B-FREE Destination

Project title:

B-FREE Destination - Cross-border collaboration for the development of barrier-free tourism

Project number: ATHU-0100085

Project duration: 2024.09.01. – 2027. 02.28

The project will receive the following support under the Interreg Austria-Hungary 2021-2027 Programme:

Total project budget: €926,858.90 - of which total EU support (ERDF): €646,829.62

Lead partner:

Regional Enterprise Development Foundation of Vas County and Szombathely City

Project partners:

Foundation for a Changing World
Pannon Novum Transdanubia Regional Innovation Nonprofit Ltd.
Verein zur Förderung des Naturparks Rosalia-Kogelberg

Our strategic partners:

ARGE Naturparke Burgenland
Győr-Moson-Sopron County Pannon Pensioners Association
Vas County Association of the Disabled
Tourismusverband Mittelburgenland-Rosalia
Vas County Tourism Association
Vas Vármegye and Szombathely MJV Pensioners' Association, Representation
Verband der Naturpark Österreichs

Our cooperating partners:

Vás Vármegyei Egyesülete for the Visually Impaired

Brief introduction to the project

Tourism is one of the most important, driving sectors of the tertiary sector in the border region. Studies prove that making tourist services accessible, understanding and ensuring the needs of people with disabilities can result in an increase in the number of visitors, on the one hand, and an improvement in the quality of services, and can also have an impact on the quality of life of local communities.

The border region of Hungary and Austria has many tourist attractions whose accessibility for the target groups involved in barrier-free tourism is not ensured in a sufficient quality. 

The primary goal of the project is to activate people with various disabilities and the elderly to learn about and try out the tourism opportunities of the border region, and at the same time to encourage service providers to learn about the needs of people with disabilities and to create barrier-free attractions. The project aims to create a favorable situation primarily for the elderly, people with mobility, vision and hearing impairments and to enrich and complete their tourism experiences.

Planned activities and results of the project:

• Exchange of experience and knowledge transfer – organization of 3 workshops and 2 professional study tours in order to establish the foundation of Austrian-Hungarian professional cooperation.
• Implementation of investments and developments in order to further develop the Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park in a barrier-free manner and prepare it for receiving Hungarian tourists (e.g.: barrier-free bicycle rental station with a booking system and special bicycles for rent).
• Conducting research in order to better understand the current situation and opportunities of barrier-free tourism in the region, by preparing a research report.
• Creation of a barrier-free German-Hungarian online platform with content related to the project topic.
• Preparation of a project communication plan that also takes into account the special needs of the project target group members.
• Development of a methodology for creating a barrier-free tourism strategy, and based on this, preparation of the barrier-free tourism strategy for Vas County.
• Development and pilot application of a joint cross-border marketing plan by continuing a pilot campaign in order to boost the region's barrier-free tourism.
• Through pilot developments (barrier-free picnic areas, audio guides), we will present the possible practical implementation of a bilingual barrier-free tourism offer on the border, and we will create a collection of related experiences.
• Training materials are being prepared and pilot trainings are being held in connection with barrier-free tourism.
• We will help share knowledge by preparing information materials and organizing study tours

Pannon Novum actively participates in all activities and has taken a leading role in innovative marketing communication. (The communication working group is responsible for preparing the communication plan, conducting and evaluating communication activities, analyzing their effectiveness, and using feedback in further processes.)

Expected results and impact of the project

Thanks to the project, the number of organizations participating in cross-border cooperation will increase, the level of accessible tourism in the border region will improve thanks to awareness-raising trainings, and a cross-border cooperation and methodological manual will be available to those interested in activating the affected persons with disabilities and the elderly as potential tourists.

Thanks to the project, cross-border accessible tourism will gain ground in the region and become sustainable for the target groups. With our help, the affected and interested organizations and individuals will find each other, exchange experiences and cooperate. Our goal within the project is to establish and maintain cross-border cooperation that can effectively serve the tourism expectations of these target groups in the long term.

Contact

Project central email address: bfree@vashvk.hu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566517168693

Contact person from the project partner:

Zoltan Farsang, zoltan.farsang@pannonnovum.hu

Adrienn Bodó, adrienn.bodo@pannonnovum.hu

Regional Enterprise Development Foundation of Vas County and Szombathely City

Csaba Babós, Managing Director

email: bfree@vashvk.hu

Tel: +36 94 326-048