Cultural Diversity Connects Sarajevo, Kotor and Novi Sad

SARAJEVO (Patria) - The organisation Sarajevo susret kultura (SSK), a beneficiary of grant funds awarded under the project for tourism development and promotion implemented by the Regional Cooperation Council and financed by the European Union, today presented a new regional tourist route based on the cultural diversity of the Western Balkans in Sarajevo. 

The route builds on the concept of the tourist product "Susret kultura" (Meeting of Cultures), which is successfully implemented in Sarajevo. Within this concept, a city tour begins at a place of great importance; in Sarajevo, this is the spot where Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture meet, from where visitors are taken to the most significant sites of cultural and religious heritage. This concept will now be applied in Kotor and Novi Sad, and together with Sarajevo, these three cities will form a single regional tourist offer, the RCC announced.

"Storytelling and creative interpretation of places and sites are crucial for the development of cultural tourism products. The concept of 'Meeting of Cultures', as developed in Sarajevo, enables exactly that, and its further application in the Western Balkans will enrich the regional tourist offer and contribute to more tourists visiting the region," said Snježana Derviškadić, leader of the project team of the Regional Cooperation Council for tourism development and promotion.

"Meeting of Cultures" as a regional route currently encompasses major historical sites, starting from Venetian roads built in the 15th century, through religious sites (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) dating back to the 13th century, to sites related to the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, as well as traditions from the early 19th century.

"The cultural diversity of Sarajevo inspired us to found the organisation Sarajevo susret kultura, which promotes the city's cultural heritage both domestically and internationally. We identified the most significant meeting point of cultures in the city, located between mosques, synagogues, Catholic and Orthodox churches, a place where the Ottomans from the east meet the Austro-Hungarians from the west, and we started from there. Now we present Sarajevo to visitors through stories about important figures, movements of people and influential families, and share the spirit of the city with them," said Dino Mujkić, president of the non-governmental organisation Sarajevo susret kultura.

"Cultural diversity is characteristic of Sarajevo, but also of the region, and we are grateful that the Regional Cooperation Council and the European Union recognised the potential of cultural tourism in the Western Balkans and supported us in expanding our concept from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Montenegro and Serbia," added Mujkić.

The project of the Regional Cooperation Council for tourism development and promotion works on the development and international promotion of a joint regional offer of cultural and adventure tourism, increasing the number of tourists and revenues, and higher employment in this industry. 

The Meeting of Cultures route is expected to further expand to Skopje and Tirana, while tourist guides will be trained in creative storytelling and interpretation of cultural heritage sites along this route.