At the 45th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade, the Tourist Organization of Užice, along with project partners, presented the cross-border project ” E-CrossPass”. This project has been in progress for a year, with partners including the Mountaineering Association of Serbia, the Mountaineering Society Konjuh from Tuzla, the Tourist Organization of Užice, and the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection of the Tuzla Canton.
Dušanka Selaković, the project manager of “E-CrossPass”, emphasized that Serbia is entering the second year of project implementation, with one of the main goals being to promote outdoor tourism in the cross-border area, focusing on rural areas, local culture, and authenticity. The brochure “Tourist Guide for Adventurers” was presented, covering the entire tourist offer of organizations along the route of the European hiking trail E7.
Visitors to the fair had the opportunity to explore the most significant tourist sites and attractions along the European hiking trail E7 through virtual reality. This trail passes through the territories of the Zlatibor District, Bajina Bašta, Užice, Zlatibor, Nova Varoš, Priboj, and Prijepolje in Serbia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Danijela Đorđević Arsić, the director of the Tourist Organization of Užice, highlighted the importance of the project not only for increasing capacity and the number of tourists but also for international cooperation and exchange of experiences.
Anela Ajšić, Minister of Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection of the Tuzla Canton, emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, recognized and supported by the European Union when approving the project.
The project also includes the Tara National Park, where 60 kilometers of hiking trails will be developed. Ranko Milanović from the Tara National Park emphasized that the project will bring significant benefits for hikers and tourists visiting the area.
The project was also presented to the Minister of Tourism and Youth of the Republic of Srpska, Husein Memić, the director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia, Marija Labović, as well as numerous representatives of tourist agencies, tour operators, and other significant representatives of the tourism industry from the country and the region.
The goal of the project is to contribute to the sustainable development of local communities, improve outdoor tourism in the cross-border area between the Tuzla Canton and the western region of Serbia, and establish common hiking trails totaling 580 kilometers, following the standards of the European Ramblers Association (ERA) as part of the European hiking trail E7. The project also includes the training and education of local mountaineering societies to enhance the tourism offer of the entire region.
