Sustainability, unemployment and "slow food": next steps for the SReST project in Hajdú-Bihar

The 2nd regional stakeholder event (Debrecen, 28 November 2024) was held in a joint framework, in coordination with the activities of two other projects, thus contributing to the formulation of the county’s tourism development strategy. This cooperation has allowed synergies between projects to be exploited and a more comprehensive approach to development objectives to be taken. The opening ceremony was followed by a presentation of the latest results of the projects and the study tours taking place in last six months.

The SReST project team has produced stakeholder questionnaires, which played an important role in collecting relevant data and information and mapping the views of stakeholders. In order to widen the round of actors involved, the county government has committed to involve different alternative communication channels in the next period to reach stakeholders even more effectively.

Stepping into the next phase of implementation, the frames and structure of the regional pilot project were discussed. The topic of the pilot covers the support of unemployed groups through involving them in slow food tourism. This initiative aims to contribute to the employment of rural communities by taking the advantage of the potential of slow food tourism. Specific details and implementation plans for the pilot project will be developed in the upcoming months.

Participants agreed that the continuation of the joint discussions would help to make more efficient use of resources, and the indicative date for the next local events was set for late spring 2025.