In connection with a joint activity agreement between the municipality of Shumen and the Center for Excellence "Heritage BG" (CAH), researchers from the CAH, led by Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov, PhD, conducted a study in 2021 on "The importance of cultural and historical heritage in the city of Shumen for the socio-economic development of the city and the quality of life." Some of the results were presented to the public on March 11, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 363 of the municipal administration building.
The presentation was attended by representatives of travel agencies, the hotel industry, RIM Shumen, Shumen Plateau Nature Park, municipal councilors, members of the Advisory Council on Tourism to the Municipality of Shumen, Shumen University "Ep. K. Preslavski," the regional administration, the media, and others.
As stated in an interview with Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov, PhD, on TV Shumen: "Over 10% of Shumen residents have never visited the Madara Rider. This is shown by a survey of 500 residents of the city. The study covers a number of cultural and historical sites in the region and was commissioned by the Center for Excellence "Heritage BG" at Sofia University.
"This was a group of people with low levels of education, primary and secondary education, most of whom had never been to any of the sites we surveyed. Neither the most famous ones, nor any of the sites in the city, nor the Regional History Museum," explained Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov, PhD, Center for Excellence "Heritage BG."
In order to increase interest in Shumen as a tourist destination, access to cultural and historical sites must be facilitated.
"There were even specific recommendations. Couldn't a lift, or a narrow-gauge railway, or a trolleybus be built? In other words, there should be public transport," said Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov, PhD in Economics.
In terms of how well-organized life in the city is, the people of Shumen are most satisfied with the conditions for raising children and the opportunities for education. Public utilities, as well as urban and suburban transport, were rated extremely negatively. The study aims to assess the importance of Shumen's cultural and historical heritage for the socio-economic development of the city and the quality of life. You can see the full recording of the interview here >>>
A detailed analysis of the results obtained during the study on "The importance of cultural and historical heritage in the city of Shumen for the socio-economic development of the city and the quality of life" will be presented on April 18, 2022 during the Annual Scientific Conference of the Center for Excellence "Heritage BG". The team's publications on the topic are also forthcoming.
The Center for Excellence "Heritage BG" would like to thank Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov, PhD, and his team for their efforts to successfully complete the study despite the complicated situation caused by COVID-19.
The Center for Excellence "Heritage BG" would like to thank the municipality of Shumen for its cooperation, support, and good collaboration.
