Idrija Selected Trademark

The Idrija Tourist Board has received a Decision on Approved Funding for the submitted project "Idrija Selected Trademark," in which we are collaborating with the Municipality of Idrija, CUDHg Idrija, the Idrija Municipal Museum, the Idrija Lace-making Association,School of Jurij Vega Idrija, and Bela Ltd. The initial project activities will commence in January 2020.

About the project

Idrija, a town that was home to the second-largest mercury mine in the world, is an attractive and fascinating place that, despite the cessation of mining that shaped life in the town and its surroundings for 500 years, still maintains a vibrant connection to its mining traditions. Both the town and its rural hinterland, with their exceptional heritage, offer immense potential for the development of a contemporary tourism offer tailored to the needs of modern tourists.

During the preparation of the upcoming Tourism Strategy in the Municipality of Idrija, it was found that there is currently no management system in place for a comprehensive destination brand, which hinders the establishment of a recognizable destination brand. Additionally, it was noted that the authorities and responsibilities between providers and the overarching promotional organization are not clearly defined, resulting in a lack of synergy between communication at the destination level and the provider level. Due to the uncoordinated efforts of tourism stakeholders, the tourism offer in the destination is fragmented, requiring visitors to invest significant personal effort and resulting in unnecessary loss of time.

The main objective of the operation is to establish an innovative partnership and develop an effective communication system for the destination brand, based on which new, innovative, holistic, and sustainable tourism products will be designed, promoted, and marketed in the Idrija destination.

As part of the planned activities, the following results will be achieved: establishment of an innovative partnership involving stakeholders in tourism development and heritage preservation, local tourism economy, non-governmental organizations, and creative sectors; development of guidelines for creating the brand of the Idrija tourist destination; creation of a comprehensive visual identity and management system for the destination brand; development of 5 new innovative, comprehensive, and sustainable tourism products (3 tourism programs, product line, culinary product) incorporating graphic elements of the new destination brand; addition of new content to 8 heritage units in the area; implementation of 3 pilot tests for new tourism programs and souvenir product line; and conduct of 4 workshops for local tourism providers and residents of the LAS area to enhance participants' competencies in visual communication, modern communication tools, preparation of comprehensive and sustainable tourism products, and create conditions for new entrepreneurial opportunities in the local community.

PROJECTS OBJECTIVES:

Establish an effective communication system for the destination brand, while also defining the relationship with other brands or sub-brands, ensuring visibility for all tourists and stakeholders in the destination.
Develop a management system and program for the destination brand that supports the realization of goals and vision as defined in the Tourism Development Strategy in the Municipality of Idrija, leading to the development of Idrija as a recognizable and high-quality destination in both domestic and international markets.
Promote more efficient collaboration among stakeholders in the destination by defining the communication system at the destination level and the brand communication system at the individual provider level.
Create and promote new innovative, comprehensive, and sustainable tourism products within the established destination brand.
PROJECTS ACTIVITIES:
A1: As part of the activity, a working group will be formed, composed of representatives from all participating partner organizations. The main role of the working group will be to collaborate on reviewing the existing tourism offer and visual communications within the Idrija tourist destination, as well as participating in the preparation of guidelines and professional principles for the development of a flagship brand and brand management system.
A2: Within the activity, a comprehensive visual identity of the flagship destination brand will be developed, including an analysis of existing graphic elements. New and innovative visual elements (slogan, typography, logo, unified texts, promotional materials) will be defined and compiled in a brand manual. Additionally, a brand management system will be established. The activity will also involve upgrading the website with the newly created visual elements.
A3: The activity focuses on establishing a new tourism activity, specifically the development, implementation, and marketing of integrated tickets for multiple UNESCO sites, combined with experiential demonstrations of knowledge and culinary tastings. Several new tourism products will be created, including three new tourism programs, a line of souvenirs with a new graphic design, and a new culinary offering called "Idrija Lunch." By incorporating UNESCO heritage into comprehensive tourism products, new content will be added to eight heritage units in the area. The design of the new tourism products will strongly emphasize the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Two programs will be developed specifically for older adults and young people, tailored to their specific desires and needs as two vulnerable target groups. Both target groups will actively participate in the preparation of new tourism programs as "pilot groups" and contribute to testing and evaluating the programs. Additionally, three workshops will be conducted for local providers and the general public.
A4: This activity focuses on informing the wider public about the project's activities and results, which will take place before, during, and after the implementation of individual activity sets. The following promotional activities will be carried out: radio broadcasts, publications in local newspapers, online publications, and social media posts. All results will be publicly presented during a closing event, where all participating partners will showcase the project's results, with an emphasis on their relevance to the intended target groups. The activity will be carried out by the project applicant through their existing promotional channels.
A5: These activities are related to the quality management and leadership of the operation. Project management will adhere to project management principles in accordance with the program's application requirements. To ensure the effective implementation of activities and the optimal achievement of goals, the project applicant will establish a dedicated project team responsible for content, logistics, and financial execution of the project.

PROJECT DURATION: 01.01.2020 till 31.12.2020

Content responsibility lies with CUDHg Idrija. The managing authority designated to implement the Rural Development Program of the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2014-2020 is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food.

European Commission website, EKSRP: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-development-2014-2020_sl PRP website: https://www.program-podezelja.si/sl

Funding source: European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development program, based on project selection within the framework of the Local Development Strategy in the municipalities of Logatec, Idrija, and Cerkno in 2016 (LAS s CILjem). PROJECT PARTNERS: Municipality of Idrija, CUDHg Idrija, Idrija Municipal Museum, School of Jurij Vega Idrija, Bela d.o.o., Idrija Lace Association.

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