The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation is a symbolic beginning of the implementation of the projects that have been approved from the mechanism of the Recovery and Resilience Plan - Call for Applicants of Development Projects for the Transformation of the Muránska Planina National Park Region. There are four projects in total. Two projects were submitted by the Development Agency of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region, one project was submitted by the Administration of the Muránska Planina National Park based in Revúca and one project was submitted by the regional tourism organisation GEMER. All four projects were already coordinated at the time of application so that the activities would complement each other in order to develop the Muránska Planina National Park region as a competitive natural destination and a place for quality local life.
The signatories of the Memorandum of Cooperation, which was symbolically signed in the locality of the Zbojská saddle, are the Administration of the Muránska Planina National Park based in Revúca, the BBSK Development Agency, the regional tourism organisations Región Horehronie and GEMER and the regional tourism organisation Banskobystrický kraj Turizmus (Banská Bystrica Region Tourism). The signatories chose the Zbojská saddle as a symbolic place that connects the regions of the Banská Bystrica Region Horehronie and Gemer. These regions also share the territory of the Muránska Planina National Park.
Ján Šmídt, Director of the Muránska Planina National Park, said, "The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation was for us a formal sealing of cooperation in the implementation of a common vision for the development of the Muránska Planina National Park. We have been working together with the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region and its organisations and the regional tourism organisations Región Horehronie and GEMER for several years now to fulfil this vision. The projects approved through the Recovery and Resilience Plan are an important tool for us in fulfilling this long-term vision."
In the words of Janka Pálková, Director of the BBSK Development Agency, "Muránska Planina National Park and the adjacent area has a great potential to become a holiday destination with preserved natural and cultural values and at the same time solved basic needs of sustainable development. Considering that the Gemer region and the eastern part of the Horehronie region are among the least developed regions of the region as well as of Slovakia, we see in the implementation of the projects a chance for the development of these regions."
In the preparation of the four projects, whose applicants are signatories to the Memorandum of Cooperation, the BBSK Development Agency had a coordinating role in order to distribute the activities meaningfully in the projects so that they are jointly linked, related and contribute to the development of the territory. Ľudmila Elexová from the BBSK Development Agency, who coordinated the preparation of the projects, said: 'an important basis for the elaboration and submission of meaningful projects under this call were the meetings preceding the elaboration of the Strategy for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in the Muránska Planina National Park until 2030. Thanks to them, we were able to name the tasks or problems to be solved. The active involvement of the municipalities of both regions, which undertook to implement other important projects from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as those municipalities that supported the other applicants in their initiative, should also be highlighted. It is the cooperation in pursuit of higher goals and priorities that is the basis for making this area an attractive place to visit, not only in the short term, but also in the long term, and for making the Muránska Planina National Park a sustainable destination as a whole ."
The project, which is submitted by the Muránska Planina National Park Administration based in Revúca, aims to create key conditions for the development of natural tourism, includes the preparation of a modern visitor centre including experiential environmental education programmes modelled on national parks abroad, sustainable mobility solutions by creating parking capacities at strategic points, the development of recreational cross-country skiing and other activities that will support the year-round use of accommodation capacities and create conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in the regions. These activities have been identified by the Administration of the Muránska Planina National Park, based in Revúca, but also by other actors in the territory during the elaboration of the strategy, and this is the largest project in the scope of € 3.34 million.
The aim of the second project, whose applicant is the BBSK Development Agency, is the revitalization of the historical natural-landscape Coburg Park in Pohorelská Maša. The project directly supports the idea of a natural destination with an offer based on exploring the nature and cultural traditions of the Muránska Planina National Park. Pohorelská Maša is located on the northern edge of the Muránska Plateau. In this village, the revitalisation of the park will create the backdrop for the thematic cultural route 'Coburg's Iron Way', which is one of the unique and already actively developed projects in the Horehronie region. The route thematically connects several villages that are entry points to both the Muránska Planina National Park and the Low Tatras National Park, so this project significantly promotes synergies and cooperation between a number of actors, including municipalities and cultural institutions. The amount of the approved grant from the Recovery and Resilience Plan mechanism is EUR 845 thousand. In addition to project preparation, the revitalisation of the park will consist of activities aimed at revitalising park greenery and building park infrastructure.
The third project, whose applicant was the BBSK Development Agency, focuses on the sustainable development of cycling tourism. Specific activities will be directed towards the development of a network of cycling routes in the Muránska Planina National Park. It includes the rehabilitation of 350 km of existing routes and the construction of another 50 km of new routes, as well as an innovative data tool for monitoring, management and maintenance of cycling routes to ensure their long-term quality. The activities are intended to proactively address the prevention of overcrowding of sites, threats to biodiversity, as well as visitor safety. The project also includes comprehensive coordination of cycling development in line with the above but also other sustainability principles. The amount of the approved grant from the Recovery and Resilience Plan mechanism is EUR 434 thousand.
The fourth signatory of the Memorandum of Cooperation, the regional tourism organisation GEMER, submitted a project whose activities will be directed towards the creation and branding of the Muránska Planina National Park, modern visual presentation and further communication of the Muránska Planina National Park natural destination on the tourism market. These activities and the comprehensive approach to destination management of the Muránska Planina National Park have been supported by the mechanism of the Recovery and Resilience Plan through the approval of a non-repayable contribution of EUR 274 thousand. €.
The fifth signatory of the Memorandum of Cooperation is the regional tourism organisation Banskobystrický kraj Turizmus, which through marketing activities presents the individual regions of the region as unique tourist destinations, each with an exceptional offer, but at the same time connects the eight regions of the region and presents them under the common brand Behind the mountains, behind the valleys, the Banskobystrický kraj (Behind the mountains, behind the valleys, the Banskobystrický region). In addition to marketing activities, KOCR Banskobystrický kraj Turizmus is also dedicated to the creation, marketing and sale of specific tourism products that it and the regions will create together.
The signatories signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at the Zbojská shepherd's hut. The choice of the place was not random, as the Horehronie and Gemer-Malohont regions meet in the Zbojská saddle and it is the gateway to the Muránska Plateau National Park. The signatories and invited guests sealed their will to cooperate on the vision of the development of the Muránska Planina National Park with a symbolic horseback ride to highlight the beauty, traditions and potential for the development of this beautiful area.
