Center for Protection and Research of Birds from Podgorica, in cooperation with project partners NGO North Land, Berane, Regional Tourist Organisation of Sandžak, Novi Pazar and the Association of Citizens of Jadovnik, Prijepolje, has been implementing the “The Hoo Project: Creation of Owl and Other Wildlife Experiences” from February 2021.
The main goal of the project is to encourage natural heritage-based wildlife tourism in the cross-border area between Serbia and Montenegro. The total value of the project is 262,028.98 euros and the planned duration of the project is 24 months. The project envisages, among other things, the establishment of two wildlife tourism itineraries, the training of tour guides for wildlife, birds watching, a study visit and the establishment of a digital platform to promote wildlife tourism in the region.
In the previous period, the partners started with the implementation of preparatory activities in order to collect data necessary for the development of tourist itineraries in the cross-border region. A series of meetings were held with representatives of tourism organizations from different municipalities, as well as other actors working in the field of tourism, to collect data on authentic local tourism service providers (rural households, restaurants, outdoor clubs), as well as individuals who could contribute to the development of itineraries, and to be directly involved in other project activities at later stages.
Assessment and collection of data on wildlife species, medicinal plants and fungi specific to the project area is ongoing. All collected information will be part of an informative manual that will serve both to guides and tourists who will visit this region.
The project team also started preparatory activities on mapping, safety assessment, accessibility and visibility of wildlife and birds trails in the most suitable areas in the eight targeted municipalities.
