NGO ASSOCIATION FOR TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

Total budget: MKD 350,000

Timeframe: 01.03 – 30.09.2022 (7 months)

CONSTITUENTS

The activities concern the members of the three NGOs (NGO Centre for Humane Relations, NGO Krushevo Woman and NGO Association for Tourism and Hospitality), the local administration and the employees at Komuna Krushevo public communal enterprise, as well as the high school students of the tourism department of the High School Centre, i.e. all constituents of the Platform for Tourism Development in Krushevo,

ON THE PROJECT SUPPRTED BY CIVICA MOBILITAS

Strengthening the cooperation between the tourism sector and the local public enterprises,

BACKGROUND

The increase number of tourists implies more frequent requests for services to maintain the hygiene of the accommodation facilities. It also implies increasing the usage of disinfectants, which was especially intense during the Covid-19 crisis. The quantity of sizable waste (plastic and cardboard) has also increased due to the increased scope of work of the restaurants and villas, but also the percentage of construction waste because of more frequent adaptation of the housing space in the tourist accommodation areas. All of this has resulted in a creation of many mini landfills in the vicinity of the town, along the forest trails, which creates an ugly image of Krushevo as a tourist place. Regardless of the efforts of JKP Komuna from Krushevo, it is necessary to work on the awareness of all citizens, because the nature is wealth that the tourists pay for. Apart from a voluntary cleaning action for the picnic locations, the project will initiate that a decision for disposing of construction waste if adopted at the municipality of Krushevo and fines are issued for not respecting it. In cooperation with the municipality, a solution will be sought on the issue of appointing a communal inspector, who is legally required for every town, and especially for a tourist one like Krushevo. However, the key issue that the association will focus on is inclusion of the members of the Platform for Tourism Development in the decision-making bodies of JKP Komuna from Krushevo and the Local Economic Development Commission at the municipal council.

GOALS AND RESULTS

Goal:                        

Increasing the trust and cooperation between the civic tourist associations and the local public institutions and the municipal administration in order to promote the natural potentials and recognize Krushevo and its closer surroundings as an eco-destination by motivating the local human resources and creating sustainable eco tourist services,

Objectives:

• Increasing the cooperation of the civil sector and the local public institutions when planning, organizing and implementing the procedures for making decisions of public interest at local level;
• Educating the members of the Platform for Tourism Development on the need to protect the environment, which is the main cause of increased visits to Krushevo as a tourist destination;
• Promoting voluntary work as a responsible behaviour of individuals and institutions in activities of public interest and personal example in the local community.

RESULTS

1. 40 members of the Platform for Tourism Development in Krushevo educated to create eco services in the interest of a long-term protection of the environment and creation of procedures for cooperation with the local decision makers and public enterprises;
2. Sensitized local institutions on the importance of the inclusion of relevant, local stakeholders in all decision-making procedures of public interest, by holding educational workshops;
3. Promoting and practicing voluntary work as a responsible behaviour and personal example of local individuals and institutions by organizing 2 volunteering activities;
4. 4 eco tourist services created to influence the long-term protection of the environment as a sole tourist advantage to attract bigger number of tourists aware about the importance of these eco services;
5. 20 high school students educated on the procedure to use local natural resources in the process of making etheric oils from pine leaves and the process of soap making to obtain liquid soaps.

ACTIVITIES

1. Three-day workshop for creating procedures for institutional cooperation between CSOs and local institutions, the importance of long term environment protection, as a means to attract eco aware tourists and creation of eco tourist services with high school students and local administration;
2. Conducting two volunteer activities with the employees of the local restaurants, high school students, municipal administration and the employees at JKP Komuna Krushevo, “My Waste – My Responsibility”;
3. Survey – Communal Cleanness and Communal Waste in Tourist Krushevo;
4. Initiative to adopt a municipal decision to map and define spots to dispose of big waste and constriction waste and initiative to appoint a communal inspector;
5. Initiative to introduce a green badge for local eco tourist offers of the restaurants and apartment and a municipal award for an annual local eco service;
6. Three-day educational workshop with professors of the Faculty for Technology and Metallurgy for obtaining etheric oils and their use when making eco soaps. “The Local Eco Ingredients a Potential for Socio-Economic Activity”;
7. Making a video with all activities of the project that will be placed on the web pages of the municipality, JKP and the FeelKrusevo platform.