Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

xy

Preparation of a Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy

and Action Plan for the Prespa Region

A situational analysis and proposal

Consultant Report

Prepared by Gottfried Hilz-Ward

20 December 2008

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position

of the United Nations Development Programme.

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

CONTENT
BACKGROUND................................................................................................................. 3
KEY ISSUES FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE PRESPA LAKES BASIN......... 5
Brief sector analysis.......................................................................................................................................5
Tourismrelated initiatives.............................................................................................................................6
TARGET GROUPS AND STAKEHOLDERS .................................................................... 8
PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR A TRI-LATERAL TOURISM STRATEGY AND ACTION
PLAN ............................................................................................................................... 10
Description of project and its implementation .............................................................................................10
Prespa Park Trilateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (TSAP) .................................................................... 10
Project organisation and methodology............................................................................................................ 12
ANNEXE 1: STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION WORKSHOP (SUMMARY REPORT)18
ANNEX 2: TOURISM POLICIES, PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS IN THE PRESPA
REGION" ......................................................................................................................... 22
Tourism policies, strategies and laws relevant for Prespa Region tourism...................................................... 22
Albania: ............................................................................................................................................................ 23
Greece: ............................................................................................................................................................. 24
FYR of Macedonia............................................................................................................................................. 26
ANNEX 3: DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR TEAM LEADER............................. 33
ANNEX 4: DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COMPANY TENDER (NATIONAL
CONSULTANTS FROM 3 LITTORAL STATES TO SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTANT SEPARATELY CONTRACTED)............................................................ 40

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Background

This report presents the findings and conclusions from desk research and field missions carried out by the
Consultant for the preparation of a Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan for the Prespa Region within the
framework of the UNDP/GEF project: `Integrated ecosystem management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania,
FYR of Macedonia and Greece'. In particular, the Consultant

-
Reviewed available technical studies and documents related to tourism development and environmental
protection in the Prespa Region
-
Conducted a field mission from October 20-25, 2008-12-09
-
Moderated a stakeholder workshop on Tourism Development in Bitola on October 24, 2008 and
-
Presented his preliminary recommendations at the PPPC meeting in Pyli, Greece on November 21, 2008

a) The Prespa Park (PP)

The Prespa Park was established by the Declaration of the Prime Ministers of Albania, Greece and FYR
of Macedonia on 2nd February 2000, aiming `at the preservation of the extraordinary natural and cultural
values of the region, as well as the promotion of peace, friendship and cooperation between the three
peoples'.

The total Prespa area, combining the drainage basins and the lakes, covers an area of 2,519 km². The
Micro Prespa (total surface approx. 47.4 km²) belongs to Greece (43.5 km²), while a smaller part
(approx. 4 km²) belongs to Albania. The Macro Prespa (total surface approx. 259 km²) is divided
between the three states, with the largest part belonging to the FYR of Macedonia. The lakes Micro and
Macro Prespa are situated at approximately 850 metres above sea level amidst mountains rising to over
2,000 m. The highest mountain peak in the region is the Pelister Mountain with 2,601m. There are four
islands in the lakes, Aghios Achillios and Vidronissi at the Greek part of Micro Prespa and Mali Grad and
Golem Grad in Macro Prespa in Albania and the FYR of Macedonia respectively.

b) The Prespa Park Strategic Action Plan (SAP)

Following the Prime ministerial Declaration, a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) was prepared in 2002 which
underwent through an extensive consultation process in the three countries and which was adopted by
the Prespa Park Coordination Committee (PPCC) that had been created to promote the cooperation of
the three countries

Based on the text of the Prime ministerial Declaration and the broader experience with transboundary
protected areas, the objectives of the Prespa Park can be detailed as follows:

Objective I: Conservation of ecological values and functions and of the biological diversity in the Prespa
Park area.

Objective II: Enhance opportunities for the sustainable economic and social development of the local
societies and the wise use of the natural resources for the benefit of nature, local economies and future
generations.

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Objective III: Preservation of cultural values such as monuments, traditional settlements and traditional
human activities and cultural elements that promote the sustainable management of the natural
resources.

Objective IV: Seek participation, co-operation and involvement in decision-making and in benefit or loss
sharing of stakeholders in the three countries.

The Strategic Action Plan recommends a set of policies and methodologies one of which is the
development of ecotourism aiming at the achievement of objective II. Other policies relating to the
preservation of cultural values also include tourism development issues.

c) The UNDP GEF Regional Project `Integrated ecosystem management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of
Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece'

Financed primarily by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this Prespa Regional Project kicked off end
2006 and will last until end 2011. The project is jointly managed by UNDP country offices in FYR of
Macedonia and Albania in partnership with the ministries of Environment in both countries. Greece is not
eligible for GEF funds but participates actively through paral el financing.

The Prespa Regional Project seeks to catalyze the adoption of integrated ecosystem management in the
transboundary Prespa Lakes basin to conserve globally significant biodiversity, mitigate pollution of the
transboundary lakes, and provide a sustainable basis for the basin's further social and economic
development through a range of approaches. The development and endorsement of a tri-lateral tourism
strategy and action plan has been identified as one of the priorities with the GEF project to strengthen
transboundary cooperation in the Prespa Lakes basin.

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Key issues for tourism development in the Prespa
Lakes Basin

Brief sector analysis
The Prespa Region is situated in the border triangle of Albania, Greece and FYR of Macedonia in a relatively
peripheral location from the main tourism routes of any of the three countries. The Prespa region can be
reached by vehicles only after several hours of drive from the main international points of entry. The region is
equally distant from the main domestic source markets. Access roads to Prespa have been generally
modernized in the past decade so that travellers can reach the destination comfortably. However, secondary
roads as well as part of the Lake's circular road remain in moderately good condition.

The main attraction of the region lies in its outstanding natural beauty composed of the lakes and its mystical
islands, the shore flatland and the surrounding mountain ranges of up to more than 2.000 m altitude. The
countryside offers a whole spectrum of picturesque views and sceneries. Several National Parks (Prespa
National Park, Pelister and Galicica) and protected areas help to preserve the natural state of the territory
creating an excellent basis for nature experience and discovery tourism. The wetlands are renowned for their
abundance in avifauna such as pelicans, egrets and cormorants, many rare and endemic animals and plants
are documented in the area. A century-old culture with orthodox monasteries, archaeological sites and
traditional farming villages is still present in many places on the lakeshore and the adjacent mountains.

