In the recent years the unemployment in the Municipality of Zlatograd is a main problem. According to the data of Direction Labour Bureau -Zlatograd from 31.03.2004, 2 385 people have been registered as unemployed, 950 of them as permanently unemployed. One of the alternative methods for decreasing the unemployment in the region is the development of eco tourism. With a decision of the Municipal Council of Zlatograd, the tourism is declared as a priority branch of the Economic Development Strategy of the municipality. This is also a part of the Municipal Development Plan.

The eco tourism is one of the mechanisms working for the protection of environment and the development of regions.

Typical feature for Zlatograd is the good concentration of tourist facilities, something the potential clients of eco-tourist products demand for. The planning of supplementary tourist services and the encouraging of entrepreurship in this domain are necessary for the establishment of a good quality regional eco-tourist product with the possibility of further development.

The main aims that we put in front of us are:

- To create a sustainable complex tourist product, which have to be advertised and developed in the Municipality of Zlatograd.

- To build tourist equipments cycle alleys and eco paths, a tourist agency and a shelter.

- To ameliorate the already existing beauty spots a tourist information center and to rehabilitate the constructed eco paths;

- To carry out an effective marketing and advertising of the tourist potential of the Municipality of Zlatograd and the offered sustainable tourist product;

- To create preconditions for an extention of the tourist season;

- To establish new services for the tourists;

- To accelerate the development of the region and to increase the employment;

- To provide the local community with supplementary incomes;

- To find work for 15 unemployed persons within the range of the project;

- For the people engaged in tourism - to improve their qualification by developing new skills in their working area;

- To create stability and local engagement for the protection of the created public buildings and infrastructure;

- To improve the work conditions of the employers in the tourism domain and to increase their security by providing them with personal security outfits, equipment and stock;

- To extend the participation of the local communities in the assimilation of the EU funds;

The Municipality of Zlatograd is a leading organization; its partners are Association Delio Voivoda , Association Regional Educational Centre 21 , Association Centre for Development of Municipality of Zlatograd . An associated partner is the Association for Social Integration.

The project is being implemented under the PROJECT Development of the Bulgarian eco tourism and the Program PHARE of the EU with a contract - Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, in the period between 01.12.2005 31.07.2006.

- A sustainable complex tourist product would be created, advertised and developed in the Municipality of Zlatograd.

- An effective marketing and advertising of the tourist potential of the Municipality of Zlatograd and the offered sustainable tourist product would be realized;

- The tourist season would be extended;

- New tourist services would be established;

- The development of the region would be accelerated and the employment increased;

- New tourist agency would be established and this would provide work for another 15 persons;

- Stability and local engagement for the protection of the new public buildings and infrastructure would be created;

- The participation of the local communities in the absorption of EU funds would be increased.