The Project for Sustainable Regional Development through Eco-tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
TourismGovernance/InstitutionsUrban and Community Development
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Client |
Japan International Cooperation Agency |
Country・Area |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was a part of Yugoslavia, a socialist republic, until its dependence in 1991 which was followed a harsh war. Even after the cease fire by the Dayton Agreement in 1995, economic situation of BiH has never recovered and still many Diasporas are missing chances to come back to their home country. Upon an official request from BiH Government regarding a Study project for eco-tourism development, JICA dispatched a consulting team from 2003 to 2004. PADECO won this contract. The team made plan of a sustainable tourism development for the two study areas in BIH, namely Pliva and Velez. BiH Govermnemt again made a request to Japan in 2006 for a technical cooperation of tourism development in the above mentioned study areas. From February 2007, a JICA expert team that includes above mentioned PADECO consultants was engaged in this technical cooperation.
This project is carried out with community participation. Experts conducted series of participatory workshops and helped communities to identify their visions, problems, necessary actions. Some of the ideas through these discussions are supported as pilot projects. Pilot projects covers agricultural and dairy production and sales, sports tourism such as fly fishing, mounteneering, boating, local food, local folklore, nature and historic guiding, etc. All the pilot projects are organized by local Community Based Organizations (CBO) with practivcal assistance by JICA experts. Institutional enhancement were also a important task of the expert team. Expert facilitated local communiteis to set up an registered organizations namely Eco-Pliva Association and Veres Toursim Association in order for the local people to teke initiative in organizaing tourism development in the project areasa. Collabolations among local tourism association, CBOs, donors and governments (central, entity, canton, and municipality) is also coordinated by the expert team. Thus, mainly through pilot projects and other human resource development activities, which includes seminars, skill training, excurtions, marketing and promotion, local communities are now gradually self-confident to join the tourism business.