Registration form

PROJECT: „TourNet – Promotion of cross-border networking for development of a common Bulgarian-Romanian Tourist Product” Ref.No: 1-3.1-2 MIS Code: 25 - Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013

CrossTour Fair 2012 B2B Registration form 28-29.01.2012 RUSE, BULGARIA

Organisation Name MUNICIPALITY OF TUTRAKAN Type Hotel Guest house Other type of accommodation Restaurant/Food and drink Spa hotel or medical/ health centre Municipality Tourist Information Centre Tour operator Travel agent Other (please specify)

------Size Population –15374 Address 31, Transmariska Town, Country Tutrakan, Bulgaria Phone number +359879835809 Fax number +35986660636 E-mail [email protected] Website www.tutrakan.egov.bg

www.cbcromaniabulgaria.eu Investing in your future! Romania-Bulgaria Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund

Participant First name Rositsa Last name Vasileva Gender (M/F) F Position chief expert “Euro integration and cross-border cooperation” Organisation profile (describe briefly) HISTORY & EXPERIENCE:

The Municipality of Tutrakan and the surrounding region are rich in culture, history, and natural landmarks. Since well before the 19 th century, the history of the town has revolved around the large, old River . The Municipality is in the Danube River Valley and contains a unique fishing village. Today, the “Fishermen’s Quarter” is a fine example of authentically preserved buildings in the Bulgarian National Revival Style. Every visitor to the Municipality can experience our museum “Danube Fishing and Boating.” This museum is unique to Tutrakan and it contains artifacts illustrating fishing and boating on this section of the Danube River from antiquity to present day. The museum also contains exhibits describing the social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of life on the Danube River.

In 2000, the NGO “Municipal Association for Tourism” was established with the goal of promoting tourism, breaks, and excursions to villages within the Municipality of Tutrakan.

Making a living as a fisherman plays an important role in the economic and social life of the people. At the beginning of the last century, a school for building boats was established to produce the wooden boats known as “Tutrakanki.” Today, these wooden boats can still be found all along the Danube River.

Everyday, the fishermen go out with the hope of a good catch.

An essential component to making a living from fishing is producing the necessary instruments for fishing. These include knitting and mending the nets and building equipment from wood and reed (cane).

Every year, on December 6 (St. Nickolai’s Day), the fishermen give tribute to St. Nickolai-the patron saint of fisherman-at the Church of St. Nickolai, located near the “Fishermen’s Village.” The Church was built in 1865 with donations from patriotic citizens of Tutrakan. Today it is an architectural monument to the culture with national significance.

All of these facts combine to give Tutrakan an interesting tourism product, which will help to stimulate the economy of the region and further promote the fishing industry as well.

MAIN PRODUCTS, SERVICES, CORE ACTIVITIES:

Tutrakan municipality declared tourism as a priority for the period 2000-2006. The main objective of the Tourism Strategy is to develop the local area through tourism. For years now, the “Beautiful Bulgaria” project has been in effect in Tutrakan. Construction repair work has been performed on more than 11 buildings, architectural monuments of culture, and landscaping. The standard of living in the Town has improved as well as its attractiveness to tourists. The Museum of “Danube Fishing and Boat Building” is the only one of its kind on the Balkan Peninsula, which contains the history of fishing from ancient times to the present day. The architectural complex “Fishermen’s Quarter” has been in existence as a habitat for fishermen for many centuries. It is located near the Danube with architecture from the Bulgarian National Revival style and it is of national significance. The complex has a high number of authentic buildings. Forty-eight of the buildings in the complex are architectural monuments. In 1990, the National Institute for Monuments of Culture implemented a detailed building plan that allowed for the beginning of restoration projects of the houses in the complex. Two houses have been entirely completed and their authenticity has been saved.

- January, 6 – Throwing the cross into the Danube River for health and prosperity throughout the year / Christian celebration/ - June, 29 – International Day of the Danube – Festival of the river - June – Apricot Festival - September, 6 – Remembrance memorial complex "military tomb" near the village Shumentsi / prepared jointly with experts from Historical Museum/ - August – International Music Festival – “River Notes” - September, 21 – Celebration of the Tutrakan

ACTIVITY AS PER TYPE OF TOURISM:

cognitive tourism event tourism recreational tourism trekking tourism cultural tourism hobby tourism curative (balneological) tourism religious tourism wine tourism business tourism (including congress and fair tourism) sport tourism extreme tourism agricultural tourism military tourism mountain, sea, river tourism social tourism rural tourism adventure tourism ecotourism culinary tourism hunting and fishing tourism

TYPE(S) OF CO-OPERATION SOUGHT Trade Intermediary (agent, representative, distributor) offered requested Joint Venture offered requested Development and offering of joint products offered requested

www.cbcromaniabulgaria.eu Investing in your future! Romania-Bulgaria Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund