Tourism

To bolster tourism in Serbia and especially in Vojvodina and Eastern Serbia, ADF assists communities and municipalities to:

• Identify markets and promote the most competitive tourist locations including national parks, nature resorts, and archeological sites;
• Establish partnerships for regional tourism development strategies and plans;
• Identify through local stakeholder participation, tourist infrastructure projects that maximize benefits and attract public and private sector investment;
• Improve the skills of people employed in the tourist industry and introduce best business practices;
• Add value to existing tourism attractions

Festivals

Regional Ethno Festivals

ADF has organized seven regional ethno festivals, five in Novi Sad for the Vojvodina region and two in Kladovo for the Eastern Serbia region. These festivals increase tourism and economic development. The Vojvodina festivals held on the banks of the Danube River in Novi Sad annually attracts about 25,000 visitors.

Vojvodina Food and Ethno Festivals

The Vojvodina Ethno Food and Music Festivals present the rich diversity of the region, its ethnic groups, customs, crafts, dances, music, and cuisine. These festivals have become known as a “festival of festivals”. More than thirty municipalities participate in these one-day festivals, showcasing their tourism attractions, local traditional handicrafts, other products and foods. The festivals include volunteers of about 100 communities in ethno stands displaying their local tourism attractions.

Eastern Serbia Ethno Festivals

Following its success in organizing festivals in Vojvodina, ADF assisted in organizing regional ethno festivals in Eastern Serbia in 2005 and 2006. The Kladovo Community Development Association, Kladovo tourist organization, and Kladovo municipal government assumed responsibility of the second Eastern Serbia Ethno Festival. The Eastern Serbia Ethno Festival, held as part of a wider festival, had more than 1,700 participants from 29 municipalities. It featured 36 music and dance groups while some local food and handcrafts were available at more than forty stands.

Regional Tourism Strategies

ADF supported the creation of the first regional tourism development strategy in Serbia. This regional initiative included five municipalities in Eastern Serbia--Golubac, Kladovo, Majdanpek, Negotin, and Veliko Gradiste-- and is known as the Danube Riviera. The formation of the strategy was highly participatory and involved local tourist organizations, entrepreneurs, the media, municipal authorities, Community Development Associations, and citizens. Additionally, the regional tourism development process resulted in the creation of five municipal action plans for tourism development. Another regional initiative for tourism development and promotion was started in the Homolje region by four municipal Community Development Associations and local tourism workers who formed the Regional Council for Homolje Development. Homolje, well-known for its unspoiled nature and high quality honey, includes four municipalities: Kucevo, Petrovac, Malo Crnice and Zagubica. With ADF support, local tourism resources were mapped and followed by development of a regional tourism development action plan and four municipal plans. This process involved almost one thousand people participating in workshops, focus group discussions, and a survey on tourism priorities. As part of the process, or a training was provided to local tourist organizations and citizens groups. Local authorities made public commitments to tourism development, and a cluster/regional approach to tourism development was introduced. ADF and the EAR-funded Regional Social-Economic Development Program jointly funded a project in Vrsac municipality to develop a municipal strategy for tourism development in a participatory process that included more than 500 people. One hundred fifty entrepreneurs working in tourism and potential entrepreneurs in ethno tourism gained additional knowledge about tourism development.

Tourism infrastructure

One of ADF’s largest successes in tourism sector development was the establishment of a new recreation center on Backa Topola Lake which now attracts thousands of visitors from the region. At the lake, ADF supported construction of infrastructure and facilities, such as restrooms, showers, pathways, swimming areas and playgrounds. The picnic and camping area provides citizens and tourists the opportunity to stay longer at the lake, and entrepreneurs who have their businesses in the recreation zone benefit from increased income. The improved site and its enhanced offerings increased the number of visitors to local events and camps.

• Enhanced tourist services at Lake Palic, including an information desk, new restrooms, and distribution of promotional materials that make it easier for visitors to locate places for accommodation, recreation, and dining, which in turn helps promote the area and attract more visitors.
• Supplying Salas 84, a picturesque “tourism farm” near Novi Sad, with equipment enabled them to offer new services and products for tourists, increasing their income and improving the overall tourist appeal of the site.
• Constructing high observation posts and information boards that enhanced the Stari Begej – Carska Bara wetlands special nature reserve’s services to bird-watchers and other tourists experiencing its unique biodiversity and numerous rare bird species.

Promotional campaigns

ADF has supported promotional tours for nine Eastern Serbia municipalities. Through its two- and three-day tours, journalists from the national and international media visited major tourist locations in the Danube Riviera and Homolje. These visits resulted in an extended promotion campaign through 80 newspaper articles and TV and radio presentations. As part of the efforts to advance tourism development in Eastern Serbia, two 15-minute promotional films were made on the Danube Riviera and on the Homolje region.