Despite the high value tourism resources, the tourism industry has never really reached a significant
economic importance if one compares Prespa for instance with Ohrid Lake. Tourists come generally for short
visits of up to three days and stay in village guest houses or private rooms. Apart from school groups, most
tourists travel individually or in small groups. The majority of tourists are domestic visitors from within the
country, especially in the summer season when emigrants return to their home villages and visit the
countryside on excursions. In recent years, Prespa has increasingly become a stop-over point for European
travel ers touring the Balkans. Albanian Prespa reports about 16.000 tourists, FYR of Macedonia 20.000
tourists, but reliable and comprehensive tourism statistics are not yet in place. It is assumed that many of the
visitors just come for a day visit. The relatively high altitude of Prespa Region makes it a typical summer
destination while in winter temperatures can drop down to below freezing.

Particularly in the FYR of Macedonia, tourism infrastructure in Prespa changed significantly from the time
when the Republic belonged to Yugoslavia. Several large camp sites with hundreds of bungalows, caravans
or wooden chalets once lined the lakeshore and attracted large crowds in the summer. Today, some of them
still receive guests, but in a much smaller number. Tourist accommodation is provided in the villages
alongside the lakes and the mountain slopes. It is estimated that perhaps 20% of the previous camp
accommodation capacity of more than 6.400 beds is still in use and an additional number of approximately
500 beds in private guest houses. Greece reports a total of 500 guest beds in its Prespa section and Albania
40 private guest houses, but some of them may even be located somewhat further away from the lake. In
the absence of systematic, quantitative data, it remains difficult to accurately assess tourism movements,
capacities and the overall performance of the industry.

Tourism infrastructure is in general limited to accommodation. A few hiking trails have been prepared and
signed; National Parks have instal ed some visitor information. In Greek Prespa, NGO's and private suppliers
have now achieved a good level of services and tourist information. Efforts are made now on working to
diversify tourism products. While the tourism resources and products are rather similar in the three national
Prespa sections, the quality of services varies considerably.

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Cross-border travel, as a major opportunity of the transboundary Prespa Park, however, remains on a very
low level. Visa regulations, poor roads and the closed border at Dolno Dupeni between FYR of Macedonia
and Greece restrict severely cross-border travel. Bicycle or hiking trails linking two or three countries are still
inexistent.

At least in Albania and FYR of Macedonia, a cohesive tourism planning on the national and regional level is
not yet in place. Both countries just recently have or are about to adopt a national tourism strategy which
barely refers to the Prespa Region. In 2004, the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern
Europe published a `Regional Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development with Special Accent on Eco-
Tourism and its Development Opportunities in the Prespa Region' but covering only the territories of Albania
and the FYR of Macedonia. The study describes comprehensively the existing tourism resources and
conditions in the sector but fails to propose logical strategic directions and, from there, specific
recommendations on types of tourism, products, infrastructure, etc.

The dialogue amongst the tourism players of the three countries is getting more and more intensive which
could be seen at the tourism stakeholder forum which took place in Bitola in October 2008. The cooperation
of local Governments is highly encouraging and is expected to contribute to a further facilitation of travel in
the region. The intervention of UNDP-GEF in supporting the tri-lateral Prespa process by supporting the
Tourism Strategy and Action Plan development is considered the next step in accelerating tourism
development.

Tourismrelated initiatives
In the past years, an impressive number of projects and initiatives at differing scales and magnitudes have been
taking place, many of them supported by the international donor community. A full list of these projects and
similar initiatives has been established and is attached as an annex. Although it was not possible to obtain
documentation on all those listed projects and initiatives or to study in detail these materials, the following
conclusions can be made:

o A national Tourism Strategy has been adopted recently in Albania, a draft version of the Tourism
Strategy for the FYR of Macedonia, funded by UNDP, is also available and awaiting finalisation.
None of the documents provide a detailed analysis of Prespa's resources and opportunities or
propose specific recommendations on tourism development in the area. Prespa is generally
considered as one element in the country's nature tourism destinations. Nature and ecotourism are
priority types of tourism for both Albania and FYR of Macedonia
o On the regional level, a Tourism Destination Management Programme for the Korca Region will be
launched by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the Dutch Cooperation SNV in December
2008. Also in Albania, SNV supported the Prespa Tourism Action Plan. Other regional planning
focussed on economic and physical planning in which tourism may play a more or less significant
role.
o Greek Prespa has benefited considerably from EU programmes such as LEADER or INTERREG
which put the focus on small-scale public tourism infrastructure or on the strengthening of tourism
companies through training and service development. As a result, Greek Prespa disposes now of a
broad range of quality guest houses, an extensive tourist information system, restored heritage
buildings and high quality promotional material.
o Most projects and tourism promotion initiatives intervene on the municipal or inter-municipal level
targeting infrastructure or micro-business development.
o Until now, very little attempt was made to examine the opportunities of a Prespa single destination
by applying an integrative and comparative approach. The 2004 Regional Strategy for Sustainable

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Tourism Development..... in the Prespa Region (as mentioned above) limited its focus on the
national tourism sectors of Albania and FYR of Macedonia but ignored cross-border linkages.
o While cross-border cooperation has been part of a few projects, such as in `The Prespa Local
Quality Standards Project', a wider cross-border tourism development has not been examined yet.
Overlapping initiatives in cross-border tourism development efforts have not been encountered.
o It is therefore not surprising that tourism managers and entrepreneurs seem unfamiliar with the
chances (and the threats) of a single destination. This may also explain why best practises are
hardly getting explored and replicated. Sharing experiences across borders is presently not taking
place.

None of the past tourism studies and projects cover the entire geographical area of the Prespa Lake Basin or
examine the single destination aspect. A project idea in this direction has recently been expressed by the
Prefecture of Florina, but the status of this proposal is still unclear.

The question on what has been achieved by the past tourism projects is difficult to answer without a thorough
knowledge of objectives, activities and results of each of those projects. Individual assessment by a
stakeholder may not necessarily reflect the complete impact. Each country looks back on a very different
political and socio-economic history which makes it problematic to compare so-called best practices.
Probably, the most accurate evidence of successful tourism development is provided by the current state of
the tourism industry itself. The rehabilitation of public infrastructure, the restoration of historical buildings and
the creation of service networks such as tourism associations in the case of Greek Prespa has clearly
produced a competitive rural tourism destination. On the other hand, FYR of Macedonia had to transform a
redundant and uncompetitive hotel stock and to initiate small-scale village tourism. The achievements of this
process are remarkable given the short time and the challenges of the economic transformation. Brajcino
and other villages are cited now as showcases for a new type of community-based tourism. These villages
demonstrate best how tourism can contribute to revive deprived vil ages and local traditions.

In Albanian and FYR Macedonian Prespa, the visual tourism appeal of the countryside and the vil ages wil
be handicapped for quite some time. The building style from 1960-1980 hardly fits into a nature destination.
In the two countries, emphasis needs to be put on the rehabilitation and beautification of villages, lake
shores, trails, recreation areas, etc.

