique – the whole of it is painted and the paintings are very well preserved. Its internal area is 160 sq. m. and the images are 460. Only here one can see more than 30 female images, the scene of the Transfiguration of Jesus depicting Jesus Christ as a cosmonaut who flies to the Heaven with an object that resembles a modern spaceship. Another interesting fact is that the church was built in such a manner that it represents a natural air-conditioner, which keeps the temperature during both winter and summer within ranges that enable the mural paintings to be preserved. There are a total of 15 active churches and several newly built mosques in the region.

d. Cultural life The cultural life of the municipalities corresponds to the traditions, the national and local holidays. Various events are organised, the calendar is full of many cultural and educational events all year long2 intended for different age groups and interests. The local authorities support actively the organisation and carrying out of these events. The main part of the organisation is handled by the community centres and schools, which attract various social groups as participants; by the museums and the NGOs, which are also actively involved in the preparation and organisation of all cultural events. The cultural events are international, national and local. The Municipality of Bansko has been a notable organiser of international events for many years. The cultural calendar is diverse, accessible for interested people (available in Internet http://www.bansko.bg/bg/Културен-афиш). This is the best-maintained cultural calendar in the region: the events are announced in advance for the whole year and are being updated regularly. The Municipality of Razlog also keeps a cultural calendar, however it shows only events that will occur in the near future and reflects in greater detail past events (http://razlog.bg/sabitia). The Municipality of Belitsa also understands the meaning of the cultural calendar, there is a web site functioning but it is not maintained. The last information is from 2016 (http://www.belitsa.com/bg/belitsa/praznitsi-i-obichai/kulturen-kalendar-na- belitsa-za-2016g). The Municipality of Yakoruda has not provided any information about cultural events on the Internet. The cultural events are one of the factors for: attracting tourists from the country and abroad; educating and creating national self-awareness and cultural identity of the young

2 The specific events can be seen on mentioned web sites. 5

people; forming entrepreneurial behaviour; innovative economic activities at individual and community level. It is important to recognise that the Bulgarian traditions and culture, cultural and historical heritage are not known by the tourists from Western Europe and their interest can be attracted. 2. Economic situation – companies, knowledge-intensive services through the prism of tourism

To develop tourism services, it is necessary to ensure overall development of the hospitality industry, which includes, among others, accommodation facilities, eating establishments and conditions for spending one’s leisure time. The infrastructure and the communications are among the activities, for which the local authorities are responsible, and they are maintained in a relatively good condition. It can be said that the infrastructure is constantly improving. It is a well-known fact that numerous hotels and guest houses have been built in the region ensuring the necessary accommodation for the tourists. In the Municipalities of Razlog and Bansko, the hotels and guest houses are the biggest number (more than 200 in each of the Municipalities) and they are sufficient for the number of tourists, while they are relative few in the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda: there are 2 family hotels and 2 guest houses in Yakoruda; in the Municipality of Belitsa, the hotels are located mainly in the Resort – 7 hotel complexes, two of them owned by universities (the Technical University and the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy), there are also 3 small hotels and 4 guest houses in the town and in Kraishte village. A lot restaurants and eating establishments operate throughout the region offering a rich variety of cuisine types, however, the prevailing one is the modern universal and traditional cuisine of the region. It should be noted that the hotel business in the Municipality of Yakoruda is one of the two sectors, which have reported loss during the past year. The traditional crafts are gradually being revived, various types of souvenirs are manufacture – oriented toward Bulgarian and foreign tourists, including food products such as forest fruit jams. The production of meat and dairy products is widely-spread in the region. A big part of the population produces dairy products and traditional meat specialties for own use. There are dairy farms and meat-processing plants operating in the region and these are two of the main economic activities along with agriculture. The number of people employed in the information and communication sector is growing. There is Internet connectivity. The municipal administrations have developed web sites containing information about the natural and cultural sights, hotels and restaurants, as well as calendars of events. There are Tourist Information Centres operating in offices provided by the local authorities. Their level of activity is different. The richest and most varied activity is that of the Tourist Centre in the Municipality of Bansko (http://visit- bansko.bg/bg), innovative forms of attracting tourists are being explored that are in line with

