Acronym

CraftTourism

NUMBER

PBU2/0957/18

Project type

Micro-project

STATUS

Not started

THEMATIC OBJECTIVE

HERITAGE

PRIORITY

1.1 Promotion of local culture and history

PARTNERSHIP

PL-BY

LEAD BENEFICIARY

Association of Local Governments of the "Bialowieza Forest Euroregion" (Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland)

BENEFICIARY

Cultural Center in Hajnówka (Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland)
Local Ecological Foundation "Bialowieza Forest Euroregion" (Minsk Oblast, Belarus)

Project description

The area of the Białowieża Forest is unique, virgin and still undiscovered. The CraftTourism project partners will take up the common challenge of improving the image and the tourist attractiveness of the Białowieża Forest. The aim of the project is to preserve and promote the cultural and historical heritage of the cross-border region and to strengthen cultural bonds and cooperation. The common challenge is also to maintain the disappearing folk traditions on the borderland of the Forest.

The activities foreseen within the project will popularize the Białowieża Forest through events related to folk craftsmanship, which will include, among others: the conference opening the project, the Folk Art Festivals on both sides of the border, the folk craft route, painting and sculpture workshops on the Polish side, a brochure and website about folk craftsmanship cultivated with the Forest area. By running a comprehensive promotional and educational campaign, the partners want to create a fashion for local traditions. The result of these activities will also be a historical guide to folk crafts. Joint implementation and cooperation will allow achieving the goal.

Tourists visiting the Białowieża Forest and the inhabitants of these regions will benefit from the effects of the CraftTourism project. Cultural events initiated during the project implementation will be organized after its completion as an annual tourist attraction. Joint participation in such events is a great opportunity to establish new contacts and exchange experiences. It will bring a great impulse to integrate the local environment of folk artists and people cultivating local crafts.