ESTABLISHMENT OF INNOVATIVE CROSS-BORDER CRAFT CENTER BULGARIA – SERBIA

Project title: ESTABLISHMENT OF INNOVATIVE CROSS-BORDER CRAFT CENTER BULGARIA – SERBIA

Project acronym: INNO CRAFTS

Lead partner: Georgi Damyanovo Municipality

Project partners: Association for Tourism Promotion – Vidin, Institute for Cross Border Areas

Project duration: 18.6.2025 – 17.12.2026.

Project budget: EUR 790.347,13

Project overall objective:

• To support the tourist valorization of local and traditional crafts in the CBC region by streamlining the utilization of tourist resources, improving tourism marketing and branding practices.

Project activities:

• Establishment of Innovative Cross-Border Craft Centre Bulgaria – Serbia
• Purchasing of the equipment and equip the 5 craft workshops for the craft center
• Elaboration of 4 specialized software products
• Ceremony for the opening of the Craft center
• Capacity building for tourist valorization of local and traditional crafts
• Practical video tutorials “How to make ….”
• Creation of Directory of local and traditional crafts in Cross-border are Bulgaria – Serbia
• Study “Policy recommendations for strengthening crafts as tourism booster in Cross-border are Bulgaria – Serbia
• Social media marketing package
• Elaboration of Digital Cross-border Craft Platform
• Promotion of craft center and innovative tools for attraction of tourists

Project results:

• Three exhibition halls established in Gavril Genovo, Kopilovtsi and Melyane, with a total increase in the number of visitors by 2,100.
• An Innovative Cross-border Craft Center established in the cross-border area of Bulgaria and Serbia, including a virtual craft center as part of a digital platform.

The project is co-funded by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria–Serbia Programme