Few would disagree with this statement: to create something truly valuable and innovative, rather than conventional, one must go beyond familiar boundaries. The cross-border team of the project “United by Heritage: Preservation of the Historic Legacy of Pniv Fortress in Ukraine and Ardud Fortress in Romania for Tourism Development”, together with representatives of the local authorities of the project’s target communities responsible for managing heritage sites, stepped beyond online activities for the first time in a long period to learn from Ireland’s exemplary experience in cultural heritage management and preservation.
The tour to Ireland was part of the project’s training and professional activities (Activity 3.7: Joint Study Visit to Ireland). The responsible partners for organizing the trip were the Ivano-Frankivsk Tourist Association (Lead Beneficiary in Ukraine) and the Satu Mare County Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Beneficiary 3 in Romania). The tour was designed and organized in cooperation with Mr. Jim Flannery, UNWTO expert and former Chair of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. In the early 2000s, Mr. Flannery worked as a leading expert on the TACIS regional project for Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions, headquartered in Ivano-Frankivsk. Having been at the origins of independent Ukraine’s tourism industry, he is well aware of the needs of Ukrainian communities and kindly agreed to share the Irish experience with the participants. Another partner, the Dublin City Education and Training Board, responsible for professional training in hospitality and culture, provided logistical support for the visit.
The study tour took place from 11 to 15 September 2022 and included visits to some of Ireland’s most interesting heritage sites in terms of interpretation. Each encounter with a site encouraged participants to understand the role and importance of interpretation for visitors, imagine how it was planned and designed, and explore how interpretation sites are managed and utilized for economic purposes.
The group visited the EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. Established in 2016, it is essentially a heritage interpretation center offering a profound and often moving story of Irish emigration over the centuries. Considered the world’s first fully digital museum, its exhibits are presented mainly through interactive media, revealing the history of Irish emigrants and their impact on the world. In 2019 (the last “pre-COVID” year), the museum welcomed 272,000 visitors (source). During the visit, participants met with Dr. J. Patrick Greene, CEO of the museum, who shared valuable insights into the creation and planning of digital exhibitions, the use of interpretation tools, and the organization and management of the museum and gift shop.
A meeting was also arranged with Fáilte Ireland (National Tourism Development Authority), the national body responsible for supporting the sustainable economic, social, cultural, and environmental growth of tourism in Ireland. Participants had the opportunity to discuss and ask questions regarding national and regional strategies, organizational processes, approaches to product development, and the promotion of Ireland as a tourism destination.
The delegation also visited Dublin Castle, a historic landmark now serving as a major government complex and one of Dublin’s top attractions. Guided tours here take visitors from Viking and medieval excavations to the royal Gothic chapel and the opulent State Apartments of the former Viceregal Court. For tourism managers, noteworthy features included self-guided tours, audio tours, and activities for younger audiences. The castle works closely with schools, regularly offering workshops and children’s programs.
At Trinity College Dublin, the participants were deeply impressed by its library, the Book of Kells, and the Long Room – an inspiration for the Hogwarts library in the first Harry Potter film. The library houses seven million printed volumes and an extensive manuscript collection, including the Book of Kells, entrusted to the college in 1661 after Cromwell’s raids on religious institutions. This visit focused on audio tour organization, guide services, and supporting infrastructure.
The next stop was Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, an outstanding example of heritage-driven tourism development near Dublin. Bunratty Castle, dating from 1425, is the best-preserved medieval fortress in Ireland and was meticulously restored in the 1950s. Today, the castle staff are costumed performers who sing traditional Irish songs accompanied by harps and fiddles, and meals are served medieval-style. The Folk Park is a living reconstruction of Irish rural life a century ago. Management and marketing strategies at Bunratty were of particular interest to the group as an example of how a site without natural landmarks can become a tourist magnet and a catalyst for local economic development.
The participants also visited Knappogue Castle and the Glendalough Visitor Centre, where they explored tourism infrastructure and accessibility for visitors with special needs. A visit to the Trim Visitor Centre introduced the group to the largest, best-preserved, and most impressive Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Built by Hugh de Lacy starting in 1172, Trim Castle took 30 years to complete. Here, participants focused on storytelling techniques and visitor center operations, which showcase multiple interpretation tools for this remarkable heritage site.
The tour participants included representatives of local authorities from Nadvirna District (Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Ukraine) and the City of Ardud (Satu Mare County, Romania), who are responsible for heritage preservation in their communities, as well as cultural institution staff and researchers in heritage management and interpretation. The key project partners – TAIF and the Satu Mare Chamber of Commerce and Industry – also joined. All actively contribute to the project’s activities in Ukraine and Romania and will be primary beneficiaries of its results, both as managers, custodians, and visitors of Pniv Fortress in Ukraine and Ardud Fortress in Romania, whose tourism potential will be developed through the project.
Tourist Association of Ivano-Frankivsk Region is starting the project ‘SHARING HERITAGE: Preserving Historical Legacy of Pniv Fortress in Ukraine and Ardud Fortress in Romania for Tourism Development’ 2SOFT/2.1/169 in partnership with Pasichna Village Council (Ukraine), City Hall of Ardud and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Satu Mare (Romania). The project is being implemented under the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 and co-financed by the European Union. The project will last until October 22, 2022; its total budget is 496 811,12 EUR (app 16 643 000,00 UAH); the grant amount is 444 195,10 EUR (app 14 880 536 UAH).
Thus, the project general objective is to increase economic and livelihood opportunities of local communities by employing tourism potential of the cross-border cultural heritage thus ensuring its conservation and sustainable use through building on cultural and historical legacy of the Ardud Fortress in the North Western Romania and the Pniv Fortresses in the Western Ukraine.
Contact person – Iryna Novosilska, project director, tel. (0342) 542950, e-mail: office@taif.org.ua.
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Tourist Association of Ivano-Frankivsk Region and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or of the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 management structures (www.ro-ua.net).
The Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 is financed by the European Union through the European Neighborhood Instrument and co-financed by the participating countries in the Programme.
