Czech-Austrian PARTNER project started with a field survey in South Bohemia

In the immediateá ná connection to the completion of the interá nativeá project Preparedness of the memory for German-speaking clientele (KPF-02-135), the Department of Tourism embarked on another Czech-Austrian INTERREG V-A smallé project (KPF-02-220). This time, among other things, in accordance with the focus of the Operational Programme Cross-border Cooperation, we have somewhat expanded the existing focus on tourism. In the rám of the Cities Partnership to Strengthen the Transboundary Regional Development project, the ambition„ „ is to assess the úlevel of the partnership; focusingá oná fineé knowledgeá iná neighbouringá countriesá (cities), but soá functioningá publicá governance“. We apply the initiative, generally known as „town-twinning“, to the Czech-Austriané border– – with the „towné defined in the same way as the ú countryé, i.e. South Bohemia, South Moravia and understandably Vysočina. The methodology of the project includes both jointý cabinetý research by students and academics of the VŠPJ and the Universität für Weiterbildung – Donau-Universität Krems, as well as práce in terénu incl. Meetání withádegree&equipmentá, traveláagenciesárí, accommodationázení and sights´. Through permanent events we aim to promote the prosperity of the Czech-Austrian border region.

The firstí live eventí of the PARTNER project became teré &scaron& etrení from 22. to 26. November 2021, which úforehead was a closeší acquaintanceámení with a specificétní region, locality, subject or object, when in addition toúfrequentéobservationání we applied the focus group method. We chose the town of Třeboň with accommodation in the pension Schwarzenberský sení k as a positive one, because we concentrated on the towns/municipalities of the South Bohemia region. The students prepared in advance three thematicé areas, namely the evaluation of the websites of the selectedý cities, the offeré and the realization of the activities of the travelá agencies, and the attractiveness of the selectedý attractions. The actualý course was solved in the form of starý rides mainly by public transport, in the morning we usually included a discussion on the cityém/municipal úm úseries, the afternoon was filled with aávštion of specificétní institutions involved in cross-borderá cooperation.

úwaterí day was dedicated to familiarizingúmení with the givenúissues throughúworkshop, which was actively participated byústudents of differentúlevels; public – local – local – local – /community – starting with (the City of Třeboň) and regional – ending with (the Regional – South Bohemia – Region). In úterý we went to Českéých Budějovice, we were accepted not only at the Masterátu, but alsoé at the University of South Bohemia. Here we even found out that our projecté activities can be interconnected, both in content and institutionally. In the South Bohemiaé scientificé library, weá learnedá someý aspects„ of„ historicalé “ cross-borderá cooperation throughá cooperation;m iný the state of the Railroad, whiché takes awayá time (from theá &Scaron& umava) and Traces of Eternity (bringingá theá personalities of the Czech-Bavariané and Czech-Austriané borders). On Wednesday we went by hired minibus to Veselí nad Lužnicí. From the meeting with the mayor, for example, it became clear that the town has a much more intensive cooperation with its partner municipality in Scaron;výcar than in Austria. The explanationá liesá iná both traditioná and subjectiveá level, howé toá the alchemy between specificétná acts. This, too, can be considered aýsignificantý finding of ourše project. We used the afternoon for terénníresearch, focusing onýtheýsign of the Greenway cycle route of the ruralébaroque for interánative´ (over´equestrianý) tourism. Thursday belonged to Nové Bystřice, a town situated on the border of the state. In discussion with the mayor we discovered that it represents the opposite (ú equal )of the cross-border cooperation with the partner town of Heidenreichstein. The relationship is based on trust, understanding and knowledge, and involves various components of social life, differenté cí cíhuntingé groups, the range of socialý actions´ is very diverseá, although naturally in recent times markedá by a mutually epidemic situationá. We finished theýdayí event in Jindřichův Hradec, with a detailedáacquaintanceáwith richýpartnerýrelations (not only with Austrian Zwetl), but also summarizes the Euroregion Silva Nortica's executive's view on the current level of Czech-Austrian cooperation.

To determineé mí mí complementary, in no wayé due to ouršem focusí and the necessaryé to ensure„cross-border“, we implemented furtherší activities. We have met informally with people fromá organisations that runá not onlyá š guesthouses. Especially for students, prepared for practice in tourism including accommodation facilities for women , it was beyond the nose . The situation did not allow us to go to Austria or to visit our Austrian partners. So, as an operative measure, we included an online workshop, which created a synergy with another cross-border project of DUK, namely the Centre for the Renewal of the Common Cultural Heritage (ATCZ171).

We are convinced of the úšnéném of the new project, at least suchéreactions we have noticed from ouršstudents as well as fromástudents fromáoutsideýinstitutions. We believe that in spring 2022 it will be possible to travel to Austria and thus to find out (contact) from the other side of the border.

RNDr. Eva Janoušková, Ph.D.
doc. RNDr. Milan Jeřábek, Ph.D.