The National Parks and other protected areas which are rather numerous in Prespa, can and shall take the
lead in providing recreational and learning opportunities for incoming visitors. They dispose of relatively
unspoilt territories with a maximum of intact nature. For visitors, National Parks enjoy an excellent reputation,
a potential to be exploited by the whole Prespa Region. This could lead to the suggestion of attaching high
priority to visitor-related tourism infrastructure in protected areas.

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Target groups and stakeholders

The Stakeholder Workshop in Bitola as well as the PPCC meeting in Pyli, Greece demonstrated visibly the
economic and social significance of tourism in the Prespa Basin. An impressive number of representatives from
the tourism trade, local and regional Governments, NGO's and other organizations from all three countries took
part and expressed their views and concerns. As the Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan project needs
to work closely with stakeholders, a brief analysis of these groups might be useful:

Five types of stakeholders or target groups can be distinguished:

o Regional political representatives and regional development planners
o Political community leaders, mayors
o National Park Management
o Tourism practitioners and firms
o Tourism associations, NGO's and stakeholder networks

Although such statements shall be taken with caution, it appears that both political leaders and tourism
practitioners in Prespa pursue common interests in further developing the sector. Protected area managers also
seem to consider expanding ecotourism activities in their territory. Private sector professionals who gain their
living from tourism are often the most vocal in expressing their interests. The Consultant experienced an
exceptionally strong interest in the topic and an active participation by stakeholders attending meetings and
workshop.

There exists also a critical public who considers tourism as a threat to the countryside and the environment. This
group often associates tourism with mass tourism and opposes tourism infrastructure development. Experience
shows that regular media information about ongoing tourism projects help to reduce such concerns. Another way
to diminish public resistance can be to organize `open days' in tourism zones. Presently, the Aquapura Project in
FYR of Macedonia faces public criticism, mostly because of inexistent public information.

The presence of a large and diverse stakeholder group is an opportunity and, at the same time, a threat to the
Tourism Strategy and Action Plan Project.

The opportunity: Stakeholders can be involved in project work; they provide feedback and can be motivated to
take on responsibility in the implementation phase. Project management shall communicate immediate and
potential benefits of the strategy and action plan to stakeholders.

The threat: The project team can hardly meet the expectations of so many stakeholders and there will be
inevitably some disappointment. Not everyone's interests can be met and some stakeholders may not see a
benefit for themselves. The project team has only very limited time for coordination with stakeholders and it wil
be permanently challenged to meet representatives from above groups in three different countries. The language
barrier can further reduce the effectiveness of stakeholder coordination. A certain rivalry among the three Prespa
sections could also impact negatively on the reputation of the project team.

The project proposal, as presented below, outlines a reasonable compromise for coordinating project activities
with stakeholders. An increase of stakeholder coordination would certainly require additional field work time for
the project team.

It is to remind that the project must lay the foundation for a later implementation of its recommendations. Political
leaders, in the region as well as in the communes and villages need being involved in the process and take

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

ownership of proposed actions. It will be equally essential to gain the support of National Park Management for
the proposed strategy as the Parks will probably come out as key players in future tourism development.

The stakeholder Workshop in Bitola raised several issues of particular importance for the preparation of the
Strategy and Action Plan:

o As already indicated above, stakeholders expect a maximum information from and consultation
with the project team and UNDP in the course of such project
o Tourism development should be strictly directed towards rural, community and nature-based
tourism or, more globally, towards ecological and sustainable tourism. Any form of mass
tourism, as some see happening in Ohrid for example, would be rejected
o For another group of stakeholders, however, the current pace of tourism development is too
slow to secure income or to justify larger investment. This position points at the fact that tourism
is considered as one of the main potential economic pillars of the Prespa Region and therefore
tourism development needs to increase tourist arrivals, create jobs, address lacking demand in
the low season, etc
o Stakeholders approve and see the need for the proposed Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy and
Action Plan, although the concept of a single destination might be too abstract for many. The
obstacles for a single destination are known, but people do not appear sceptical probably
because so many changes have already happened in the past two decades. The strong desire
for cooperating with neighbouring countries is manifest.
o Critical comments on the Tri-lateral Tourism strategy point at the risk that the document may
end up on a shelf and fail to trigger off investment and follow-up

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Project Proposal for a Trilateral Tourism Strategy
and Action Plan

Following
· The recommendations of the Prespa Park Strategy and Action Plan,
· The project document of the UNDP-GEF `project `Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa
Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece,
· The recommendations of the Tourism Stakeholder Forum in Bitola, October 24, 2008 and the
· Terms of Reference with respect to the preparatory mission of the Consultant on developing such
strategy and action plan

it is proposed to proceed to the realisation of the project and to conduct the following tender process:

1) Recruitment of an International Tourism Consultant for the position of a Team Leader through
an international recruitment process by UNDP and
2) Recruitment of the services of three local consultants and organisation work services through
an international tender eligible for companies, research institutions and NGO's. This tender is
directed more specifically to contractors in the three Prespa Region countries.

There are three reasons for splitting the assignment into a tender for companies and separately from this, into a
direct consultant recruitment by UNDP:

-
Companies from Prespa Region countries can more easily respond the company tender and offer at
lower prices
-
UNDP will be in a better position to select the team leader, also in view of the `neutral' position he/she
needs to take in the expert team
-
Keeping the consultancy fees at a level in line with the limited budget earmarked for this project

Description of project and its implementation

Prespa Park Trilateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (TSAP)

a) Global objective

The Prespa Park Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan is an important instrument for the development
and management of tourism with the aim to enhance the sustainable economic and social development of
local societies and the wise use of natural resources (see objective II SAP)

b) Specific objective

The TSAP provides the strategic direction for the development of the tourism sector in the Prespa Park for
the next five years and guides public and private stakeholders in investing in, managing and monitoring
tourism projects and activities in alignment with the Prespa Park principles. The Prespa Park shall be
considered as a single destination in which the three neighbouring sections complement each other, but also
compete with each other. In particular, it shall

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

o Integrate tourism into the overall development policies and patterns of the region and the countries
o Provide a rational basis for decision-making by both the public and private sectors on tourism
development
o Draw on the synergies and the market potential of a larger and more diverse destination
o Optimize and balance the economic, environmental and social benefits of tourism
o Lay the foundation for successfully implementing tourism policies and the recommendations of the
strategy
o Provide the framework of effective coordination and cooperation of stakeholders in the three
countries of Prespa Region
o Motivate Governments and private sector stakeholders to step up their engagement for the tourism
sector
o Emphasize the direction towards a nature-based, ecotourism development

c) Elements of the TSAP
The TSAP shall be structured according to state-of-art practices in tourism planning but needs to be
closely oriented towards the specific needs and conditions of tourism development in Prespa Park.

