Mapping Rural Tourism in South Kosovo

The purpose of this project is to contribute to the mapping and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage through documentation, promotion, knowledge and skills transfer to youth and communities of different ethnic backgrounds from South Economic Region (six municipalities: Prizren, Rahovec, Mamusha, Dragash, Suhareka, Malisheva). The project also aims to raise the awareness of the local and central institutions on the “not yet developed and fully explored” rural tourism concept as a sustainable factor that provides education and sustainable development of the local communities.

The project will equip youth and representatives of different ethnic backgrounds from Prizren south region (Prizren, Malisheve, Rahovec, Dragash, Mamushe and Suhareke) with relevant skills and knowledge in mapping and increase their employability in the future. The internship program will provide modest remuneration for 11 beneficiaries, which will have increased chances to become regular employees in the future. At the same time, the project will help local and central institutions to improve their basic policy framework on potentials of rural tourism thus creating conditions for business performance in the future for the heritage assets that could be used as tourism potentials for the community living in those sites.

The project objectives and respective results:

Objective 1 – To transfer mapping cultural heritage knowledge and skills to youth and communities of different ethnic backgrounds from South Economic Region of Kosovo through mentorship and training capacity development
Result 1.1 – Two training workshops organized for the young interns and local community representatives of six municipalities (short-term)
Result 1.2 – An inclusive field research on mapping of rural tourism potentials (short-term)
Result 1.3 – Piloting a model of cooperation of various communities on the common topic of rural tourism for other regions in Kosovo and central level institutions (long-term)

Objective 2 – To document and map cultural and natural heritage assets with rural tourism potential
Result 2.1 – Production of the Publication of “Mapping rural tourism potentials in Southern Kosovo” (short-term)
Result 2.2 – Web, social media and video promotion of the project products (short-term)
Result 2.3 – Piloting a model of rural tourism mapping for other regions in Kosovo and central level institutions (long-term)

Objective 3 – To develop basics for a strategic framework for the central and local institutions on rural tourism topic
Result 3.1 – Drafting recommendations for the central and local institutions regarding rural tourism potentials in Kosovo (short-term)
Result 3.2 – Disseminating basic concepts, trends and developments on rural tourism through keynote speakers of the Closing Conference of the project (short-term)
Result 3.3 – Contribute on the ongoing National Strategy of Tourism in Kosovo with the input of rural tourism mapping and information (long-term)