From 12 to 14 February 2026, the project Herit Adapt was presented at Bulgaria’s largest international tourism exhibition – “Vacation and SPA”, held at the Inter Expo Center in the city of Sofia.
Throughout the three days of the event, the project attracted significant interest from tourism professionals, institutional representatives, local authorities, and the general public. Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the project’s objectives, activities, achievements, and upcoming initiatives.
The project participated with an individual exhibition stand, which was also visited by the Mayor of Koprivshtitsa, Ms. Maria Toromanova.
“Herit Adapt”, funded under the Interreg Euro-MED Programme 2021–2027, aims to develop and implement a sustainable tourism model tailored to the specific characteristics of different pilot areas through close cooperation with local territorial working groups. The project identifies, analyses, and enhances existing plans, strategies, and technologies for sustainable tourism management. It includes pilot testing of solutions, evaluation of implemented interventions, and promotion of cross-sectoral cooperation.
Among the main priorities of “Herit Adapt” are strengthening institutional and local capacity, raising awareness of the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage and tourism resources, and developing strategic approaches for more sustainable tourism development.
The project team from the Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria has already implemented a number of key activities:
- Development of a 3D model of the exterior and a 360-degree virtual tour of the interior of the Mausoleum-Ossuary in Honor of the April Uprising in Koprivshtitsa;
- Preparation and dissemination of project information materials;
- Organization of an outdoor exhibition in the area surrounding the Mausoleum-Ossuary from 31 October to 2 November 2025;
- A seminar (workshop) held on 11 December 2025, aimed at enhancing the capacity of local authorities and stakeholders to protect cultural heritage sites from the impacts of climate conditions, climate change, and tourist flow, as well as hosting the first meeting of the territorial working group;
- An event and the second meeting of the territorial working group held on 23 December 2025.
The presentation of “Herit Adapt” during “Vacation and SPA” 2026 reaffirmed the importance of sustainable tourism development and highlighted the need for integrated solutions that combine cultural heritage preservation with regional economic growth.
The project continues its efforts to establish sustainable models that ensure the long-term preservation of cultural assets and support the adaptation of the tourism sector to the challenges posed by climate change.