The structure of the TSAP should include the following components:

Components
Suggested Elements

I. Tourism Strategy

Sector diagnosis
Analysis of tourism studies and plans on national, regional
and local level.
Basic inventory of tourism resources

Analysis of tourism supply:
-
Existing supply (access, plant, image,
infrastructure, etc)
-
Potential supply (attractions, tourism activities, etc)
-
Technical resources (orgaizations, networks,
personnel, financing, etc)

Analysis of tourism demand
Domestic and international, volumes and variations,
seasons, transport and accommodation, motivation, etc

(Assessment can be based on available information)
Market projection
Qualitative and quantitative
(can be based on available information)

Recommended general tourism vision,

development policy and objectives
Recommended forms of tourism
Types of tourism

Recommended structure and product plan
Tourism attractions, tourism products, designated areas, etc.
Organisational/institutional recommendations Tourism information, associations, role of local
administrations, etc
Marketing recommendations

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Components
Suggested Elements

Environmental and socio-cultural
Potential impact and measures for mitigation
considerations

II. Tourism Action Plan

Specification of action
Justification, priority level, responsibility, timing, feasibility
status, requirements, estimated costs, etc

Effective implementation
Evaluation steps, measures to facilitate implementation,

participative models, etc.

Project organisation and methodology

a) Personnel

The TASP shall be prepared by a team of 4 (four) consultants of which

o 1 international tourism expert as team leader (recruited directly by UNDP) and
o 3 local tourism experts (subject of a separate tender)

The team leader will direct the technical work relating to the TSAP and assume the overall responsibility for
the delivery and quality of the output. He/she will guide the work of the local experts and represent the team
at project events such as stakeholder or Steering Committee meetings.

b) Steering Committee and coordination with stakeholders

In order to promote the co-operation among the three countries, a trilateral Prespa Park Co-ordination
Committee (PPCC) was established, with government, local society and non-governmental representation of
all three countries. The PPCC has also appointed a Secretariat consisting of three persons from the
collaborating non-governmental organizations. These two bodies have already undertaken a series of
activities and joint programmes, in order to translate the political commitment into a tangible reality for the
environment and the people of Prespa. The PPCC will assume the function of the Steering Committee to
guide and oversee the progress and outcome of the project. The PPCC is holding regular meetings twice a
year.

In the three participating countries, several local Governments, NGO's (such as the Society for the Protection
of Prespa and the Cultural Triangle of Prespa), and public offices (such as National Park Administrations)
and others are engaged in tourism development and should be involved in the TSAP process. It would be
desirable to meet occasionally with a selected group of stakeholders in form of an informal working group in
each country for brainstorming and discussing key issues of the strategy.

After completion of the Draft TSAP, the project team's recommendations shall be presented to and discussed
at a larger stakeholder meeting involving participants from the three countries.

c) UNDP-GEF

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

The project team will coordinate its work in regular intervals with the UNDP-GEF International Transboundary
Advisor at the UNDO Office in Resen, FYR of Macedonia

Proposed Organisational Chart

UNDP/GEF
PPCC
Project Team
3 Working
TL + 3 Local
groups
experts

d) Proposed methodology

For a successful achievement of the assignment, the project team should give appropriate consideration to

o The overal environmental protection interests in Prespa Park when defining the future forms of
tourism and their products
o A strategic approach which can enhance cross-border tourism activities such as circuit tours,
complementary product development and which can facilitate cross-border travel
o The promotion of bi- or tri-lateral cooperation in fields such as tourism information and marketing,
skill development, exchange of expertise and similar
o A tourism promotion policy based on regional destination marketing
o Cooperate with and motivate stakeholders for contributing to the creation of a regional tourism
destination
o Coordinate with other donors and agencies involved in tourism development and environmental
management (KfW, CRIC, EU, etc.)
o design the TSAP in a clear, understandable and feasible manner in order to facilitate the
implementation process

The single destination concept could play a major role for tourism development in Prespa. In this case, it
would be necessary to
-
acknowledge the different development levels of the tourism industries in the three countries
-
identify individual strengths and weaknesses
-
compare competitive advantages
-
identify synergies and
-
realize that cross-border tourism implies direct competition on the price and quality level

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

1) Description of the tender to companies calling for local expert services (Please note that this
section may be further adjusted based on availability of resources. This is a draft and does not
necessarily reflect the content of the final tendering documentation)

The primary responsibility of the contractor will be the provision of consulting services for the preparation
of the TSAP. This contract extends to the provision of three Local Tourism Experts who will work under
the supervision of the International Team Leader (contracted directly by UNDP-GRF). This tender
therefore calls for

a) the provision of
o 1 Local Tourism Expert working primarily in Albania (25 working days)
o 1 Local Tourism Expert working primarily in FYR of Macedonia (30 working days) and
o 1 Local Tourism Expert working primarily in Greece (25 working days)

b) the organization of approximately 5 team meetings in the Prespa Region

c) the translation (from English into the languages of the riparian states, Albanian, Macedonian
and Greek), publication and distribution of the draft and final TSAP

Tasks of the Local Tourism Experts in their respective country of expertise:
a) Familiarization with the relevant documents, studies and strategies on and for tourism
b) Preparation of an inventory on tourism attractions, facilities and infrastructure
c) Diagnosis of the tourism sector (see chapter 3.c.)
d) Conduct of field research and site visits
e) Conceptualisation of strategic directions and recommendations with specific attention on cross-
border tourism activities
f) Liaison with stakeholders in their country of expertise
g) Organisation of at least two coordination meetings with the national working group
h) Contribution to the relevant sections of the TSAP documents as specified by the Team Leader
i) Participation at the scheduled team meetings
j) Translation and interpretation in the team's field work, if required
k) Any other task proposed by the Team Leader for the successful completion of the assignment

Expected profile and qualification of the Local Tourism Experts
a) University degree in tourism studies, economics, social sciences or similar disciplines
b) At least three years work experience in tourism or tourism related fields. Previous work in
tourism research is an advantage.
c) Good analytical and writing skills
d) Fluent communication in English and in the language of the assigned country
e) Good communicative and organisational skills

Required expertise and experience of the contractor
The contractor shall have
a) A track record of at least five years consulting experience, preferably in development planning,
tourism or a related field
b) A track record of similar successfully completed assignments, preferably in the Prespa Park
countries
c) The necessary skills and capacity to organize the missions and the work of a small team of
probably mulitnational experts to the Prespa Region
d) Team members qualified to carry out the described tasks

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Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Scorecard for the evaluation of tenders:

Number of points

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (80%)
Of which qualification of experts (70%)

