Third Stakeholders Workshop in Lenart, Slovenia was designed to facilitate collaboration among key stakeholders to co-develop and implement innovative community-based business models aimed at revitalizing rural locales within the Podravje region.
Mrs. Olga Pregl, the project manager from eZavod, provided a comprehensive overview of the REVIVE project, detailing its activities and strategic objectives. She emphasized the project’s inclusivity, inviting all stakeholders interested in contributing to the enhancement of tourism and raising the profile of the Slovenske Gorice region. Participants were encouraged to actively engage in the project’s activities, which are instrumental in developing a pioneering, community-based pilot model for sustainable rural revitalization in the Slovenske gorice area of the Podravje region. Participants, including representatives of local communities: Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici, Cerkvenjak, Duplek and Lenart, and development agency of Slovenske gorice, were actively engaged in discussions about the explored how innovative business models could drive economic and social revitalization in rural area of Slovenske gorice.
The workshop facilitated valuable networking opportunities and laid the groundwork for collaborative efforts to develop and implement the pilot project in the Podravje region. Attendees agreed for the possible solution, which is new Strategy – systematic establishment of a framework for a connected destination, where the tourist offer will be development-oriented and represented both at the regional and at the destination level.
Discussions covered the integration of community building methodologies, the structure of transnational community cooperatives, and the management of shared resources, emphasizing public-private partnerships and the development of a distinctive tourist offer to attract visitors seeking authentic local experiences. The event highlighted the region’s potential in cultural heritage and innovative culinary products, setting the groundwork for future collaborative efforts and strategic developments to enhance the tourism infrastructure and overall destination appeal.
