Ohrid, 27 October 2022 (USAID/GIZ/MIA) - A three-day regional event “Western Balkans Adventure Travel – Ohrid Reconnect” commenced in Ohrid on Thursday. Jointly organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), the event brings together adventure tour operators and travel service providers from six Western Balkans countries, providing them with the opportunity to explore the region’s potential for adventure tourism and to exchange and develop ideas for establishing the region as an internationally-recognized and sustainable adventure tourism destination. The event hosts high-level participants from the U.S. and German Embassies in North Macedonia and renown international adventure travel professionals as speakers. “Ohrid Reconnect” is part of the ongoing collective efforts of USAID and GIZ to strengthen adventure tourism in the region. Through these joint efforts, 25 adventure tourism champions in the Western Balkans region had the opportunity to present their companies and network at one of the largest adventure tourism summits in the world, the Adventure Travel World Summit, held this month in Lugano, Switzerland. The “Ohrid Reconnect” gathering is a follow-up activity aiming to further enhance cooperation between these champion adventure tour operators and other Western Balkan adventure tour operators, facilitate the development of cross-border products, and create a common vision for the Western Balkans as a single destination. The objective of the gathering is the establishment of a Western Balkans Adventure Travel Association which will bring together tour operators and service providers to promote the region as a whole to international tour operators and travelers. The event was opened by high-level officials: Chargé d’Affaires at U.S. Embassy, H.E. Eric Meyer, Mr. Florian Träger-Steintjes, Head of Culture and Press Department at German Embassy, Mr. Martin Hiebsch, GIZ Programme Manager, and Ms. Jasminka Varnalieva, USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth (EDGE) project Chief of Party. H.E. Eric Meyer, Chargé d’Affaires at U.S. Embassy noted: “The U.S. Embassy is proud to support initiatives such as this one, which bring together institutions, the private sector, and communities throughout the region to build stronger connections and work together for enhanced local and regional economic development. This creates partnerships and fosters greater cooperation among countries in the region, leading to new business and employment opportunities. Today’s event is an opportunity to promote the region as a whole to attract international recognition and investment, which will increase revenue in new ways. It is also an opportunity to explore collaboration through regional adventure tourism products and cross-border tours.” Mr. Florian Träger-Steintjes, Head of Culture and Press department at German Embassy stated: “This year we are celebrating 30 years German-Macedonian Cooperation. For more than a decade, Germany through GIZ has been investing efforts in improving, standardizing and promoting mountain and adventure tourism in North Macedonia and the region. I am glad that this gathering is a continuation of these efforts and will contribute to the aim of putting the region on the world map of attractive and sustainable tourism destinations.”