Educational qualification of expert 1
5
Educational qualification of expert 2
5
Educational qualification of expert 3
5
At least 3 years work experience in tourism sector, expert 1
9
At least 3 years work experience in tourism sector, expert 2
9
At least 3 years work experience in tourism sector, expert 3
9
Analytical and planning skills, expert 1
3
Analytical and planning skills, expert 2
3
Analytical and planning skills, expert 3
3
Language competence in English and AL/MK/GR, expert 1
4
Language competence in English and AL/MK/GR, expert 1
4
Language competence in English and AL/MK/GR, expert 1
4
Composition of expert team from the three riparian states
7
Of which qualification of company (10%)

Expertise of firm, at least 5 years consulting experience
5
Successful projects in Prespa countries
2
Organisational capacity
3
Financial Proposal (20%)
20
Total 100

2) Description of the recruitment process of the International Consultant/Team Leader
Scope of work and responsibilites of the International Consultant

The Consultant will perform the following tasks:

a) Assume the overall responsibility for the technical preparation of the TSAP according to the
specifications in the project objective and methodology
b) Take the lead in steering the strategy work and introduce international practises and
experience in the process
c) Guide and direct the project team and the local consultants for the accomplishment of the
project tasks
d) Prepare a workplan for the activities of the project team
e) Conduct the necessary field research and site visits in order to gain sound knowledge on sector
performance and the environmental implications of tourism
f) Represent the project team at Steering Committee meetings and the planned stakeholder
forum and liaise with other public or private partners, if required
g) Perform project management and reporting functions as specified and in coordination with the
company contracted by UNDP for local personnel and services
h) Coordinate the project work closely with the UNDP-GEF International Transboundary Advisor

Expected profile and qualification of the Team Leader

15

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

a) University degree in tourism studies, economics, social sciences or similar disciplines
b) Significant work experience (at least 10 years) in tourism development, strategic planning,
tourism research or fields related to tourism planing.
c) Proven record of managing similar projects for international organisations/donors
d) Sound knowledge of international best practices in ecotourism development
e) Good knowledge of the role of regions in tourism development and the models of regional co-
operation and organisation
f) Work experience in Eastern European countries, in particular in the countries of the Prespa
Region, would be an advantage
g) Proven ability of managing tourism projects and leading expert teams
h) Excellent analytical, communicative and organisational skills
i) Excellent command of the English language. Working knowledge of one or seceral of
languages spoken in the Prespa Region would be advantage

Scorecard for the evaluation of applications:

Number of points

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (80%)
University degree and educational qualification relevant for the assignment
10
At least 10 years of professional experience in tourism development, research and
20
planning, tourism strategies, master plans
Professional experience in ecotourism
7
Proven capability to lead international expert teams
10
Demonstrated capability in project management
5
Work experience with international organisations/institutions
4
Work experience in Eastern Europe, especially in Prespa countries
4
Analytical and report writing skills
6
Communicative and organisational competence
6
Excellent command of the English language, working knowledge of AL/MK/GR
8
languages
Financial Proposal (20%)
20
Total 100

3) Location and duration
The project team will conduct field work in al three Prespa Park countries. The UNDP-GEF office in
Resen/FYR of Macedonia provides office space for team members.

The project wil start on April 1, 2009 and end on September 30, 2009

4) Proposed timetable and reporting
Month 1
Project kick-off meeting with UNDP-GEF, field work
Month 2
Field work
Month 3
Field work; Progress report, Steering Committee Meeting
Month 4
Field work,
Month 5
Field work, Draft TSAP
Month 6
Stakeholder workshop, Steering Committee meeting, final report

5) Deliverables

16

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

The following reports (electronic and hard copy) shall be delivered:
o Brief inception report (two weeks after project start
o Progress report (2.5 months after project start) in English language
o Draft TSAP 5 months after project start in English, Albanian, Greek and Macedonian language
o Final TSAP in English, Albanian, Greek and Macedonian language 3 weeks after the Steering
Committee meeting

17

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Annexe 1: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop
(Summary report)

Date: October 24, 2008, 9h 17h

Venue: Hotel Epinal, Bitola

The Tri-lateral Tourism Development Planning Workshop was conceived as a kick-off event for the preparation of
a tri-lateral tourism strategy and action plan for the Prespa Region. This strategy and action plan has been
identified as one of the priorities of the three States of the Prespa Lakes basin. The UNDP-GEF project
`Integrated ecosystem management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece' is
financially supporting this identified need.

The purpose of the workshop was primarily to discuss the current "stateof-play" with regard to tourism priorities
and planning in the Prespa Region, and to identify tourism opportunities and issues in relation to sustainable
tourism development in the Prespa Lakes Basin. The outcome and the conclusions drawn form the workshop
should provide basic information for the preparation of the Terms of Reference for the planned Tourism Strategy
and Action Plan (TSAP). An International Consultant, Gottfried Hilz-Ward, has been commissioned by UNDP-
GEF assess the current `state of play', to draft the terms of reference for the TSAP and to moderate the
stakeholder workshop in Bitola.

The other main intention of this workshop was to launch a regular dialogue amongst tourism stakeholders from
the entire Prespa Region with the aim to foster cross-border cooperation and coordination. The presence of 40
participants from Albania, Greece and FYR of Macedonia at the workshop strongly confirmed the interest in
cross-border cooperation and in accelerating tourism development in the area. The list of participants reflects the
entire spectrum of the sector in the three countries: municipalities, central Governments or their agencies, tourism
associations, protected area organizations, NGO's, guest houses, private operators, etc. Participants widely
acknowledged the importance of this forum for getting to kow each other and sharing experience.

The following summarizes the main topics and discussions of the workshop by following the thematic agenda of
the workshop:

o Need for a tri-lateral tourism strategy:
At present, tourism initiatives are generally organized at the local level in each country; no systematic
sharing of experience exists; cross-border tourism is practical y nonexistant due to infrastructure,
logistical and political handicaps; the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) identifies tourism as a key thematic
area in the context of ecosystem management and recognizes the potential of tourism for the economic
development; a concerted and coordinated effort is needed to tap the opportunities of nature-based
tourism in the Prespa Region; there is consensus on strong stakeholder involvement in the planning
process.

o Success criteria for a tourism strategy:
This presentation aimed at sensitizing participants to the risk factors and challenges of a regional
tourism strategy and at enabling them to participate adequately in the strategy preparation. The main
challenges/risk factors are:
-
Directing the strategy towards key stakeholders and possible `owners'
-
Creating an ownership process for the strategy

18

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

-
Structuring and formulating the strategy in a logical and understandable manner
-
Ensuring the feasibility of the strategy by keeping recommendations and action plan in line with
available resources
-
Providing guidance for the implementation phase

o Current state of tourism in Prespa Region (resources, attractions, tourism movements, SWOT, etc):

Three working groups from Albania, Greece and FYR of Macedonia analysed the present state of affairs
of the tourism sector and presented a summary to the workshop audience.

