MID-BÉKÉS TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION
The cooperation of the three cities of Békéscsaba, Békés and Gyula in 1997 aimed to assist social, economical and cultural development of the middle part of Békés County and to establish a new relation between urban and countryside areas, providing basis for cooperation among the three towns. The Municipal Association realizes its aims through financial supports either from the Hungarian government or from the EU.
The Association is committed to connect the resources of the three significant towns of mid-Békés, to promote their values together. Main areas of the cooperation are the marketing of the excellent local agro-products, the environment and the tourism development. For the Association it is important that local values and resources become accessible and the area be a pleasant destination of spending spare time for residents and tourists coming. For this sake, regarding developments, sustainability is elemental.
Establishing Mid-Békés Centre - Arad Agency
The operative organisation of the Association is the Mid-Békés Centre – Arad Agency founded in 2007 with Interreg III/A support. In frames of that project a 4-person-work organisation established infrastructural conditions, prepared publications of the Association and local eco-farmers, held conferences, workshops for them, and provided bio-honey to some educational institutions of the three towns.
Networking for durable economic development
In the joint projects with our partner of Arad the Romanian Nation Council of SMEs, Arad Office we promote the connection of Hungarian and Romanian entrepreneurial segment, and we organise special forums for cross-border SMEs. Latest example of this is the project named “Networking for durable economic development”, of which aim was to strengthen the cooperation between companies of four branches of activities: constructing, tourism, logistics and carpenter. A complex database has been made and we orginsed events – forums, fairs – for entreprenurials in Arad and Békéscsaba vice-versa. In frames of the project four networking meetings, a conference were held, wher 80 companies (32 Hungarian ones) participated. Ten employees of companies concerned in business development we organised a 3-day training. As closure, a project catalogue was issued, which provides advertising facilities for companies in the Hungarian and Romanian borderline area.
Tourism Development
One of the significant area of promoting the cooperation of the three towns is tourism. In the former Interreg-project, the Agency developed 15 touristic programme facilities theoretically.
From 2010 autumn the Association organises thematic tourism programmes named “Wandering in Békés” for the inhabitants of the region and the incoming tourists.
The Association takes part in the tourism development activity of the Körös Valley Nature Park, with which the aim is to raise the valley of Körös rivers a more popular touristic destination. For this sake the “Joining for Active Tourism in the Körös Valley” came into being with the participation of the following institutions beside the two inaugurators above:
· South-Great Plain Regional Marketing Directorate of the Hungarian Tourism Ltd.
· Environmental and Water Management Directorate of the Körös region
· Körös-Maros National Park Directorate
· Municipality of Békés County
· Tourinform Office of Békés County
· Association of Anglers of the Körös region
Through the latest project of the Agency, it promotes the development of the supply of active tourism by 15 thematic tourism programme packages, dragon boats, trekking canoes, bicycles, geocaching and questing tours for school classes, team-buildings, families and everyone interested.
Accessibility:
Mid-Békés Territorial Development Municipal Association
KBC-Arad development Agency
H-5600 Békéscsaba, 7 Szent István square
tel: 20/229-5055
e-mail: kozepbekes@pannonmail.hu
web: www.kozepbekes.hu
