With today's program in Cetinje, ADP ZID activists and numerous volunteers open the first Montenegrin Week of Volunteerism. The participants of the program will visit Billiards, King Nikola's Castle and the monastery in the capital today, and then participate in the construction of houses for homeless stray dogs, which they will also feed.
Voluntourism - the combination of volunteering and tourism - is a new, fast-growing global tourism trend that is gaining momentum in our country through the EU IPA cross-border project for Croatia and Montenegro "Open borders for adventures and new travel opportunities", as part of which VolonTourism Week is being held.
The leading partners in Croatia are the Association "MI" - Split and in Montenegro the Association for Democratic Prosperity (ADP) ZID from Podgorica, and the partners are the Municipality of Herceg Novi, the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies and "Bonsai".
Project coordinator at ADP ZID Sanela Pajazitović tells "Vijesti" that the next activity in Lastva Grbaljska on August 12 is a tour of the Podlast Monastery and the olive grove and help in the olive grove - mowing, watering, mulching, and then there will be a walk in Herceg Novi on August 13. along the stone paths of Orjena, which will be repaired using the "drywall" technique, and the final activity is on Lake Skadar on August 16, with a cruise and reconstruction of the expo space, dilapidated benches and kayaks.
"These pilot actions were developed and financed through the project, and citizens were also invited to them, because voluntourism is a type of tourism that concerns the entire community. Tourists and citizens will be able to see what this concept looks like in practice, to measure their feelings after of work for the common good in the community they visited, people with similar interests will get to know each other and socialize. Our actions are completely thematically different, in order to show that volunteerism is applicable in different areas, and to show that Montenegro is culturally much richer in different ways, and that we can share those ways and the everyday life of some groups of people and enthusiasts with others," Pajazitović pointed out.
She added that all volunteers have their expenses covered this time, and will also receive souvenirs.
Volunteerism is best described as an active vacation in which the tourist can complete his time with a personal contribution to the community in which he is staying, by participating in socially responsible programs.
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