PRESS RELEASE

The Self-Government Office of Vas County (VMÖH) is a partner in the ThreeT – Thematic Trail Trigger project financed within the INTERREG EUROPE programme. The objective of ThreeT is the enhancement of the utilisation and results of policy instruments for thematic trail development through the establishment of new trails focusing on natural/cultural heritage or the efficient management of existing trails (with special emphasis on sustainable transport options). The final goal is maximising the ecotourism potential of heritage sites.

The common challenges for the project partners are the limited accessibility of such sites, the physical limitations of sustainable transport, and the lack of information about such solutions. This in turn hurts locally based regional economic development strategies, the opportunities of these sites are not exploited effectively.

In order to tackle these challenges, the partners share their relevant experiences with each other and jointly analyse them. During the course of the project close to 50 well-documented good practices were found and adapted to the needs of the individual partners. The result of the experience exchange is 8 regional Action Plans.

The partnership is led by Livorno province of Italy, with Finnish, Maltese, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Hungarian and German partners contributing to the work.

The first phase of the ThreeT project, which focuses on experience exchange and planning ends in Spring 2021. The past two and a half years saw intensive work both at county and international levels. The Self-Government Office has established a Local Stakeholder Group (LSG) out of the relevant Hungarian actors, including the Management Authority of the Territorial Development Operational Programme (TDOP) and the movers and actors of the county’s tourism. The LSG is an expert body. Its task has been to identify and structure local challenges, and in the course of their regular meetings learn of, analyse and adapt the many good practices to the objectives laid out in the Integrated Territorial Development Programme of the county and to the relevant calls within the TDOP.

Even according to the LSG shortlist – together with the experiences coming from the Study Visits and also from the Tutoring Sessions – there are 10-12 good practices out of the fifty with a potential to significantly help in invigorating the tourism of Vas County. The county’s Local Action Plan is developed by ranking these and focusing on the most urgent challenges in the region. The Action plan adapts 5 GPs into the framework of 3 specific initiatives, which are able to affect the regional role and quality of thematic trails within the next two years in a direct, feasible and quantifiable way. The goal is to expand the network of stakeholders and service providers, to develop and disseminate the knowledge and competences already existing within the system and not least the strengthening of the common ownership and responsibility for our thematic trails.

Action 1 focuses on improving the coordination of thematic trails. The basis for the initiatives is the regional travel passport of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region (PL), which can remind Hungarian users of the Pocket Library of Lands-Ages-Museums, but with voluntary participation and 21^st century solutions, offering a unified identity and information network to all thematic trails crossing the county. Also as part of this Action a Thematic Trail Handbook is developed, which is to be included among the attachments of the relevant calls of the Competitive Hungary Operational Programme (CHOP), improving trail-based developments around the country.

Action 2 expands the scope of experiences by showcasing smaller attractions, formerly difficult to present around the trails. This is to be achieved through point-based organised activities, like a Polish historical trail introduced guided nature trips to otherwise inaccessible, protected areas from fortresses along its path; and through the development and coordinated presentation of sites hiding in small settlements after an Italian pattern. The result of both solutions is a more colourful, more customizable experience for all visitors of the thematic trails

The third action works on the quality of the trail flows and services through the adaptation of a Maltese and a Romanian good practice. This initiative includes a number of different development initiatives ranging from the optimisation of the location and content of trail marks, through sustainable logistics to the development of specific services and sites.

The implementation of the actions is monitored by the INTERREG EUROPE Management Authority as well. The Self-Government Office will provide details of all specific activities and results.

Further project information:

• ThreeT on the VMÖH official site (HU): https://www.vasmegye.hu/nemzetkozi-projektek/threet/
• ThreeT project portal (EN): https://www.interregeurope.eu/threet/
• ThreeT facebook (EN/multi): https://www.facebook.com/ThreetProjectIE/

Contact details:

• Self-Government Office of Vas County, International Department
• Ms Adrienn NÉMETH
• Email: nemeth.adrienn@vasmegye.hu
• Phone: +36 94 515 742

“The participation of the Hungarian partner in the project is co-financed by the Hungarian State.”