Contact person(s): Klaudia Keringer - keringer.klaudia@vasmegye.hu

Project description:

The RESPECTS project aims to support the sustainable development of religious, spiritual, and pilgrimage tourism in Europe, particularly in regions where these heritages are less known but represent significant cultural value.

The project seeks to:

• Increase the visibility of less frequented religious and spiritual sites,
• Encourage active participation of local communities in the tourism-based use of heritage,
• Ensure that regional policy instruments support the sustainable development of heritage-based tourism,
• Help religious and spiritual tourism contribute to territorial cohesion and boost the local economy.

The main activities of the project:

• Identification and exchange of good practices among partners,
• Development of regional analyses and action plans,
• Organization of experience-sharing workshops and study visits,
• Facilitation of policy learning between partners.

Lead Partner:

• Region of East Macedonia and Thrace (REMTH) – Greece

Project partnership:

1. Region of East Macedonia and Thrace (REMTH) – Lead Partner – Greece
2. Region Västra Götaland – Partner – Sweden
3. Vas County Government Office – Partner – Hungary
4. National Pilgrim Centre of Norway – Partner – Norway
5. Pafos Regional Board of Tourism – Partner – Cyprus
6. National Research and Development Institute in Tourism – Partner – Romania
7. European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) – Advisory Partner – Belgium
8. Tourist Board of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton – Discovery Partner – Bosnia - Herzegovina
9. Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments – Discovery Partner – Moldova

Tasks of the Vas County Government Office:

The main tasks of the Vas County Government Office within the RESPECTS project include:

• Mapping and analyzing local religious and spiritual tourism heritage sites
• Preparing a regional situation analysis of current tourism and heritage management practices
• Identifying and sharing good practices with project partners
• Developing an action plan with targeted measures for the development of religious tourism in Vas County
• Involving local stakeholders (municipalities, churches, civil organizations) in policy dialogue
• Participating in study visits, partner meetings, and organizing a professional event in Hungary as part of the project
• Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the action plan during the second phase of the project

„The project is realized in the Interreg Europe Program with the co-financing of the ERDF, the European Union and Hungary.”