Natural and cultural resources for tourism show many similarities in the three national riparian regions of
Prespa: the Prespa Lakes and surroundings, mountain countryside, National Parks, bird life, traditional
villages, churches and monasteries. Special attractions include pre-historic sites and skiing areas. The
prevailing types of tourism are closely connected with these resources: nature discovery, hiking, cultural
sightseeing and rural tourism. Prespa is attractive for bird watchers, but also frequently visited by school
groups and day visitors on short nature excursions. Families, small groups, emigrants from the diaspora
and individual discovery travelers from around Europe constitute the main visitor groups. The number of
visitors (mostly day visitors) is estimated in Albania at approx. 16.000 and in FYR of Macedonia at
20.000 per year. Private guest houses near the lakes provide the bulk of the accommodation capacity.
Tourism to the Prespa Region seems highly seasonal, reaching top demand during July and August and
during important holidays.

The main strengths of the destination as mentioned by the workshop participants are the following:
natural diversity, the traditional character of villages, the cultural heritage, hospitality and a high
motivation of stakeholders. The most important weaknesses are seen in the limited infrastructure, the
low spectrum of the tourism offer and the political problems amongst member states. The degradation of
the Prespa Lake (diminishing water level) and the littering problem certainly reduce the attractiveness of
the region for visitors.

The available information on the current state of tourism seems largely insufficient for a substantial
diagnosis of the sector. Tourism statistics are rudimentary as tourism data are not systematically
collected. No Prespa Lake Tourism Bureau or similar entity which could compile reliable tourism
statistics exists and the various NGO's focussing on environmental protection lack the means for that
task.

o Ecological impact of tourism in the Prespa Region:
This topic needs to be critically analysed by the TSAP in the context of analysing tourism movements or
recommending certain tourism infrastructures. It may become even more relevant if the necessity arises
to define carrying capacities or access restrictions. The workshop discussion did not point to any major
ecological impact caused by tourism, which could be explained by the fairly low level of current tourism
activities. Growing tourism movements, however, will lead to an increase of individual traffic on the
coastal roads. As a specific impact, a participant reported that tourists occasionally disturb birds in their
wetland habitats. The Aquapura resort project in FYR of Macedonia is also critically looked at for
possible negative impacts on the Galicica National Park, but little is known about the status of this
project, as the authorities fail to communicate with stakeholders, in particular with the Galicica NP
administration.

Several participants cite the case of Ohrid Lake as a negative exemple for tourism development,
mentioning heavy traffic and pollution as a result of too many visitors.

o Tourism policies, programmes and initiatives:

19

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

The three working groups came together for a second breakout session in order to identify laws,
strategies, action plans and similar documents which govern or guide tourism development in the three
Prespa regions. This information is listed in a separate document `Tourism policies, programmes and
projects in the Prespa Region". It is worth noting that in 2004 a `Regional Strategy for Sustainable
Tourism Development with Special Accent on Eco-Tourism and its Development Opportunities in the
Prespa Region (covering Albania and FYROM) had been preparded by the Regional Environmental
Center in Skopje

o Conclusions and recommendations from the Prespa Park Strategic Action Plan/SAP:
The SAP stresses the importance of tourism for the Prespa Region as a whole highlighting the
opportunities for eco- and cross-border tourism. Sustainable tourism must be the guiding principle in
tourism development. The SAP also recommends specific activities such as a feasibility study on the
development of sustainable tourism activities, the provision of tourism infrastructure and a network for
tourism companies and agencies. However, a number of initiatives have been undertaken since the
adoption of the SAP which underlines once again the importance of today's workshop.

o Tourism opportunities; types of tourism to be endorsed:
This topic sparked a lively discussion amongst participants, essential y concerning widespread sentiment
that tourism development is progressing too slowly and that it is (as the Prespa Region in general)
neglected by Central Governments. Many participants expressed the need for more information and
networking as well as cross-border initiatives. Tourism development is currently carried by small
suppliers and NGOs, as organisational linkages in the form of associations or tourism offices do not exist
yet. NGOs, in their turn, claim that they do not get sufficiently involved in tourism activities.

The opportunities for cross-border tourism will be a central aspect of the Tourism strategy. One major
obstacle of travelling along the lake between Greece and FYR of Macedonia is expected to disappear,
but no one can exactly say when. Cross-border tourism is handicapped in many more ways such as visa
requirements, lack of roads, bicycle and hiking trails as well as attractive complementary tourism
products in each country. In this context, the international consultant raised questions such as: Is cross-
border tourism supported by Governments, which products can be promoted by cross-border tourism,
and how does cross-border tourism affect competition.

Another opportunity is seen in linking local producers such as apple growers with the tourism industry.

With respect to the preferred types of tourism in the region, one can recall previous statements which
clearly favour nature-based tourism/eco-tourism and cultural sightseeing, all respecting the ecological
standards of protected areas.

o On the need for a tourism strategy for Prespa:
There seems to be a broad agreement amongst participants that the Prespa Region possesses all
ingredients for a priority tourism area and this position seems to be shared by the national tourism
strategies of Albania, Greece and FYROM. The often expressed need for a broad cooperation in Prespa
Park and amongst the tourism stakeholders underlines the necessity to establish a regional platform for
tourism development for which the tourism strategy will provide the conceptual part. The Prespa tourism
strategy can address the organisational part of this platform as well as many of the concerns relating to
the coordination of tourism activities, the synchronization of tourism products, pulling the synergies of
tourism products and the joint promotion of the destination. Tourism suppliers see the strategy as a key
instrument to increase demand for their services.

Critical voices on the tri-lateral tourism strategy point to the risk that the document may not move
towards implementation, similar to studies which have been prepared previously.

20

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Other participants underline the need of appropriate shoreline management or the cooperation between
tourism players and other sectors as a basic condition for a successful tourism development.

The International Consultant pointed out the process and the steps in the preparation of the planned tri-
lateral tourism strategy starting from the sector diagnosis and the demand forecast to the mission
statement and objectives. The main part of the strategy will provide recommendations on product
development, provision of public infrastructure, sector organisation and marketing

o Wrap-up and conclusions:
The participation of such a large number of tourism professionals and other stakeholders as well as the
animated discussions in the workshop demonstrate their interest in taking part in a planning exercise
such as the TSAP. UNDPs/GEFs role in this process and the support provided by this project is widely
appreciated. Participants expressed their wish to continue with stakeholder forums in order to improve
tri-lateral coorperation. Alvin Lopez, the International Transboundary Advisor, considered the event as
an important step for establishing partnership and networking. He also recommended use of the online
forum of the Prespa Project website for this purpose. At the next PPCC meeting in November, the terms
of reference for the tri-lateral tourism strategy will be presented.

