The third Stakeholder Network Meeting was successfully completed as part of the transnational EPICAH project, “Effectiveness of policy instruments for cross-border advancement of heritage”, funded by INTERREG EUROPE.
The meeting took place on Thursday, 24 May 2018, at 09:00, at the Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia offices in Kozani, with a significant number of representatives of organisations in the Region who already participate in EPICAH’s local stakeholder network.
The meeting presented and discussed good practices recorded in Western Macedonia in the use of cultural and environmental resources and sustainable tourism development, with emphasis on the cross-border area of Kastoria and Florina.
All participants stressed the need to highlight and promote these good practices. Although initially developed under co-funded regional and/or cross-border projects, they remain 100% sustainable and usable after those projects have ended.
These practices have undoubtedly already created a new regional approach to tourism, making a decisive contribution to improving the appeal of Western Macedonia and increasing visitor numbers across the Region.
Finally, a highly productive discussion enabled participants to contribute substantially to planning the two-day programme of the forthcoming EPICAH transnational meeting in Western Macedonia on 5 and 6 June 2018.
ABOUT THE PROJECT EPICAH
EPICAH aims to improve policy instruments for the cross-border protection and development of natural and cultural heritage through an exchange of experiences and good practices among partners with significant experience of developing strategies, projects and actions based on cross-border cooperation.
Mutual learning and work among partners and stakeholders will help address the challenge by proposing new types of actions under current cross-border programmes, or even a new framework for Interreg programmes in the next programming period. In this way, regions will improve the management of their natural and cultural heritage and add value through a shared approach to tourism development.
