The registration for the 7^th Annual Forum of the Danube Strategy is now open. Under the title "Culture and Tourism boosting growth in the Danube Region", the event will be held on 18 - 19^th October 2018, in Sofia. The main focus of the event will be on tourism development as a precondition to economic growth and territorial cohesion. All interested participants are kindly invited to register on the event’s website https://www.7danube-forum-sofia.eu. Due to the expected high interest to the event, we recommend you to register as soon as possible. More information about the Forum’s content, including detailed agenda, list of moderators and panellists, as well as practical information, are available on this website.

In 2018, Bulgaria is the rotating Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). As a key event of the 2018 EUSDR Presidency, 7th Annual Forum is jointly organised by Bulgaria and the European Commission, as well as the Danube Transnational Programme. The DTP will be in charge of a plenary session, to promote its achievements and reflect on the future, and it will actively participate in other panel sessions. In the exhibition area / stand, the DTP will also promote its project results and the 3^rd call for proposals.

The Annual Forum will cover topics of particular importance for the Danube region related to preservation of cultural and historical heritage, new technologies and digitalization in tourism sector, ensuring safety and security in tourism, transport connectivity and mobility. Issues related to synergy and consistency between macro-regional strategies for achieving the common objectives of the EU and for the future of those strategies after 2020 will also be referred to. Two parallel thematic sessions on sustainable tourism mobility and security in public spaces and an open-air exhibition have been scheduled as well.