(The detailed workshop minutes with list of participants is also available on the UNDP GEF Prespa Project
website http://prespa.iwlearn.org/ )

21

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Annex 2: Tourism policies, programmes and
projects in the Prespa Region"

The following information has been prepared by the Prespa Tri-lateral Tourism Development Planning Workshop
in Bitola, October 24, 2008

Tourism policies, strategies and laws relevant for Prespa Region tourism

Tourism Policies and
Albania
Greece
FYR Macedonia
relevant laws

National level:
National Land Use Plan National level:

(Prespa is categorized

National strategy on
under b2 category for the Law on tourism
development and
development of

integration
alternative forms of
Law on hospitality

tourism).

New law on tourism (since
National strategy for tourism
2007)
Law on the protection of development (draft)

traditional architecture

National Strategy on

Regional level:
Tourism Development
National Strategic

Development Plan
Spatial plan for Ohrid-Prespa
Regional level:
Region

Korca regional strategy on
economic and social
development (2005)

Program on tourism
destination management
for Korca region (2008,
UNTWO, SNV)

Local level:
Draft Tourism Action Plan
for Prespa Region

Environmental Local
action Plan (2007)

Draft local development
plan for Liqenas commune

Zaroshka beach

22

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Tourism Policies and
Albania
Greece
FYR Macedonia
relevant laws
improvement

Hospitality training

Maharishi University

Responsible authorities

Ministry of Economy
Ministry of Finance
Local authorities:
- Local economic
development
- Income and
promotion
- Registration
- Classification

2. Tourism Projects and initiatives in the Prespa Region
Albania:
Name of Project (as Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
presented in the
Relevance for Prespa Park Organisation
or expected
Bitola workshop)
duration of
project
Tourism destination
Document available upon
Korca Regional
Korca Region
2008-2010
management for
request
Council
residents
Korca Region

ST-EP/UNWTO/SNV
Zaroshka beach

This is an initiative of 2008
improvement
Improving the infrastructure
Liqenas commune
of the beach
supported by CRIC
(an Italian NGO)
Hospitality training
In case more specification is GTZ Prespa
Park
2005
needed, GTZ office in
Area residents
Korca can provide us with
more information

Support for guest
infrastructure improvements GTZ
houses
for the guest houses (toilets,
solar panels)
assist the guest house
network in Prepsa on
promotion and marketing
through leaflets
Support for
Ardit Konomi former
SIDA funded project
Albania and
2002- 2003

23

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project (as Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
presented in the
Relevance for Prespa Park Organisation
or expected
Bitola workshop)
duration of
project
agrotourism
program officer of AMPEP
AMPEP
FYROM
initiatives
can provide more details
Waste management I will try to find a summary of Korca
Region
On going
program
this project and send it to
residents

you
Tourism Action
Develop a draft Prespa Area Liqenas, Proger and
Prespa Park
Started Dec
Plans for Communes Tourism Action Plan through Qender Bilisht
Area residents
2007 on
a participatory approach
communes/ SNV
going

Greece:
Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

LEADER II
Prefecture of Florina www.florina.gr

+ Development Agency of Florina
www.anflo.gr
LEADER III
Prefecture of Florina www.florina.gr

+ Development Agency of Florina
www.anflo.gr
Development
Development Agency of Florina
Stakeholders
in

Programs for rural www.anflo.gr
regions higher
areas (OPAX)
than 650 m
above sea level
Interreg program
See table for Municipality of Prespa

for municipalities
and their website www.prespes.gr
and prefectures
and table that we wil receive from
the prefecture
NGO activities
Other than CTP, please check with

SPP (www.spp.gr)
Information
1) From SPP and 2) the

Centers
Management body for the National
Park Prespa. Both in Agios
Germanos
Tourism Office
information for tourists, brochures,
CTP
Ongoing
since
things to do, local products, books,
the last 5 years,
etc
just moved to
another
location, under
establishment
Training courses
For women working in tourism
CTP with
Women in the
December
facilities in the villages of Prespa in
funds from
villages
2006-January
fYR of Macedonia
Hellenic Aid
D.Dupenji,
2008

24

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

(Ministry for
Ljubojno,
Foreign
Resen,
Affaires)
Training courses
Over the last years many different

seminars have been implemented in
the context of EU programmes. My
personal opinion is that very little of
them had any impact on the
improvement of services and
facilities. Training courses needs to
be a priority for any action plan.
Pepper project
Collaboration of NGOs and schools
CTP with
NGOs,
2003-2005
for the col ection of the traditional
funds from
children,
recipes of the red pepper,
GTZ
schools
publishment of a book in 4
languages, workshops for children,
NEST (Network for In the context of the programme
CTP Tourism
December
Sustainable
Mediterritage (Interreg IIIC). Aims:
stakeholders
2006-december
Tourism)
Collaboration of local tourism
on the Greek
2007. since
stakeholders, collection of local data
Prespa side
than the activity
of resources, international research
is ongoing with
on rural tourism, visitors'
the volunteer
expectations and preferences,
work of CTP
international labels and certificates,
good practices for the protection of
the environment and the cultural
heritage in tourism facilities.
Promotion of the tourism product,
publishing of a manual for tourism
stakeholders
Cross-border
Collaboration of tourism
CTP, Heritage Local
2007
thematic tourism
stakeholders, tourism offices and
Trails Albania, stakeholders in
products
NGOs to create thematic cross-
ESA Ohrid
the cross-
border packages. Packages have
border region
been created and tested. The
implementation is difficult due to lack
of collaboration between tourism
offices and due to difficult political
situation
Tourism website
www.welcometoprespa.com
CTP

Started in 2008-
ongoing
Interreg:
See table for Municipality of Prespa

Valorisation of
and the website www.prespes.gr
monuments
Marketing Master
Region of Western Macedonia

Plan for Western
www.westernmacedonia.gr

25

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

Macedonia
Eco map for
Check with SPP www.spp.gr
SPP

Not ready
Prespa
Information Centre Renovation of a traditional building in Ministry of
Will
be
for the Byzantine
Agios Germanos. It is not a museum Culture
inaugurated on
Art
yet but there will be a study for
the 27th of
possible development. Laboratory
November.
for archeologists, hall for educational
activities, guest houses, etc. No
artifacts will be exhibited at this
stage
Collaboration of
Initiative by the CTP in collaboration CTP Tourism
Preparations
three regions
with the Eco-company Vitsiou and
stakeholders in started in
the under establishment Eco-
the three
summer 2008,
company Grammou. It is an initiative
regions
no funding
that connects 3 similar regions in
available yet.
Western Macedonia in two
prefectures (Florina and Kastoria)
and is only in its first steps

