Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 17, Issue 4, 2017 PRINT ISSN 2284-7995, E-ISSN 2285-3952 CULTURAL TOURISM AND THE TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION Rozalin YANEV „Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov“ University, Burgas, Department of Marketing and Tourism, 1, “Prof. Yakimov” Boulevard, 8010 Burgas, Bulgaria, E-mail: [email protected] Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The article provides a brief overview of the opportunities provided by the joint development of cultural tourism in the Balkan Peninsula region. It is proposed to develop some routes as a product of cross-border cooperation. Attention is directed to the Thracian-Illyrian cultural heritage. The Thracian-Illyrian tribes have participated in the genesis of all Balkan nations. Their heritage provides an opportunity to create a single regional Balkan emitting and receiving market for cultural tourism. Specific routes will be mentioned on the residences of the Odrysians and Satrae, Dacians and Getae, Paeonians and Dardani, who through cross-border cooperation projects could become attractive tourist products. Key words: cultural tourism, Thracian-Illyrian heritage, routes, residences INTRODUCTION the extension of the tourist season and diversification of leisure time in mass tourism. The promotion of alternative tourism types is Alternative types of tourism are created by the boosted by the drop in the revenues from mass wishes of communities who have realized their tourism and, above all, its profitability. The responsibility for the environment, who would most active in the promotion of alternative not want to replace the stress in their everyday types of tourism are those that do not have the life with the stress of mass tourism and can necessary resources to develop typical mass afford it [4]. This does not mean that all other tourism such as Great Britain, Germany, the participants in mass tourism are not aware of Netherlands and others. It is hardly necessary these needs, and perhaps simply cannot afford for the developing mass tourism countries to another type of tourism. The very word shrink it at the expense of the alternative, but „alternative“ means literally „one after rather to make it „softer“ to approach the another“, i.e. choice between two or more characteristics to the alternative. options. On the one hand, as is the case with Undoubtedly, the diversification of leisure Bulgaria, there are mainly the mass sea time can be successful with the development of recreative and mountain ski tourism, and on the alternative types of tourism. The great benefit other most other species. They are alternative of developing them to extend the season, mainly because they are not massive. employment, average stays, revenue, etc. is Otherwise, most of them have been developed well known. long before the so-called „mass“ types of The problem is that if we want to be successful, tourism. Moreover, according to the tourist these species must develop strategically, in a resources of a country, some types of tourism complex way, not in a piece, to have a finished declared alternative in some countries, others look that satisfies tourists and brings are mass - culturally, culturally, culturally, etc., advantages over competition. Unfortunately, which have no less harmful influences than the countries with the necessary tourism resources classic mass tourism types. Tourism resources do not always have the means to develop the are territorially limited, which enables different types of tourism at a competitive individual countries to specialize in the level. development of different types of tourism [5]. Alternative types of tourism, even if they are not the main purpose of the trip, contribute to 373 Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 17, Issue 4, 2017 PRINT ISSN 2284-7995, E-ISSN 2285-3952 One of the promising types of tourism that has RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS become very popular in recent times is cultural tourism. Let's start with the definition of the very notion Unfortunately, the economic results of the of culture. Perhaps nobody knows how many development of this type of tourism in Bulgaria definitions this term has. According to are far too insignificant for now. Revealing UNESCO's definition, „Culture is a some of the causes of this condition is not multiplicity of distinctive spiritual, material, enough in itself. It is necessary to identify some intellectual and emotional traits of a society or steps that would help to channel the efforts for a social group, it encompasses not only art and the development of cultural tourism. literature, but also the way of life, cohabitation, The very concepts of culture and cultural value systems, traditions and beliefs.“ Or, tourism are so diverse and involve so many formulated briefly, culture is a set of all varieties that many researchers have some material and spiritual achievements created by reason to say that this type of tourism has a a society that are realized and used by it. From much larger market share than it counts. the definition we see how multi-layered is the concept, how much various human activities MATERIALS AND METHODS and relationships affect. Koprinarov points out the relation of culture to the different aspects of The purpose of this research is not the human everyday life - „Human environment; definition, nature, specificities and importance social heritage and traditions; Lifestyle; of cultural tourism. In our tourist literature they behaviour; rules of social life; international are well described by researchers such as relations; values and norms; symbols and T.Parusheva, Br. Koprinarov, St. Marinov, M. meanings; perceptions; similarities and Neshkov and others [3, 4, 5, 6]. differences between people” [3]. We will only look at some peculiarities that A number of others could be added to them, but make it difficult to solve the problem of they also indicate what an incredible variety of attracting enough participants and distract the relationships are intertwined in the notion of efforts for the successful development of this culture and how many different aspects should kind of tourism. be considered when an action plan is The methods used for the current article are exhausted. All these relations arise on the part analysis and synthesis of specialized literature of the material and intangible elements of the on the topic and presentation of the critical „higher culture“ - historical landmarks, works opinion on the actual situation of cultural of art, painting, music, architecture, museums, tourism and the transboundary cooperation. etc., and on the other - language, education, clothing, religion and ritual, crafts, folklore, etc. Problems facing the The diversity of the concept of culture also development of cultural tourism in the provokes diversity in the definitions of cultural Balkans area tourism. One of them, Drayer, defines him as: Underdeveloped Lack of knowledge The great competition Lack of enough funds emitting and receiving of the culture of the of Greece and Italy as for developing of a „Cultural tourism is all trips whose motives are market of cultural Balkan countries by the countries developing competitive level of tourism in the Balkan European and world cultural tourism culture tourism countries public. based on cultural activities, all the activities the tourist feels like“[3]. This and almost all other definitions of culture Fig.1.The main problems the development of cultural tourism is facing in the Balkans' area and cultural tourism are so comprehensive that Source: Own design. they practically include all kinds of tourism as far as they are the achievements of society and Based on the analysis, the author expressed his it is impossible to say that one type of tourism own opinions on what it could be made to is cultural and another non-cultural. We only develop cultural tourism in the Balkans' area. distinguish between motivational, cognitive, educational, religious, festival, etc. types of 374 Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 17, Issue 4, 2017 PRINT ISSN 2284-7995, E-ISSN 2285-3952 cultural tourism - for specialists and mass the United Kingdom. This generalization of tourism. That is why it would be good to decide Hellenic and Roman art has in fact played the exactly what is meant by saying that Bulgaria role of free advertising and propaganda for will develop cultural tourism and what exactly centuries. If this were to be done for good, we the subspecies will develop predominantly in would need inexhaustible means to match the order not to dilute the efforts. Bulgaria is a results of this „advertisement“. Despite this relatively poor country and does not have the huge advantage, it could be offset, to a certain necessary financial and human resources to extent, by properly selecting the emitting and develop at the same time all the subcategories receiving markets and choosing a win-win of cultural tourism at a competitive level. In strategy for the development of cultural such a small territory as our country are so tourism. invaluable natural and anthropogenic tourism Still, in which direction to concentrate our resources that many people have reason to ask efforts if we want to become a visible factor in themselves why with such resources and such the international tourism market of cultural huge for our scale, modern bed base our tourism and to realize significant revenues revenues from international tourism are only corresponding to our rich cultural and about 6.2 billion BGN per year? historical heritage. There is currently a The reasons are numerous, but as far as cultural campaign for project preparation and tourism is concerned, we will mention, as a application for European funds for cultural start, the extremely strong competition in this tourism projects. There would be nothing area of our neighbouring countries. It is often wrong with the enrichment of our cultural and pointed out that Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and historical heritage, if it was not the danger of Turkey are the richest countries of ancient dissipating the efforts and the means and artefacts in Europe.