Title: Satisfy your eyes, body and soul – integrated offer of environment friendly products and tourism services – Barczyca Valley Reccomends

Beneficiary: Barczyca Valley Foundation from Millicz

City: Milicz

Implementation period: July 2009 – July 2010

Focus Area: Pro-ecological restructuring of the tourist market

The project is implemented in the area of Barczyca Valley (communes: Milicz, Cieszków, Krośnice, Żmigród, Twardogóra, Odolanów, Przygodzice, Sośnie), the largest Polish area of protected habitats within the European network Natura 2000 and the „Barczyca Valley” Landscape Park. The Barczyca Valley is an area starting 60 km north of Wrocław and spreading along the river valley up to Ostrów Wielkopolski. The feature that distincts it from other regions is 700 years of tradition in karp breeding, over 8 thousand hectars of breeding ponds. On their basis, throught the centuries, a unique biological diversity was created because of human activity

Aim of the project is to educate society in the field of environmental protection, promotion of creation and development of eco-friendly tourism offer and to duplicate good practice of combining entrepreneurship with active environmental protection at Natura 2000 areas outside from Barczyca Valley.

All information and promotion activities completed in the project are based at a promotion system created by the Barczyca Valley Foundation. It promoted exceptional products and services which contributed to protection of cultural heritage, tradition and region’s environment. Currently the system has 35 users (21 producers and 14 service providers) and the project is implemented with them and for them.

Within the activities directed at direct beneficiaries, „Barczyca Valley Reccomends” sign users, which contribute to increase in quality of products and services, the following activities are undertaken:

1. TRAININGS for producers and service providers from the Barczyca Valley teaching how to increase the quality and ecology of tourism services (Natura 2000, quality requirements, environment requirements and services promotion).
2. CONSULTING in increasing environmenal standards and services quality – producers and service providers included in the Barczyca Valley Reccomends.
3. A STUDY VISITY to the Czech partner for 10 leading producers and service providers from Barczyca Valley in order to learn example solutions for making products and services from the Natura 2000 Moravski Kras area more ecological.
4. Publishing the „HANDBOOK FOR TOURISM PRODUCERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE AREAS OF NATURA 2000” – handbook of good practice and legal requirements.
5. A SUMMARY CONFERENCE, participated by all direct beneficiaries of the project, partners, invited guests, the media. The conference will allow evaluation and promotion of all activities undertakien in the project.

The information and promotion activities directed at citizens and tourists coming, or about to come to the Barczyca Valley, were planned as follows:

1. A GUIDEBOOK about an offer of environment friendly products and services of „Barczyca Valley Recommends”.
2. „BARCZYCA VALLEY RECCOMENDS” WEBSITE showing tourism offer and enabling communication between producers and service providers
3. A TRAIL of brand products and services called „Barczyca Valley Recommends” together with a MAP.
4. 8 PROMOTIONAL FILMS OF „BARCZYCA VALLEY RECCOMENDS” about environment friendly products and services in the contexts of environment assets of the Barczyca Valley which make an exceptional and high quality.
5. CREATION OF A LOGO for products and services of „Barczyca Valley Recommends” allowing visual identification.
6. „BARCZYCA VALLEY – HOLIDAY LAND” FESTIVAL with producers and providers of environment friendly services from Barczyca Valley and ones invited from other Natura 2000 areas, inhabitants of Barczyca Valley, and tourists from outside of the region.
7. SEMINAR „good practice in creating a tourist offer in the areas of Natura 2000” for self governments, organisations, producers and service providers from areas covered by the Natura 2000 network from 3 voivodeships: Dolny Śląsk Dolny Śląsk, Wielkopolska, Lubuskie in the South-Western Poland Partnership Network.
8. STUDY VISIT IN THE BARCZYCA VALLEY for producers and service providers, representatives of self-governments, organisations from the areas covered by the the Natura 2000 network from 3 voivodeships: Dolny Śląsk Dolny Śląsk, Wielkopolska, Lubuskie in the South-Western Poland Partnership Network, and media in order to know good practice.