As part of the project “Community-Based Models for the Sustainable Valorization of Crafts in the Field of Cultural Heritage to Enhance the Economic and Tourism Performance of Remote Areas in the Danube Region – COMMHERITOUR”, a project meeting was held in Budapest, Hungary, from May 12 to 15, 2025.

Participants included members of the project team from the Municipality of Jászberény (Hungary), the project’s lead partner, as well as from Metropolitan University (Hungary), the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), the Regional Development Agency of South Bohemia (Czech Republic), the Tourist Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Local Action Group Central Istria (Croatia), the Institute for Social Innovations (Czech Republic), the Sibiu County Council (Romania), the Fund for European Affairs and Development of AP Vojvodina (Serbia), the Public Institute for Culture Kamnik (Slovenia), the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije (Montenegro), and Rukotvorine d.o.o. (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The event served as a platform for reviewing project progress, exchanging experiences, and coordinating future activities aimed at promoting traditional crafts and enhancing sustainable tourism in remote areas through community engagement.

The third project meeting took place in Budapest and was officially opened by the lead partner, the Municipality of Jászberény, in collaboration with the Metropolitan University (METU) in Budapest.

The agenda began with an overview of the ongoing project activities and a review of developments which have been completed during the previous implementation period. The Fund for European Affairs and Development of AP Vojvodina presented its current pilot activity, implemented under Specific Objective 1 (SO1). The remainder of the day was dedicated to discussions on financial and administrative matters, project’s PR, and the presentation of a successful case study by the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania. The day concluded with two interactive workshops focused on shaping the content and structure of the upcoming training sessions and project workshops.

The second day was centered around thematic work sessions at the House of Cultural Heritage in Budapest. Discussions expanded on the structure and objectives of the planned workshops, with Hungarian partners presenting their experiences regarding institutional support and developing systems for craft and cultural heritage workshop programs. In the latter part of the day, the focus shifted to the methodology for drafting Local Action Plans, followed by a practical craft-making workshop.

The third day of the meeting included a visit to the National Museum of Restoration, where partners tookpart in a workshop focused on the restoration of wooden and textile artifacts. This was followed by a guided tour of the Ethnographic Museum, where the curator introduced the museum’s exhibition. To conclude the day, partners gathered to review the progress made so far and to collaboratively plan the next steps in the project’s implementation.

Throughout the four-day meeting, representatives from partner institutions had the chance to network, familiarize themselves with each other, and exchange valuable experiences. The group also discussed activities planned for the upcoming period and outlined future objectives. Additionally, various challenges faced by the project partners were addressed, with a consensus reached that the project is progressing as planned and in accordance with the outlined activity schedule.

The COMMHERITOUR project focuses on socio-economic development through cultural heritage, culture, and tourism while its main objective is to enhance the promotion of cultural heritage across the Danube Region, particularly in areas grappling with sustainability challenges and the insufficient exploitation of their growth potential.

The total value of the project is €2,143,192.60, with €1,714,554.08 allocated as a donation.