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the modern tourist culture such as design of mobile phone applications with current information about upcoming events in the municipality, conditions for using tourism services, etc. The use of knowledge-intensive services shows the level and quality of the offering of tourism services. The Tourist Centre in the Municipality of Razlog (http://www.destinationrazlog.com/index.php/bg/) also performs diverse activities and is searching for new forms of creating tourism services intended for different types of tourists, as well as for the local people, by combining the use of the new information technologies and the traditions and culture and aiming at giving them a new look, which is attractive for the young people. 3. The NOG sector, including community centres – main activities, attitude and trust of the population

I draw the attention to the NGO sector in the region as the practice has shown that the NGOs assume functions of institutions, which: train people in entrepreneurship and motivate them to start their own business; create the initial prerequisites for starting economic activities that generate income; stimulate the integration of individuals with the aim of increasing their capacity; serve as a mediator between citizens, economic actors and the local authorities, etc. All this is directly related to the development of the tourist sector. The number of NGOs in the region is high but only a small part of them are active. Some of them have declared as their mission the furthering of the economic and social development of the region, with the focus being on the activation of the population and launching of various activities related to tourism. One of the reasons is that the NGOs value the available natural and cultural resources and the opportunity to turn these resources into a foundation of various tourism services. Another important reason for the NGOs to be active is the availability of programme and funds, under which they can apply for funding. The legislation and the conditions for participation are accessible, no big resources are required and it is only sufficient to show availability of human capacity, which most of the NGOs are capable of proving. The NGOs are recognised by the local authorities and are involved in governance processes. The NGOs always start their activities with the trust of the population and it is up to them whether they will keep this trust or not. However, the most important thing is that the NGOs unite entrepreneurial, knowledgeable and capable people. All this shows that the NGOs have serious potential to activate the population for entrepreneurship, as well as to provide the needed assistance at the beginning of the activities. It is a frequent practice that organisations are established with the purpose to apply for funding under various programmes but their life is short. NGOs are also established by business representatives who integrate their activity and can be sustainable actors in the economic sphere. In the Municipalities of Bansko, Belitsa and Razlog the NGO sector is active and dynamic – some organisations are closed while new ones are established, people unite to solve a specific problem. In the Municipality of Yakoruda, however, there are NOGs, i.e. the population there is passive and relies on someone else to organise them. In this Municipality, tourism and tourism services are in the hands of tourist agencies mainly

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from the big cities – , Varna, – which exploit the available resources for development of tourism services. The community centres (chitalishta) are a specific Bulgarian institution, which has a big potential for fostering tourism services. Community centres exist practically in all towns and villages and they have preserved their image of cultural and educational centres. The modern community centres extend the functions of the traditional ones, thus becoming the bearer of new knowledge but at the same time keeping the traditions and creating conditions for intensive communication exchange and restoration of the local communities. In some settlements, the community centre concentrates the capacity for development of tourism services and works actively for their promotion outside of the region (e.g. G. Todorov – 1885 Community Centre in Belitsa).

Part Two Analysis of own empiric information collected through interviews

The present analysis is based also on results of own survey on the capacity of the four municipalities to organise long-term activities in the sphere of tourism. The emphasis is laid on the vision of various groups of the population on the development of alternative forms of tourism. The information was collected during structured interviews with representatives of the key stakeholder groups, who are socially active and have their own assessment of the situation in the municipality, participate and/or organise certain events according to their capabilities. An expert opinion has been provided, as well. The score was defined as per a three-level scale of selected key parameters for development of tourism, it was summarised via a SWOT analysis stating the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats for development of alternative tourism services, while taking into account the absence of the activity being the subject of the assessment. The collection of empirical information followed a pre-defined methodology, on the basis of which the survey participants were selected so as to collect feedback from all key stakeholders concerned with the social and economic development of the municipality – local authorities, business, NGOs, the governing bodies of community centres, civil associations, headmasters of secondary schools, journalists, citizens, including young people up to 29 years old. The analysis is based also on the knowledge of the people performing the survey. Meetings were held with 19 people – representatives of the local authorities, the business, NGOs and citizens from these municipalities. 1. Assessment by the companies of the potential of the Municipality for development All business representatives initially declared firmly that the development of tourism is a main priority for improving the economic situation of the region. They are well aware of the local natural resources, emphasize on the opportunities for provision of both winter and summer tourism services at equal terms. They know the existing offering of leisure-time tourism services but only abstractly without being able to assess the

