Focal Point 'Destination Danube' (FPDD)

Focal Point "Destination Danube" (FPDD) was established in late 2012 through the joint efforts of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (MEET), based on a decision of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to support the tourism development in the Bulgarian Danube region.

FPDD sets its main goals as follows:

•             to promote sustainable, equitable and coordinated development of tourism in the Danube Region;

•             to develop and implement strategies for effective use of the potential of the Danube region with respect to and guarantees for the environmental protection; and

•             to provide the necessary means for the improvement of competitiveness of the region by helping the establishment of connections on social, economic and environmental issues between communities at regional, national and international level, in search of greater cooperation and synergy.

FPDD will attain these goals through two basic support mechanisms - financial and technical support, like consulting, capacity development, trainings, international networking and assigning temporary experts.

FPDD Profile:

Broad-based expertise for sustainable tourism development

The services delivered by the FPDD draw on a wealth of regional and technical expertise and tried and tested management know-how. We support the Bulgarian Government in achieving its objectives in the field of sustainable tourism development in Destination Danube.

Tailored services

We offer demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development. To ensure the participation of all stakeholders, we apply a holistic approach based on the values and principles upheld in European society. This is how we facilitate change and empower people to take ownership of their own sustainable development processes. In doing this, we are always guided by the concept of sustainable development, and take account of political, economic, social and ecological factors. We support our partners at local, regional, national and international level in designing strategies and meeting their policy goals.

 Developing solutions

FPDD operates mainly in the following fields: economic (tourism) development and employment promotion; governance and democracy; environmental protection, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. We also support our partners with management and logistical services, and act as an intermediary, balancing diverse interests in sensitive contexts.

Specific functions of the FPDD units:

Through its 2 units - "Focal Point - Policy & Coordination Unit" - Sofia and a regional "Focal Point - Service Unit", based in Ruse, FPDD will assist in tourism policy implementation, the organization of dialogue sessions with tourism stakeholders in the Danube Region, conduction of seminars, with the aim of creating awareness and defining solutions. Furthermore, FPDD will support regionally-based innovative projects (e.g. tourism cluster), confidence-building cross-border activities and the conservation of biodiversity of the Danube.

"Focal Point - Policy & Coordination Unit" will furthermore support the control, coordination and implementation processes within the context of the European Danube Strategy (EUSDR).

The role of the GIZ consists of neutral facilitation and technical assistance in the development of policies, strategies and multilateral communication, in providing expertise for the MEET and in providing GIZ proven services and tools.

Contacts:

FPDD-Sofia (“Policy & Coordination Unit”)       

1000 Sofia, 12 “Knyaz Alexander I” str. (building MEE)    

T: (+359 2) 940-7903, 940-7003   

F: (+359 2) 987-1933       

E-mail: office.sofia@fpdd.bg   

FPDD-Ruse (“Regional Service Unit”)    

7000 Ruse, 12-01 “Kiril Startsev” str.

T: (+ 359 88) 9620 483

E-mail: office.ruse@fpdd.bg

Web: www.fpdd.bg       

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinationDanube

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