The Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro organized the event on Saturday, June 8th, in the courtyard of the Petrović Castle in Kruševac. On this occasion, the NTO of the Montenegero project team presented the projects that this organization is implementing with the support of European Union funds.
The "Due Mari" project attracted special attention from the Fair visitors with its innovative approach to promoting sustainable tourism development through virtual tours of Italy, Albania, and Montenegro (https://duemarivirtualtours.com/). The aim of this project, completed at the end of 2023, was to contribute to better connectivity of the regions involved, by creating new tourist routes, enhancing local development, and promoting local products and services. This project was funded through the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program Italy – Albania – Montenegro.
Fair visitors were also very interested in the cattle trails of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which NTO CG promoted through the project of the same name, as featured in the brochure “Cattle Trail through the Land of Shepherds and Cheese” (https://rb.gy/20stmk). NTO CG successfully led the implementation of this project, receiving an award this year at the "FITUR 2024" fair in Madrid for the best tourism product "Cattle Trails, Montenegro." This project aimed to enhance the tourism offer by establishing themed trails, installing solar panels, and providing tourist signage in cattle trail areas. It was funded through the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro.
From ongoing projects, whose implementation began this year, NTO representatives also presented the projects “Dialogue for Tourism,” “Journey Through Time,” “SA_Creativity - Cultural and Creative Industries for the South Adriatic Identity,” and “RomansWineDanube – Marketing Framework for Sustainable Development of Cultural Tourism.”
The "Dialogue for Tourism" project aims to improve coordination and institutional capacities in Mediterranean tourism. This project seeks to transform tourism into a greener, smarter, and more resilient sector, ensuring sustainable growth in the future through increased capacity building and policy integration. It is funded under the Interreg Euro-MED Program 2021-2027.
Also presented at the fair was the "Journey Through Time" project, which aims to improve the quality and diversification of the tourism offer based on natural and cultural heritage in the cross-border rural areas between Kosovo and Montenegro. The goal is to develop a model for transferring expertise in the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage, promoting it as an integral part of the tourism offer. This project is funded through the Montenegro – Kosovo Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014-2020.
Another significant project, "SA_Creativity - Cultural and Creative Industries for the South Adriatic Identity," in which NTO CG participates as a project partner, promotes sustainable development paths through the digital and green transition of the tourism sector. Fair visitors showed interest in the revitalization of the Španjola Fortress in Herceg Novi, which will be carried out within this project, aiming to establish an international creative center for the development of creative industries and small and medium-sized enterprises. The project is funded through the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program Italy – Albania – Montenegro.
The project "#RomansWineDanube – Marketing Framework for Sustainable Development of Cultural Tourism" was particularly interesting to visitors from Podgorica, as Duklja is part of the cultural route "Roman Emperors and Danube Wine Route," which is a key pillar of the project. This project aims to increase the visibility of shared cultural heritage and create new transnational partnerships, promoting high-quality tourism products and services along the route. The project is funded through the Interreg Danube Region Program 2021-2027.
The fair was officially opened by the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Nina Drakić, and the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević. They emphasized the importance of European integration and projects for the further development of Montenegrin society and economy, as well as for achieving European standards and preparing for future challenges after full EU membership. Visitors had the opportunity to learn in detail about various projects in areas such as health, education, social inclusion, environmental protection, tourism development, and cultural heritage preservation.
The fair gathered over 40 organizations and institutions that presented around 200 projects funded through various EU programs. The event provided an excellent opportunity to promote achieved results, exchange experiences and ideas, and network for future cooperation.
