Measure I.1: Improving the productivity and competitiveness of the area’s economic, rural, cultural and environmental resources
Project Title: Sustainable tourism for equal chances
Project Budget:
| Project Value | EU Contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 178,906.14 | € 152,016.55 |
| Montenegro | € 180,977.94 | € 153,526.00 |
| TOTAL | € 359,884.08 | € 305,542.55 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: Municipality Prijepolje
Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: Municipality Berane
Partners: NGO SNV, UNDP, Local Tourism Organisation Berane, Local Tourism Organisation Prijepolje, Regional Development Agency Zlatibor.
Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Municipality of Berane
• Serbia: Municipality of Prijepolje
The target groups of the project: Rural households representatives (40); Local Tourism Organizations (9); Souvenir producers (20); 3 Mountain clubs (20); Hotel owners (3); Restaurants owners (3); Activity based tour operators and clubs – rafting, fishing, biking, etc (10); Centre for culture (4); Agriculture producers (10);
Project duration: 01/12/2010 – 30/11/2012
Project objectives: The overall objective: To contribute to the strengthening of cross-border collaboration in tourism destination and product development, resulting in increased competitiveness for the region in the nature based and cultural tourism sectors.
The specific objective: Improved quality of tourism offer in Berane and Prijepolje.
Activities and results of the project:
“Sustainable tourism for equal chances” is a project that by its implementation contributed to the improvement of quality of tourism offer in Berane and Prijepolje. Lead partners Municipality of Berane and Prijepolje in cooperation with many partners’ implemented different activities including small scale infrastructure activities, trainings for tourism workers, procurement of different equipment and intensive media campaign in order to promote cultural and natural resources of two target municipalities. First activity was related improvement of tourism infrastructure, completed through the completion of the Touristic information education centre building. Work include: rehabilitation of space of 420 m2, used for promoting the tourism sector of municipalities Prijepolje and Berane, exhibition of promotional materials, trainings (training for rural tourism accommodation). Second activity related Improvement of hiking & biking trails, implementation of GIS mapping included realisation of several sub activities like 1st and 2nd module training on GIS with 15 participants, identification and marking of mountain trails, training for marking trails, development of tourism map, preparation and construction of pedestrian – bicycle path in the Berane municipality of 90 km length and pedestrian – bicycle path in Prijepolje municipality, length 45 km.
In order to improve visibility of tourism offer Municipality Berane procured and installed 30 tourism signs. With and aim of developing synergies of cross-border tourism development of the region the Cross – border network group that included public, private, NGO sectors represented has been established. Some of the tasks of the group are proposing future directions for the development of tourism in Prijepolje and Berane, identification of tourism actions and joint promotion. The Group animated local souvenir producers for involvement in the project and organised training for them. A result of this activity the cooperation and work of two tourist organizations was improved through the souvenirs producers training. Totally 21 participants from Prijepolje and Berane (9 females and 12 males) improved their knowledge related souvenirs production. Local population and private accommodation owners (40 trained persons) were involved in the project trough organised training village household’s hospitality. The training materials included development and distribution of manual that was used by the trainees. Second set of trainings was organised on integrated Destination Management and Event Management with 40 participants from Prijepolje and Berane. The activity was followed by development of Destination management plan
Gained knowledge was extended through organisation of four day trip in South West Serbia region for 25 participants from Prijepolje and Berane. The tourism potentials of the joint destination were promoted through catalogue that is part of promotional guide, and it was presented at the Tourism Fair in Belgrade. An offer that includes developed joint calendar of the events and joint promotional publications (brochures, manuals, posters, pens) was presented at the Fair. Promotion of the tourism offer was improved by creation of the joint web site, www.berane-prijepolje.org, and by organisation of tours for media representatives in both countries. Added value of the project is promotion both of the project and tourism offer of municipalities of Berane and Prijepolje at tourism fairs in Belgrade, Paris and Budva, that allowed spreading information on tourism offer to wider public.
