Thanks to our present project, a survey has been made of existing natural and cultural heritage, living customs and traditions, and existing farms and family businesses that support rural development and which may be of interest to the development of tourism in the region. The study was carried out on the territory of four mountain municipalities in Bulgaria – Razlog, Bansko, Belitsa and Yakoruda, and in Macedonia the survey was conducted in the following four municipalities: Shtip, Proshtip, Vinitsa and Kochani. The field research was done by an external company – a subcontractor with extensive experience in the research field. It turned out that all eight municipalities have the potential to develop diverse and alternative forms of tourism. The established characteristics for all the target municipalities were that they consisted of different religious and ethnic minority groups such as Roma, Muslims, Bulgarian Mohammedan, Waltzes and Turks. This diversity of the region with all its traditions and cultures can be a prerequisite for attracting visitors and ensuring sustainable development of the region through tourism. On the basis of the collected information, an analysis was prepared for the needs of alternative tourism in the territories of the eight municipalities in the cross-border region. The analysis is available in three languages – Bulgarian, Macedonian and English and can serve as a basis for many tourist packages.
