Those who have tried the charms of volunteer tourism say that it is an experience that, in addition to visiting a new destination, gives you the opportunity to fully experience the place you are visiting. Wanting to be more than just ordinary guests visiting the sights, volunteers decide to come into direct contact with the local population and feel their way of life.
"Unlike mass tourism, which is the most dominant in our country, it involves many more actors, has much more room for action and is aimed at some specific market niches and those guests who want their vacation to be more purposeful," said Sanela Pjazitović from ADP Zid .
"It gives you freedom and the opportunity to get to know a country from the point of view of the local population. It doesn't give you a prettier or uglier image, but rather what it actually is," said Sanda Rakočević from ADP Zid.
Through the project of the Association for Democratic Prosperity ZID, this still undeveloped form of tourism briefly took root in Montenegro. In the last 18 months, a group of tourists got to know the charms of Cetinje and the coast through four programs. In addition to resting, they contributed to the local community by working in olive groves or making stone fences.
"The group of volunteers who were in Cetinje, in addition to helping homeless dogs, visited Billiards, the Cetinje monastery, the castle, so everything that an average tourist does plus this supplement. Let's say the same in Orjen, they had that educational class about Orjen , we hiked for a long time, it was a real hiking tour," said Pajazitović.
"The programs are made in such a way that they are not related to swimming, bathing, the beach, but are related to some more interesting things that are located in the same area," added Rakočević.
ZID hopes that volunteerism will gain more and more supporters in Montenegro over time. The economy has shown interest in this type of active vacation, and tourists are also interested.
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