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service quality and the potential for flexibility depending on the concrete tourists. They evaluate the activity of the local authorities as positive but at the same time, they point out that there is no local policy for promoting small businesses. The tourism services are viewed as a small business, which has big inherent risks to be started and developed. The market of tourism services is open and accessible only for big investors. They give as an example the concessionaire of the Bansko ski area who takes away the hotel and restaurant services from the local entrepreneurs, as well as other economic activities related to the tourism industry. As regards the tourists, two standards of using the lifts are applied, which the local entrepreneurs do not accept as rightful and they blame the local authority for admitting this situation. Everybody is positive that the quality of service, especially in restaurant management, is decreasing and the specifics of the local traditional foods has been lost. This was the reason why 14 taverns in Bansko united in the Unique Bansko Association to make a stand together against the change of the offered service and show the tourists authentic local meals and specialties. This is the only association of companies. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry does not have a branch in these municipalities and if there is one registered, it exists only in paper. A preferred communication channel with the tourists is the Internet and personal channels (owners of horse riding centres, guest houses, hotels). The attitude toward tourism agencies is that of mistrust and entrepreneurs rarely use their services to attract tourists. An owner of a guest house shared that he rents out the house to people who have already been there, to friends of people who have already been there or to people who have received information about it from friends. He said he preferred the house to stay empty rather than renting it to groups of tourists. The occasional anonymous tourists do not have the necessary culture and a repair is often required after their stay. There are conditions in place for development of tourism services, however they are not used. An example for this is the constructed modern tasting hall at a dairy farm in Razlog, whose owners are open to offering it for visits and acquaintance with the cheese production technology. The representatives of the small business in Bansko and Razlog are not motivated to expand their business. The main reason is the lack of resources – financial and human, as well as their unwillingness to take risks. They are not ready to form partnership and integrate with other active entrepreneurial people to reduce the potential risks. They accept with scepticism the funds offering targeted project financing and are certain about the existence of corruption practices. It is an open secret in the region that the guest houses constructed with the financial support of EU programmes are actually used for personal purposes and this is a mechanism for providing funding to specific individuals. Only few of the houses constructed under this scheme are used according to their intended purpose. The population in the region under review is quite diverse. In the Municipalities of Bansko and Razlog, various tourism services are offered, which match the interests of

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present-day tourists. These are: the new attractions in Bansko – escape rooms (locked rooms, from which exit is only possible if logical puzzles and problems are solved), the Deshka House in village (participation in food preparation, manufacturing of objects from threads, wild nature study, learning folk songs and dances, etc.). In the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda the people are more passive and disheartened. The more enterprising ones sell own food products for personal consumption at the local markets; a limited number of people deal with street trading and satisfy the needs of the local population. The business representatives talk about tourism development but do not perceive themselves as participants in this process.

2. Assessment by the local authorities of the potential for tourism development in the region The representatives of the local authorities deem that good dialogue and interaction with the business and the NGOs have been established. The Local Action Groups (LAG) formed with the involvement of the NGO and the business take decisions on targeted financing of specific activities on the territory of the municipality and are considered an appropriate form of attracting and engaging the local community in the municipality governance and promoting entrepreneurship. Projects, which are directly related to tourism service development in the region3, have received targeted funding through the LAGs. For 2017, LAG Razlog extends the spectrum of tourism services eligible for financing toward leisure time and hobbies of the tourists, healthy foods4. The creation of a common LAG for the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda is evaluated positively as it is aimed at increasing the capacity for economic activities, however, this LAG has not implemented any projects so far. A positive evaluation is given also by the population – only by the people who are aware of it, as many of them are not interested and consider this beyond their scope of work. The representatives of the municipal administrations always speak in the future tense and accentuate on: the poverty of the Municipality, the small number of permanent residents, the lack of resources. They express their satisfaction with the activity of the outside tourism agencies, which bring tourist groups in the region. It is a paradox that these two municipalities have prepared Programmes for Tourism Development based on adequate assessment of the available and potential resources, with a vision for fostering the tourism sector exploiting these particular resources, but in practice the only institution showing bigger activity is the

