Interregional Meeting in Brasov

Poiana Brasov as well as surrounding areas became the centre of Carpathian cooperation for two days! Brasov County successfully hosted there on July 9-10,2025, the Interregional Meeting, bringing together representatives of the Carpathian Sustainable Tourism Centres from Romania, Poland, Slovakia, together with representatives of the Vienna Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention and EURAC Research Italy and many stakeholders to build together a new mechanism for cooperation in sustainable tourism in the Carpathians – Carpathian Sustainable Tourism Platform (CSTP). The second day was dedicated to a case study in the village of Viscri, part of the ecotourism destination Transylvanian Hills. Regional and local partners, as well as representatives of the Carpathian Convention Secretariat had the opportunity to explore a recognized good practice example of sustainable tourism and community development through a documentary visit to one of the most famous Romanian heritage sites – Viscri, a UNESCO site. In the afternoon session, relevant examples on strategic planning of ecotourism destinations and community involvement were presented:

• Cristina Iliescu – Transylvanian Hills ecotourism destination,
• Mihai Grigore – Local development vision in Viscri,
• Andrei Blumer – Romanian Association of EcoDestinations.

This field day provided participants with a concrete perspective on how sustainable tourism can contribute to the responsible use of the natural and cultural heritage of mountain areas. Over these two days of engaging sessions and a field visit to Viscri Village, participants co-designed a roadmap for cross-border collaboration built around CSTP’s four strategic pillars. Thank you to all participants for their valuable input and inspiring contributions! “The Carpathians are more than a mountain range – they are the ecological and cultural backbone of Central and Eastern Europe. We are in a co-design process, where every voice counts and together we are shaping an effective working tool for the future of responsible mountain tourism” – Vice-President of Brasov County Council, Todorică Constantin Șerban.