Innovation

The Rhodope Mountains stretch across Bulgaria and Greece occupying an area of almost 15 thousand square kilometres. The Western and Eastern Rhodopes, jointly account for about 11% of the Bulgarian countryside. For many, this is a remote and backward mountainous region with limited industrial activity, poor infrastructure, high unemployment and numerous forgotten villages. At the same time, this is also a region endowed with breath-taking natural beauty, bird and animal diversity, ancient Thracian sanctuaries, and picturesque villages where life follows a century-old rhythm.

In this largely unknown and unappreciated corner of Europe, local-born entrepreneur and tourism professional Mihaela Kircheva, runs a small wildlife and nature adventure company. She established Gabi Tour in 2005 and together with a team of like-minded colleagues started developing and offering innovative tourist services relying on the unique natural and cultural resources of the Eastern Rhodope region. Gabi Tour’s event calendar is full of adventures – from hiking, farm stays, rural holidays, and wine-tasting to mountain biking, and from rafting and kayaking to bird and wildlife watching. All these activities are built on the principles of sustainable tourism and effectively turn what many would see as regional disadvantages into advantages and opportunities for business.

Mihaela defines sustainable tourism as a visit, which leaves nothing behind at the destination but friendships with the local people. This means leaving no harmful trace in the natural environment or cultural heritage of the destination, and respecting the local community and its interests.

Inspiration

From the very beginning of her career, Mihaela wanted to create a different kind of experience, departing from the conventional forms of mass cultural tourism which rely on long bus transfers and hurried sightseeing in crowded locations. She proactively sought participation in projects on alternative forms of tourism, such as “green” and “eco” tourism.

In her blog, Mihaela reflects on her professional journey: “When we started our activities in the Eastern Rhodopes in 2005, we did not yet fully appreciate the treasures at our fingertips. We had little experience, but dreamed of creating something different and new. Throughout the years, we worked together with many partners, and it was the world view of our Dutch colleagues that inspired us and opened our eyes. That’s how we started to see the opportunities in what for many years was believed to be a disadvantage in the Eastern Rhodopes. In addition to creating new adventures, our dreams today also include sharing our insights with other young people in the Rhodopes, so they can also begin to see and embrace opportunities.”

The team of Gabi Tour consists of specialists in various fields – ornithologists, mountain and wildlife guides, outdoor enthusiasts and sports professionals, all brought together by their shared values and the love of wild mountain trails, clean air, authentic experience, real village people and healthy food. The Gabi Tour team is also the main creative force behind all adventures, although local farmers, hotel and restaurant owners also provide ideas and suggestions to support the service design. Customer feedback is sought after every activity and becomes an important input to the continuous improvement of all adventures on offer.

Overall impact

Under the umbrella of Gabi Tour, Mihaela engages in a diverse set of projects and initiatives aimed at promoting the opportunities associated with sustainable tourism in the Eastern Rhodopes, and raising the awareness in the local community. She is a consultant in the field of tourism development, an amateur photographer and a blogger with a strong social conscience and a clear stance.

Mihaela has the vision to establish the brand of the Eastern Rhodope region as a tourist destination for eco-tourism with distinctive character and personality. She emphasises the importance of working together, of forming partnerships and joining efforts with other businesses with the same motivation and purpose to achieve these ambitious objectives.

Visitors to the Eastern Rhodope are often impressed by the welcoming and open attitude of the local communities, as well as by the solidarity and cohesion in the area. People have come to rely on income from the tourists, everybody knows each other, and everybody is willing to offer advice, direction and recommendation. There is a great working atmosphere and this reflects positively on the tourist flows.

Business benefit

The innovative and open approach of Gabi Tour benefits the business by creating value for its customers, its partners and finally - for its owners and the team of employees and collaborators.

The tourist services of Gabi Tour meet the increased demand for alternative forms of recreation associated with the shift in attitudes towards more sustainable lives and consumption patterns. The typical customer for Gabi Tour’s adventures comes from the major cities in Bulgaria and is drawn to the area by the promise of a different holiday, away from the huge crowds and hustle and bustle of traffic. Gabi Tour offers active recreation in wild places undamaged by human activity and an escape into the timeless atmosphere of this wilderness. Tourists enjoy a stimulating, albeit a physically intense experience, which charges the spirit with new energy and presents opportunities to see the world through new lenses.

Gabi Tour’s approach to developing tourism also benefits numerous local businesses which are part of the tourist network in the Eastern Rhodopes. Within an international project with Dutch participation, the New Thracian Gold network of local entrepreneurs and farmers was established. They are all embracing sustainability principles and applying them in their business ventures. This network becomes the basis for the development of alternative tourism offerings in the area. Eco-tourism is a playing field for small players, and cooperation is imperative for survival. Although healthy competition exists, the providers of eco-tourism work together more often than they compete. For example, they regularly use each other’s equipment and facilities to meet demand. Importantly, eco-tourist providers in the region also share in their responsibility towards the environment and the preservation of the natural riches in the region. They jointly participate in campaigns to clean up the natural areas where they operate, and in initiatives on tracking and counting the populations of bird and animal species.

Mihaela has a fascinating view on business and personal success. Although she admits profit is important for sustaining the business, she emphasizes that this is not what drives her and talks about sufficiency and sense of purpose. Sustainable business should also responsibly interact with the community, respecting the customs and traditions of the locals without encroaching on their privacy or passing judgement, and should be generous to support local causes. In that respect Mihaela jokes that “adventure tourism earns a little but enables you to live well” and is an inspiring example of how people can turn hobbies and passions into a dependable business.

Social and environmental benefit

Through its activities, Gabi Tour benefits the society at large by:

• Creating jobs, raising living standards and reducing the depopulation of rural areas in the Eastern Rhodope mountains: Through its various initiatives, Gabi Tour creates opportunities for employment and additional income for the local community, while respecting the traditions and the local ways of living. To provide the innovative tourist experiences, Gabi Tour relies on a network of like-minded local entrepreneurs – most of them developing business on a small scale, and practicing what they love in a sustainable way.
  
• Leading educational activities and seminars about the benefits and opportunities associated with sustainable tourism: Gabi Tour participates and supports initiatives to share experience and insights with the local community and entrepreneurs interested in sustainability with the aim of expanding the network of suppliers.
  
• Raising awareness with tourists and visitors: Through their daily work with tourists and visitors, Gabi Tour’s team takes the role of educators and disseminators of the ideas for sustainable consumption and responsible attitude towards the environment and the cultural traditions.
  

Gabi Tour also benefits the environment through:

• Proactively working to preserve the natural riches and biodiversity of the Rhodope region: Gabi Tour’s team participates in initiatives for cleaning up the areas in which they operate, projects for restoration and preservation of biodiversity, including seasonal bird counting and population research.
  
• Promoting sustainable regional development in the Eastern Rhodope mountains: Gabi Tour contributes to regional development of the Eastern Rhodopes by supporting workshops and seminars on sustainable development and the responsible management of the natural and cultural heritage. Tireless efforts are made towards educating the local population about the opportunities associated with eco-tourism and creating buy in and commitment from the local communities.

“We love the wild trails and real village people. We seek authentic experiences and home-made food. In brief, we treasure the small, but real things in life.” (Mihaela Kircheva)

Interview

Mihaela Kircheva, Founder