A tourism information centre for the disabled people is being established and Verke Canal in Berehove is being reconstructed in Zakarpattya
On May 6, 2009 a press-conference on two major projects which are being developed in Zakarpattya: “Improving Environment in the City of Berehovo by Reconstructing the Flood-Gate on the Verke Canal” and “Establishing a Tourist Information Centre for the Disabled People in Uzhhorod”
was held in the Uzhhorod Press Club.
Both projects were selected last year by the Zakarpattya Oblast State Administration for further development and search for funding within the framework of implementation of Zakarpattya Regional Development Strategy until 2015. Each rayon had an opportunity to present initiatives for tackling important social and economic problems in their respective area. Having selected 27 small-scale projects, participants of the Project Management and Strategy Implementation Training Program began to develop projects together with Ukrainian and international experts involved by the “Regional Governance and Development” project (RGD project). According to Maria Popadynets, RGD Regional Project Manager in Zakarpattya Oblast, each of the projects has a certain social value and often is useful not only for the community involved but also has significant importance at the regional level.
Anatoliy Povazhuk, Lead Specialist of the Municipal and Housing Department, Berehovo City Council presented on the rayon’s project. He explained that the project aims to improve the ecological situation in the city by cleaning up the Verke canal and reconstructing the public beach. This canal, with a total length about 36 km crosses the city (7.2 km of the channel goes through the city of Berehovo), was built during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1892. Currently, household waste waters flow into the canal; this is detrimental to the region’s environment as well as reduces the attractiveness of the canal”s recreational facilities. During the course of the project, the canal is to be cleaned, walkways on the bank of the canal are to be constructed for resident and visitor use, as well as two gateways to regulate the water are to be built. These activities are expected to be completed within six months; the total cost for the canal reconstruction is estimated at 5 million UAH, with a budget of 1.3 million UAH for the 7.2 km length running through the city.
Since the Borzhava river connects with Hungary’s Tysa river, several proposals for co-financing of the canal reconstruction have already been brought forward by that country.
There are also good prospects to attract funds from European cross-border cooperation programs.
Emerih Matsko, Lead Specialist of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Rayon Administration (Uzhhorod rayon) spoke on the project in Uzhgorod.
According to him, tourism in Uzhhorod rayon has been developing intensively with the number of new hotels and resort centers increasing steadily. However, disabled people face numerous challenges to take part in these tourist developments. That is why this new center will provide important and useful information about recreation opportunities in appropriately equipped areas, will develop and coordinate special touristic routes and programs for the disabled people as well as will publish and disseminate informational materials. The center will be located in the city of Uzhgorod (51 Shvabska Street). The project, expected to cost around 50 thousand UAH, is being developed in collaboration with the recently created Tourism Association for Disabled People. Oleksandr Kazmirov, Head of “Vidrodzennya” Tourism Association for Disabled People described his experience with organizing trips to the countryside for disabled individuals in cooperation with the Way of Life Centre;
“children saw snowy mountains for the first time with their own eyes, not only on the pictures. I think hotels, hostels, rural estates that host tourists should think about receiving not only physically healthy people but the disabled people as well”.
He noted that the newly created organization will ensure that tourism businesses do not forget about the needs of disabled people and their rights to access places of entertainment and recreation.
Providing closing statement to the seminar, Svitlana Slava, RGD Regional Planning Expert, noted that the work on the projects has been taking place in Zakarpattya for over two years. According to her, these projects are specific and short-term, but aim to prepare the background for implementation of long-term strategic goals. She emphasized that the project teams would like community members and businesses to be more widely involved in these socially important projects.
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