Hu-hu project: In the tracks of owls and other wild species, which is carried out by the non-governmental organizations Center for the Protection and Study of Birds (CZIP) from Podgorica and Northern Land from Beran, in partnership with the Regional Tourism Organization Sandžak from Novi Pazar and the Association of Citizens "Jadovnik" from Prijepolje, contributed to strengthening the development of tourism based on natural heritage and wild plant and animal species in the cross-border area between Serbia and Montenegro, it was announced at the press conference.
CZIP representative Bojana Sekulić said, as PR Center reports, that the project is being implemented in eight municipalities of the cross-border area between Montenegro and Serbia - Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, Berane, Petnjica, Rožaja, and Tutin, Sjenica and Prijepolje.
"Educational and promotional activities and works on tourist infrastructure, the implementation of which contributed to the improvement of tourist offers on both sides of the border, resulted in the formation of a new Hoo Trails Experience brand. This brand represents a new concept of the tourist offer of the destination. Its recognition on the tourist market was ensured by the training program and developed training materials for wildlife guides, trainings for rural households and other providers of tourist services, the exchange of experiences on a study trip, the development of hiking trails and new itineraries that combine natural attractions and the cultural heritage associated with them on both sides of the border, as well as promotion through modern channels of communication - social networks and blogs", said Sekulić.
She explained that this brand is based on the values of biodiversity, as well as that it has placed the natural heritage in its rightful place - to inspire visitors to stay in this area and return to it with pleasure. "On the other hand, the brand gives a new impetus to the preservation of the environment, making the local community richer for the aesthetics of the preserved environment in which its members live and work," said Sekulić.
According to her, wildlife the guides will be ready and competent to present the biodiversity to the visitors on the spot, stating that four training sessions have been organized for the purpose of education.
"When it comes to training for tourism service providers, the topics of this event were directed towards a stronger affirmation of nature-based tourism, as well as the acquisition of knowledge and skills that link natural heritage with cultural heritage. Since rural tourism is gaining popularity year by year, and more and more attention is being paid to sustainable practices and ways of promoting such destinations, the participants of the training were providers of tourist services, mostly representatives of rural households from the cross-border area," said Sekulić.
Project participant Gojko Jakšić from Prijepolje said that the experiences and knowledge he gained during the project were positive and useful.
"We learned a lot of new things that we didn't know until now. As part of the project, there were various trainings, among others, one related to rural households. There we heard a lot of important topics related to households engaged in rural tourism. I believe that the promotion of rural tourism is not sufficiently represented in our country, and it should be much more represented. There needs to be more visits to rural households or implementation of projects like this one, in order to help people solve problems in that area," said Jakšić.
Hu-hu project: Tracks of owls and other wild species is realized with the financial support of the European Union within the IPA Program of cross-border cooperation Serbia-Montenegro 2014-2020, and with the co-financing of the Ministry of Public Administration of Montenegro.
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