3 In 2014, the following projects were funded: Creation of a tourism map “Cultural heritage of the Municipality of Razlog”, implemented by the Agency for Development and Education; in 2013 – Guest house on regulated land plot XII‐335, section 35, contractor: Galaris BG, Dobarsko village, Municipality of Razlog; “Construction of a group of wooden guest houses” – “ET Pirin 2012 – Anastasia Chobanova”; “Construction of a guest house with an underground garage, a fitness room and a pool by Primary Leader EOOD”; “Study and promotion of the tourism potential in the Municipality of Razlog” – implemented by the Dolinata na Mesta Association; “Travelling gardens – the cultural mosaics of Razlog” – implemented by MAIR Razlog Association, etc. 4 A programme for funding of proposals through a LAG – 2017, eligible activities: improving the conditions for production of biological food through processing of biological primary agricultural products; support to public use of infrastructure for recreation, tourist information and small-scale tourism infrastructure; development and promotion of regional identity; development of tourism services offering the visitors opportunities for recreation and sports or for practising hobbies or other leisure activities (riding, cycling, photo tourism) and specialised tourism for nature lovers – watching birds, animals, butterflies, plants.

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community centre. At the same time, various tourism services are performed on the territory of the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda – student practices with a focus on biodiversity, exploration of archaeological sites, events for presenting local traditions, etc. The initiato rs and organisers of these tourism services, however, are based outside of the municipalities. The administration ensures the access to the natural sights and cultural and historical places of interest. The opportunities provided by the – narrow-gauge railway are totally unexploited – on the one hand, as a unique railway infrastructure, and on the other hand, as a potential for developing various tourism events, e.g. “Avramovo – the highest railway station”. The local authorities should be the initiator in this situation and develop jointly with the Bulgarian State Railways a calendar of various events involving the population.

A positive element in the activity of the local authorities is that they gradually introduce electronic services, the draft budgets of the municipalities are publicly accessible for discussion by the population, which is now perceived as a usual practice. The local authorities in the Municipalities of Bansko and Razlog report improvement of the attitude of the citizens toward their inclusion and engagement with various activities supported by the municipality – this is a positive development from the total lack of interest toward and engagement in municipal activities in the past to the involvement in concrete actions that concern them directly.

As a conclusion, the local authorities define themselves as “friendly toward the business and the NGOs”. They recognise their responsibility to construct new infrastructure and constantly improve the existing one, which will influence positively the development of tourism. There is a vision for designing new tourism products and readiness to establish public-private partnership when creating new sustainable tourism services (e.g. development of professional sports tourism in the Municipality of Razlog), to support the enterprising people in creating alternative tourism products. 3. Assessment by the NGO sector, including the community centres, of the potential for development of tourism

The NGO sector has a big potential but at the same time shows relatively limited actions. This sector in Bulgaria develops with divergence from its initial objectives and mission, known from established practices across the world, and gradually, in the course of last 20 years, it has acquired a negative image. In the small towns, the assessment of and the attitude to the NGOs is dependent on the assessment about the people who have established the organisation. Therefore, it is not appropriate to make general statements about the NGO sector as each NGO has its own image recognised by the society. The number of active NGOs, which have established themselves in the region, is small. If we trace the creation and functioning of the NGOs it is seen that the core – the initiators for establishing most of the NGOs, are in practice the same people. These NGOs are eager to establish contacts with both the local authorities and the business. Being enterprising, they have ideas, vision for development of various activities, including new tourism services. What is important in this case is that these people are ready to be involved in the

