BALKANiA is a Balkan Association for Alternative Tourism focused on local sustainable economic development through alternative forms of tourism in macro sectors identified as: - Natural Tourism - Cultural Tourism - Rural Tourism - Sport Tourism

Implemented projects

BALKANIA is an association for Balkan Alternative Tourism and its activities include realization of projects in the field of alternative tourism which enable the promotion of Macedonia and the entire Balkan region as an attractive tourist destination with exceptional natural, historical, cultural and anthropological heritage. In addition to that, it focuses on projects and activities that help foster human capacity development in the field of tourism.

Balkan Flavors

“ GRAND HOTEL – Sofija “ Sofija – Bugarija    30 – 31 may 2015

Main  goals:

To be established as a major channel for promotion of high quality tourist attractions in the eno-gastronomy at international level. These attractions are in line with the latest trends in customer demands that are more strongly oriented towards the need of deep knowledge of the history and traditions of the destination. This is accomplished by meetings with local residents and immersion in the authentic atmospheres of their life, by feeling the tastes and flavors of their  land.

To create a B2B platform at which the local operators who offer culinary tourist attractions will meet the representatives of the real business that have direct access to distribution networks worldwide.

To provide year-round international visibility of exhibitors by promoting their products at some of the most reputable world tourist exhibitions and social

Who are the exhibitors (sellers) ?

Associations, community centers, micro and small businesses, restaurants, hotels, farms and individuals who organize tourist attractions such as:

  • Culinary courses,
  • Lessons on regional cooking,
  • Presentation and tasting of typical regional products,
  • Participation in the assembly or production processes of raw materials and basic products with nutritional value.

Whoarethebuyers?

  • Agencies and Tour Operators offering cultural sightseeing tours to international imitating markets,
  • Branch associations and associations in the tourism sector

Other

  • Mass audience;
  • Foreign tourists, travelling through Sofia during the exhibition,
  • Opinion makers in the tourism sector and eno-gastronomy: journalists and bloggers,
  • Representatives of the public sector

Events during the exhibition

  • Bilateral business meetings (workshops),
  • Presentation of an expert opinion on the main characteristics of the eno-gastronomy touristic product,
  • Presentation of an expert opinion on marketing strategy in the eno-gastronomy touristic sector,

Meetings with Decision makers from the public sector.

 

WINE DIPLOMACY – THE BALKANS AS THE FOCUS OF THE FOURTH BALKANS INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL

 

 

The fourth edition of the Balkans Wine Competition and Festival (28-31May, 2015)is to gather the Balkans’ wine diplomacy and result in establishing a united wine body called “Balkan Wine Chamber” (BWC) that is to protect the interests of the region’s wine producers, and build up good reputation of the oldest wine producing region in the world, said the forum director Galina Niforou.

The aims of the organizers that they have been pursuing for 4 years in a rownow, will be discussed at a special round table where thenew organization“Balkan Wine Chamber” will also be founded. The event will be attended by representatives of the branch organizations from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

The establishment of “Balkan Wine Chamber” and the fourth edition of BIWC will be held under the auspices of OIV with the assistance of the Vine and Wine Executive Agency, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Vine and Wine Chamber. This is one of the breaking newsin this year’s Balkans Wine Competition and festival agenda,being held with the purpose of proving to international business and the wine elite societythe possibilities for using wine diplomacy in bringing countries in the region closer to each other and branding the region as the oldest wine producing region in the world.

The competition part of BIWC2015 will be held on 28thand 29thMay2015 (Thurday and Friday) behind closed doors in Grand Hotel Sofia. The festival to follow, where one could taste Balkan wines along with other products typical for the Balkan countries, is scheduled for за 30thand 31stMay 2015 (Saturday and Sunday) in Grand Hotel Sofia garden.

The Balkan wine forum will be hosting the first tourism expo ever called Balkan flavors, dedicated to the hospitality and the great culinary heritage so typical of the Balkan Peninsula countries. The aim of Balkan flavors  organize  by BALKANIA – Balkan  Association for  Alternative  Tourism ,is to be recognized as the major channel for promoting high quality tourist attractions in the field of enogastronomy; to set up a B2B platform that is to bring together local entities offering culinary tourist attractions with representatives of the real world of business and to ensureall year round international recognition of exhibitors by promoting their products at one of the most renowned global tourism exhibitionsand social networks.

Developing the economic cooperation between the Balkan countries and the rest of the world isa crucial part of discovering and appreciating the Balkan wines and natural resources that are some of the major characteristics of the region. The fourth edition of the Balkans Wine Competition and festival will be used as a stepping stone for their international marketing.

For more details, please contact   eng. Galina Niforou, WineMBA    BIWCDirector

 

 

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