EU supports participatory development of tourism in Guria

Guria. On July 23-26 Guria region hosted CHARRETTE event, which was opened with a Tourism Festival followed by multi-stakeholder discussion on the prospects of tourism development in Guria.

On July 23rd, the Tourism Festival of Guria was held in Lanchkhuti, Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti with an interesting and diverse program. The exhibition of local artists was organized, the entrepreneurs introduced their products to the visitors, and a mobile application of touristic routesin Guria was presented. Special ethnographic corners were displayed in all three municipalities. The visitors and guests had an opportunity to ride horses, participate in falcon hunting, take a tourist maps as a gift, discover the local craft products, and of course, listen to the unique, polyphonic Gurian songs.

Local residents as well as tourists in Ozurgeti, field experts, representatives of EU and local authorities attended the event.

Representatives of the local self-government and the executive director of the project, Nana Tavdumadze addressed attendees of Guria Tourism Festival. They highlighted the significance of the project, tourism strategy and touristic potential of Guria.

The representative of EU, Dominica Skubida underlined, that the EU is supporting four municipalities of Guria (Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, Lanchkhuti municipalities and Ozurgeti City Hall) and two civil society organizations (Civil Society Institute and theYoung Scientists' Club of Ozurgeti) to create a tourism development strategy for the region. The strategy will be elaborated based on participatory approach in order to consider local needs and obtain more benefits for the local population from the natural resources of the region.

The festival was followed by a multi stakeholder discussion on the prospects of tourism development in Guria. On July 24, 25 and 26 , in Ozurgeti, in the "Horizonti” College building, the central and local authority representatives, experts, citizens and stakeholders engaged in tourism, were involved in CHARRETTE Studio (participatory methodology developed at the National Charrette Institute -NCI, Michigan State University) – multi-stakeholder panel and thematic group sessions. As a result, the group jointly defined the strategic priorities of Truism strategy for Guria.

The event was held within the framework of the 3-year project "Participatory CHARRETTE for the Tourism Development Strategy of Guria”, implemented by mutual cooperation of the Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti, and Chokhatauri Municipalities, Ozurgeti City Hall, Civil Society Organizations the Young Scientists' Club of Ozurgeti and the Civil Society Institute, with the EU financial support.

The project aims to promote sustainable and comprehensive tourism development in Guria through the joint efforts of central and local authorities, citizens and stakeholders interested in tourism.