FYR of Macedonia
Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

Prespa Local
Municipality of Resen
Municipality of
Tourist
24.08.2007-
Quality standards
implemented a project called Resen
24.09.2008
operators that
"Prespa' Local Quality
Standards" granted by the
provide tourist
Neighbourhood Programme
Greece Macedonia according
services
the priority axis 2 Economic
The local
development and employment,
Measure 2.2 Development of
Municipalities
alternative forms of tourism/
and
acceleration and promotion of
cultural and tourist resources.
communities in
The Greek partner in this project
the area of
was the Municipality of Prespa.
Prespa
The project involved the
following villages: Brajcino,
The local
Ljubojno, Dolno Dupeni, Slivnica
agrotouristic,
and Pretor on the east bank of

26

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

the lake, and Stenje on the west
but also other
with a duration of 12 months.
relevant NGOs
The main objective of the project
was the establishment of Local
in the area
Quality Standards on the
alternative tourism capacity in
The potential
the Municipality of Resen. The
tourists (both
basic aim was a preparation of a
Study which will assess the
domestic and
capacity of the local houses in
foreigners)
the area near Lake Prespa and
create a Local Quality

Certification (including a logo) for
these local houses.
Conducted Inventory for
assessment of the tourist
capacities and services provided
in the target municipalities,
created a Local Quality
Certificate/Symbol, and initiated
procedure for categorization of
the tourist offer in Prespa,
developed an software for data
management in GIS application,
developed a Study for
assessment of the capacities for
development of agro-tourism in
Prespa, created a interactive
web page www.discover-
prespa.mk, developed promotion
materials including brochures,
maps, posters, CD-DVDs, book
of traditional recipes, was project
main activities which are done in
one transparent way with local
workshops, round tables,
interviews and one bilateral
workshop.
Sustainable tourism
Tourism Strategy
Preparation of the strategy paper Galicica NP is
Galicica
February 2008
(as part of
for sustainable tourism for GNP
executing agency National Park
February
Management Plan) (international tourism expert
2011
for Galichica
Nicole Häussler in cooperation
National Park
with the Faculty for Tourism and
Hospitality Ohrid) for the project
`Support to National Park
Galicica' financed by KfW

27

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

Management Plan

for Pelister NP
Various small
Capacity building of Island
Municipality of
Municipality of
2007-2008
support programs:
"Golem Grad"
Resen and NGO
Resen, Republic
please specify

Lobing
of Macedonia,
below
(mapping of cultural heritage
general tourism
with info- tables and better
benefits
access to the island by building
a port ).
Restoration of SARAJ - Nijazi Ministry of
Municipality of
2004-2006
Bej House - old building
Culture of RM
Resen, Republic
(restoration of the façade ,
of Macedonia
internal part ( rooms, ceiling,)
and restoration of the garden
and giving them an authentic
appearance.

NGO Tereza
Citizens of
2006
Restoration old building in the 2000
Resen
centre of Resen city. - The
Municipality,
House of Popgoshevi
tourism workers
Restoration of the House
includes restoration of external
side- façade and internal part
(rooms) of the object and
establishment of tourism info-
center.

Youth working camp in
NGO Tereza
Citizens of
2005
Oteshevo - Sirhan - Stenje
2000 and NGO
Resen

Lobing
Municipality,
( activities for cleaning of
tourism workers
beaches and costal areas in
these three settlements with
participation of young peoples-
students in the high school in
Resen Municipality)

28

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

Preparation of Local sub-
Municipality of
Municipality of
On going
strategy for Rural
Resen, Local
Resen, SMEs
(expected end
development
Group for Rural
and individual
of activities -

Development
service
December
(starting activities for preparation (consisted of
providers in the
2008)
of the strategy for rural
representatives
rural areas
development including
from NGOs,
alternative forms of tourism
business sector,
development).
Ministry of

agriculture.)

NGO Tereza
People from
2008,
Better water supplement in
2000
Brajcino village, completed
Brajcino Village
municipal

tourism
(Improvement of the water
development
supplement in Brajcino village
because of the village- tourism
perspective).

NGO Lobing
Domestic and
2007 - 2008,
Eco- place in Tourism
foreign tourists,
completed
Settlement Pretor
Municipality of

Resen in line
( cleaning of public places and
with the efforts
illegal waste dumps in the
for local tourism
settlement, placement of info-
development
tables with eco-paroles,
placement of garbage cans, eco-
park with plants, trees and
beanches.

GTZ and working Municipalities
2008 - 2009
Creation of promotion
group consisted
Resen, Ohrid,
materials for Ohrid/ Prespa
from
Struga, Vevcani,
Micro- Region
representatives
Debarca

from each
( materials for tourism promotion municipality in
of Ohrid/ Prespa micro-region
the micro-region
including cultural and natural
heritage, traditional food,
museums, old city and village
architecture, churches and
monasteries, festivals and
events, and other tourism
elements.

29

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Name of Project
Project details
Executive
Beneficiaries
Start and end
(as presented in
Relevance for Prespa Park
Organisation
or expected
the Bitola
duration of
workshop)
project

Determination of the proposal Association of
Municipalities of 2007 - 2008,
measures for development of
local NGOs -
Ohrid-Resen
completed
the local and international lake Coalition for
micro - region
traffic in the Ohrid- Prespa
Perspective
Region
Prespa

(preview of current situation and
measures for future
improvements of the lake traffic
through series of workshops).

Association of
Primary
2008 start/end,
Recycling of the plastic waste local NGOs -
schools,
Permanent
in the five primary schools in
Coalition for
Municipality of
activities
the Municipality of Resen
Perspective
Resen - ecology

Prespa
issues
(collection of plastic waste by the
pupils and supplement of waste
containers ).

Lightening of central city area NGO Focus
Citizens of
2005-2006
(replacement of old lightening
Resen
elements with new modern
Municipality
ones).
Tourism Training
Inter-municipal workshop for
GTZ Municipalities
of
2007
tourism development in
Ohrid-Resen
Ohrid/Prespa Micro- Region
micro - region
Defining tourism product / offer
GTZ Municipalities
of
2008
of Ohrid /Prespa micro - region
Ohrid-Resen

micro - region
Tourism development and
Human
Business Sector 01 September
marketing development in
Resources
and NGO's from 2008 31
Prespa area - Trainings
Development
MK Prespa
October 2008
regarding the tourism
Fund (Public
region
development and marketing
Private
development in Prespa area.
Partnership
Strengthening of the marketing
among Ministry of
capacity of the Prespa MK local Economy and
tourist businesses and NGO's to EAR
offer quality tourist products and
largely connected with the
Prespa natural heritage.

30

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

32

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Annex 3: Draft Terms of Reference for Team
Leader

Preparation of a Tri-lateral Tourism Strategy and Action Plan for the
Prespa Region

33

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

34

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

35

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

36

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

37

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

38

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

39

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Greece

Annex 4: DRAFT Terms of Reference for Company
tender (National Consultants from 3 Littoral States
to support the International Consultant separately
contracted)

40

Document Outline

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