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implementation of these activities but their capacity is limited. It is a paradox that as a rule their activity is well discernible on the territory of the municipality but not within the region, regardless of the fact that the municipalities are small and situated close to one another. There is no actual interaction between these active NGOs. It should be noted that there are no NGOs in the Municipality of Yakoruda and in the Municipality of Belitsa, the community centre is the most active NGO stated by the people. The main reason for the limited number of active and sustainably functioning NGOs is the lack of leaders who are motivated to work for on social objectives and to trigger other people to become active. The NGO representatives express a firm assessment that the region possesses a hidden potential for development of tourism services. According to them, the business remains uninvolved; no partnerships are established that can offer alternative tourism services. For example, packages have been created for mountain bike tours, there are bicycles available, however this tourism services is not popular in the Municipality of Razlog and is not offered to organised tourist groups; there is readiness for organising hiking tours with various focuses, according to the tourists’ interests, however no such tourism service has been developed; there exists the basis for presenting the technology of producing cheese, accompanied by tasting, but there is no such service; there are horse riding centres, which are not used to their full capacity, the respondents report; the potential of the narrow-gauge railway is not exploited as a tourist attraction, etc. In other words, services or potential for development of alternative tourism are in place, but there is no such tourism. There is no integration between the business and the NGOs and no entrepreneurial thinking targeted at creation of various activities, which bring profit to the companies and create income to people engaged in other services based on the existing resource base for alternative tourism. All this limits the profit and benefits for all stakeholders – owners, entrepreneurs and the tourists as users of the services. Another direction of the development potential of the municipalities is the cultural and historical heritage. It is a common thinking that many of the archaeological excavations in the region are not explored; therefore, the expectations are that after their restoration, re- construction and presentation in a way to be easily understood by the audience, they will turn into attractive tourism sites. This would lead to development of the tourism industry in the region. The evaluation by the NGOs, including the representatives of the community centres, is contradictory: regardless of the understanding that this direction contains in itself potential for economic and social development, it is not linked to activities that would provide the population with opportunities for income, but it is expected that the local authorities to allocate budget, to organise the utilisation of these resources for tourism purposes. The community centres occupy a special position. They are gradually returning their function of a central place in the small towns and villages where people can gather to discuss topics of interest, to communicate. Therefore, the community centres are the place where various activities can be launched provided there is a leader, an enterprising person to lead the rest. Based on the deep-rooted connection between the population and its community centre, the latter being a place where everybody can find something interesting,

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these organisations can become the source of new tourism services. All community centres in the region are actively involved in the cultural life of their respective municipalities. The cultural calendar of the municipalities is rich and varied and the community centres are organisers of these events. The Municipalities of Razlog and Bansko are famous with their festivals, theatre and opera performances, exhibitions, plein airs, etc., which originated within the community centre and acquired relative independence subsequently. The activity of the community centres and of the NGOs is defined to a large extent by the existence of a leading figure that unites, engages and stimulates the people to do something together for the sake of improving the conditions of life. Paradoxes The business representatives state that the main factor for the limited actions is the lack of trained professionals and people who are ready to be hired to work. Those who have completed vocational courses organised by the Labour Office and received certificates for vocational qualification do not possess the necessary knowledge and skills, some of them are not willing to work. At the same time, the unemployment is high, especially in the Municipalities of Yakoruda and Belitsa. There is no understanding about the mobility5 of the population or it is very weak. The unemployment rate of the young people up to 29 years is high. A big part of the young people are low-qualified and do not have working or professional habits. At the same time, it is stated that all children and teenagers are covered by the educational institutions. The professional gymnasiums report good indicators. The people from the Municipalities of Bansko and Razlog are more enterprising but also more cautious when engaging in certain activities. Various tourism services are offered in the municipalities but this does not stimulate the resourceful people to create new ones. In the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda, a limited number of tourism services are offered but again the people do not take the initiative to create new ones, although there is capacity in place.

Conclusion An important prerequisite for development of the tourism services is that all key actors understand that tourism is a priority for the economic and social development of the region. The natural resources and the cultural and historical heritage are a well-know and valued resource, which has prospects for development but is not fully utilised at the time being. The local authorities have identified the development of the tourism sector as a priority6, emphasizing on its potential; the business assesses the possibility for inclusion in various economic activities – part of the tourism industry such as: hotel and restaurant management, manufacturing of souvenirs and developing local crafts and of course – the creation of

5 Mobility is understood as working in a town and living in another one with small distance between them. 6 Belitsa – Tourism Development Programme 2012-2020 13

