Joint implementation of international projects and development in the field of tourism – this was the goal pursued by the delegation from Drohobych, which recently visited the Slovenian city of Hrastnik.
A good partnership has existed between Drohobych and Hrastnik for a long time, and an agreement on further cooperation between the two cities has been signed. In view of this, the mayor of the city of Hrastnik, Marko Funkl, repeatedly visited the city of Kotermaka and directed cargo with humanitarian reinforcements for internally displaced persons and the city’s medicine during the war.
The visit of the delegation from Drohobych to Hrastnik carried several important tasks. In particular, Yuriy Yatskiv, manager of regional development of CU “Institute of the City of Drohobych” and manager of KP “Tourist Information Center of Drohobych” Olha Bunda took part in the mentoring program organized by the Center for European Perspectives CER in Slovenia and the City Hall under the auspices of the project “Post conflict resolution in Ukraine”. Several days of rich lectures, exchange of experience, presentation of interesting projects and visits to tourist and industrial locations of the city – all this awaited the participants of the project. Slovenia’s experience in household waste management was also considered.
In particular, Yuriy Yatskiv said that during the visit it was possible to discuss three priority issues identified by the mayor Taras Kuchma – the construction of communal housing for IDPs and local residents, the second – the development of tourism, as well as the development of the rehabilitation industry in the city, which is now very timely
As a result of meetings and communication with Slovenian colleagues, it was possible to agree that Drohobych, in partnership with Poland, Hungary and Slovenia, will submit two projects important for the city of Kotermak to international tenders – tourism and communal housing.
As for the tourism industry, here the representatives of the two cities exchanged experience and important developments. In particular, Slovenian colleagues said that their Tourist Information Centers work efficiently and serve 1,500 people per day during the season – this applies to both large and small cities. Tourist centers are focused on supporting local business, cooperation between regions and offer visitors a variety of tourist products.
In turn, Olga Bunda, as a representative of Drohobych TIC, conducted a presentation of the city of Kotermak, its sacred and tourist gems, and also told how the city’s tourism industry has changed since February 2022 and presented tourist projects aimed at people with disabilities.
The cooperation between the cities of Hrastnik and Drohobych will continue in the future, the communities jointly implement more than one useful and important project – the members of the delegation emphasize. In addition, when Ukraine receives the status of an associated member of the EU, funds from European funds will be available for the implementation of a number of projects in local self-government bodies.