Hungary – Romania Cross-Border Co-operation Programme 2007-2013 “Organization of Thematic Tourism Programmes in the Körös Valley” HURO/0901/241/2.1.3. BÉKÉS-ARAD JOINT TOURISM MARKETING STRATEGY 2011 – 2018 Lead Partner: Mid-Békés Territorial Development Municipal Association Partners: Körös Valley Nature Park Association; National Council of Romanian Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises - Arad Branch 1 www.kozepbekes.hu; www.imm-arad.ro; www.korosoknaturpark.hu www.huro-cbc.eu; www.hungaryromania-cbc.eu Table of Contents I I. Introduction..........................................................................................................................4 I.1. The necessity of tourism marketing strategy...................................................................4 I.2. The introduction of the HURO/0901/241/2.1.3 - „Active tours” project............................5 I.2.1. The objectives and the effects of the project............................................................6 I.3. The objectives of the joint marketing strategy....................................................................8 II. Status analysis of the project target region..........................................................................11 II.1. Introduction of the Mid-Békés Centre .............................................................................11 II.2. Körös Valley Nature Park Association (Körösök Völgye Natúrpark Egyesület)............13 II.3. The trend of inland tourism especially the economic environment, state of natural and cultural life of the Mid-Békés Centre (MBC) area...................................................................18 II.3.1. SWOT analysis of Békés County..............................................................................19 II.3.2. Introduction of the tourism position of the Mid-Békés Centre by a SWOT analysis ...............................................................................................................................................22 II.4. Natural and cultural resources of the Mid-Békés Centre.................................................26 II.4.1. Békéscsaba................................................................................................................33 II.4.2. Gyula.........................................................................................................................43 II.4.3. Békés ........................................................................................................................52 II.4.4. General statements ...................................................................................................61 II.6. The present active tourism possibilities in the MBC region and in the area of Arad County...................................................................................................................................81 III.1.3. Strategic objectives of Békéscsaba......................................................................90 III.1.4. Strategic objectives of Gyula...............................................................................93 III.1.5. The strategic objectives of Békés.........................................................................94 IV. Presentation of the active tourism programme packages ...................................................95 IV.1. Tourism routes in mid-Békés......................................................................................96 IV.2. Tourism routes in Arad county.................................................................................104 IV.2.1. The Mures-valley ..............................................................................................104 IV.2.2. Zarand mountains..............................................................................................105 IV.2.3. Fehér (White)-Körös..........................................................................................107 IV.2.4. Codru-Moma mountains....................................................................................109 IV.2.5. Arad and its surrounding....................................................................................110 V. Basis of the marketing communication in the project ’Active Tours’ .............................111 V.1. SWOT analysis of the project ...................................................................................111 V.2. Aims and methods of marketing activity of the tourism programmes in the project.113 V.3. Marketing communication for the project „Active Tours” .......................................126 V.3.1. Target group – target market – positioning: experimental adventures and active wellness ..........................................................................................................................128 2 www.kozepbekes.hu; www.imm-arad.ro; www.korosoknaturpark.hu www.huro-cbc.eu; www.hungaryromania-cbc.eu V.3.2. Marketing communications in the project period ..............................................137 V.3.3. Further possible marketing channels in the sustaining period. ..........................140 V.3.4. Demand for human resource in the project and the sustaining period ...............143 VI. Planned budget of the active tourism routes, their market pricing .................................143 VII. Conclusions....................................................................................................................144 Annex- Image designs of brochure, website, roll-up boards presenting the programme packages .................................................................................................................................146 3 www.kozepbekes.hu; www.imm-arad.ro; www.korosoknaturpark.hu www.huro-cbc.eu; www.hungaryromania-cbc.eu I I. Introduction I.1. The necessity of tourism marketing strategy The Körös Valley and its natural values like the River Maros (Mureş), the mountains of Zarand, the neighbourhood of Arad, which are situated in Békés and Arad counties, are very little or not appreciated neither in Hungary nor in Romania from the point of view of tourism. The present tourism marketing strategy tries to solve this problem with the objective of introducing and popularizing the natural values of the two counties, an active way of spending free time and the tourism opportunities provided by the nature to the local inhabitants and the incoming tourists. In Békés county there have already been significant investments, facilities have been built to provide service for the active tourism, however, the practical implementation, the wide range of tourism possibilities based on the built infrastructure and the organizing and offering of programs is still missing. The tourism possibilities of Arad county – the hiking routes in the mountains of Zarand, Beli and Gajna, in the valleys of the rivers Fehér-Körös (Crişul Alb) and Maros (Mureş), in the wine region of Menes and the hiking routes in the neighbourhood of Arad – are not easily accessible because of the lack of information. The present marketing strategy after outlining the present situation declares the guiding principles and possibilities that would allow organizing, communicating and implementing of active tourism programs in the two counties, on one hand giving incentive to the organizations dealing with tourism to introduce wider range of offers and popularize our natural values and inland tourism and on the other hand defining those marketing tools that can help to reach the local inhabitants and arriving tourists. The strategy is part of the “Organization of Thematic Tourist Programmes in the Körös Valley” (HURO/0901/241/2.1.3. – Active Tours) project funded by the Hungarian- Romanian Cross-Border Co-operation Programme. The marketing activities are essential 4 www.kozepbekes.hu; www.imm-arad.ro; www.korosoknaturpark.hu www.huro-cbc.eu; www.hungaryromania-cbc.eu elements of the project so that the region could conduct the proper communication, the increase of reputation and the creation of the regional image. I.2. The introduction of the HURO/0901/241/2.1.3 - „Active tours” project On the 1st of November the Mid-Békés Territorial Development Municipal Association in partnership with the Körös Valley Nature Park Association and National Council of Romanian Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises - Arad Branch started the project entitled “Organization of Thematic Tourism Programmes in the Körös Valley” (HURO/0901/241/2.1.3.), which is funded by the Hungarian-Romanian Cross-Border Co- operation Programme. The objective of the Lead Partner, the Mid-Békés Territorial Development Municipal Association is to promote the socio-economic and cultural development of the three member towns - Békéscsaba, Gyula and Békés – and the Mid-Békés Centre (MBC). A coordinated development strategy needs to be carried out and the preparation and implementation of joint regional development programs are needed to fulfill the objective. One of the common development directions of the three towns is tourism based on the cultural and natural values of the region and the funded project gives great incentive to that, since the goal of the project is to let the Körös Valley become a well-known, popular and active tourist destination for inland and foreign tourists – with organization and coordination considering the natural and environmental sustainability. In the frame of the project that has a total cost of 113.653 € (almost 32 million HUF) with 5% own contribution fifteen active tourist roads will be implanted