attractive tourism services. In the Municipalities of Bansko and Razlog, these activities are undertaken by enterprising people – private companies and NOGs, while in the Municipalities of Belitsa and Yakoruda – the tourism remains a priority only in the documents of the administration. In the Municipality of Belitsa, the tourism services are provided by external tourism agencies. The community centre has also assumed partially the functions of a tourism agency by providing information only. The main barriers in front of tourism development in the region are: the human resources at all levels – the business cannot find qualified professionals who are supposed to ensure the quality of the services, the NGOs suffer from lack of leaders and enterprising people, as well as from low level of trust for integration with the aim of increasing the capacity. However, it is a general trend to depreciate this problem and to state at the first place the lack of financial resources. Other barriers are the negative attitude toward integration and partnership and bad coordination when performing complex activities. All this leads to scattering of resources and to low-quality tourism services or ones, which do not correspond to the needs and wishes of the tourists. The currently offered tourism services do not cover all potential opportunities, for which resources and relatively big capacity exist. As a result of the performed analysis, tourism services have been identified (presented in Annex A), which can attract a big number of tourists while putting small efforts. There is utter underrating of: short-term tourism services, international and cross-border tourism for targeted tourist groups with the aim of providing education, training; services for people travelling in transit, religious tourism, combined international tourism services (going to the seaside in and to the mountains in Bulgaria), etc. Main findings The resources for development of tourism services are not being fully utilised. A big part of the population is aware of these services, they have positive attitude that they should be developed but only few people are ready to start up such an activity personally. The prevailing feeling is the uncertainty in success. The local entrepreneurs are more aware and able to assess the potential for developing new tourism services as compared to the big investors in the region, however they evaluate themselves as “small” and “weak” to establish themselves as providers of tourism services. The first unification of 14 owners of taverns in Bansko offering local traditional foods is under way whose aim is to preserve the authenticity of these foods and stopping the imitations of local specialties. The tourism agencies remain in the background while the direct communication with the tourists is coming to the front due to the new information technologies. Providers of tourism services prefer to have direct contact with tourists and create their own web sites for this purpose.

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There is weak interaction and integration between the people concerned with the tourism sector. The designed tourism services are not used as they are the result of secondary activities, but at the same time they are not offered to other organisations to be implemented in collaboration. Partnership networks are being created but at the time being they are based on personal contacts and short-term arrangements. The quality of the tourism services is underestimated by the people who are ready to provide them. Training in this field is necessary.

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Annex A List of Reasonable Tourist Services in Municipalities: Bansko, Belitsa, Razlog and Yakoruda in the CBC Area Tourist Services by Category: • Family, single • Group - children ( schools), youth, elderly • Transit • CBC Integrated Packages

Tourist Services by Seasons • Summer touristic activities • Winter touristic activities

Tourist Services by Subject of Activity:

• Festivals, Municipa lity holidays • Mountain • Cultural • Religio n • Educational • Sportive • Entertainment • Spa tourism

List of Tourist Services for which there are capacity to be established

1. Mountain walking tours, hiking trails 2. Mountain biking 3. Rock Climbing 4. Horse Riding 5. Hunting and Fishing 6. ATV and Buggy tours 7. Mountain orientation 8. Mineral water beach - Bania 9. Skiing , Ski schools – Bansko, Semkov, Dobrinishte, 10. Walking-tour in the town – Razlog, Bansko, 11. One-day tour to archeological places: antique fortress St. Kale, Momina Kula Fortress, Ceramic Center, antique necropolis, etc. 12. Cultural events: Cultural festivals and evenings - Traditions and Arts, permanent and temporal expositio ns, museums 13. Demonstration of local crafts – to organize 1-2 hour demonstration of spinning, knitting of socks and gloves, embroidery of traditional costumes and traditional Bulgarian motives, wood-carving, weaving, etc.

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14. Demonstration of local traditional cuisine 15. One-day visiting the park for dancing bears – Belitsa 16. Religion tour to visit churches in the area from different periods – from antiquity to nowadays, incl. St.St.Teodor Tiron and Teodor Stratilat in Dobarsko, the Motley (Pisanata) church, Holy Annunciation of Virgin Mary Church, Holy Trinity Church in Bansko, permanent icon exhibition in Bansko Art School, 17. Mountain tours to visit natural beauty - water-falls, lakes, caves, old pines (Baykushev’s pine), etc. 18. Extreme sports tourist services 19. Educational tourist services for children – to learn local flora and fauna – day and night observations, 20. Educational attractions for children and youth – escape rooms, boyscout tours and camps, 21. Traditional Folk Dancing Lessons 22. Festival and Cultural Event Tourism – Razlog International : (January) Ballet festival (January) – Theater festival( July), Bansko Beat Music Experience (15-16 July), Bansko Film Fest (July), jazz festival Bansko (August), Bansko Opera fest (August), Bansko BohemI Festival -Balkan Folk Music (September), International Festival of Arts $Morning Star$ (November-December), 23. Tours on the narrow railway – Dobrinishte- Septemvri with attractions like: folk songs, traditional foods, presentation about history of the region, calendar events,etc. 24. Quick self-cooking with delivered bio-ingred ie nts ( suitable for gest-houses) 25. The route of the cheese – demonstration and degustation 26. Photo-safari

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