VIA DINARICA CORRIDOR Mega Trail - Overview

This project is funded by the European Union

Tourism Development and Promotion Project

VIA DINARICA CORRIDOR Mega Trail - Overview -

• Attract a high level of visitors and BACKGROUND: media, as engines to create economic Adventure tourism has been growing benefit to local communities; exponentially over the past years with • Lower barriers and develop mutually tourist visiting destinations previously beneficial tourism flows between and undiscovered. This has led to new sites and among neighbouring economies; destinations being opened to the market, • Enable remote and rural areas to create but it also highlighted the need for a attractions and products that would coordinated and responsible development positively affect quality of living for of this new segment. There are numerous local population; and initiatives throughout the Western Balkan • Encourage the development of new region that look at and support adventure skills among tourism operators, tourism development. including at the grassroots level. Via Dinarica has been recognised as a About adventure trails: regional initiative that has already achieved some recognition in the adventure market. Via Dinarica Mega Trail It is also recognised that on the ground The Via Dinarica Mega Trail is a long there are still considerable differences as to distance hiking trail that stretches nearly the offer and services available to the 2,000 kilometers and extends the entire visitors. Additionally, the identity of Via length of the Dinaric Alps, connecting the Dinarica is still not adequately developed Western Balkans’ economies: Slovenia, and communicated. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 For the Via Dinarica – and translated to Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, with an Western Balkans adventure travel offer - it initiative to also include the Sharr is necessary to develop and communicate Mountain at the border between Kosovo* both of the above aspects in order to reach and Republic of North Macedonia. its full potential. Via Dinarica, as a regional effort, can: 1 This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence

The Via Dinarica corridor has three trails: From the market perspective Via Dinarica the White, the Green and the Blue, each has already gained recognition as well. offering hikes of varying difficulty for In 2014, American adventure magazine nature lovers and adventurous minds. In the Outside named the Via Dinarica the last two years a sister trail has emerged world’s best new hiking trail. In 2015, exploring the Dinaric Alps by bike – the Paste magazine did the same. Wanderlust Trans Dinarica. travel magazine and The Guardian The genesis of the Via Dinarica dates to shortlisted the trail as a must-do adventure 2009-2010 with the pilot portion of the trail stop for 2016. National Geographic connecting Sutjeska National Park in Traveler magazine named the trekking Bosnia and Herzegovina and Durmitor route one of its “Best of the World” National Park in Montenegro. destinations for 2017. The Via Dinarica has also been covered by Vogue magazine, In 2013, the route was charted from Slovenia to the border of Kosovo*, Wizz Airlines in-flight magazine, and Albania, and Montenegro. One wing of trail Lonely Planet and more than 100 articles goes beyond the Dinaric Alps and on to the have been published in the travel media. Sharr Mountain at the border between The current status of Via Dinarica Albania and Republic of North Macedonia. development indicates high levels of During the period from 2014 to 2018 a organisation and development in Slovenia major investment was made with the and Croatia – at the northern end of the support of USAID and UNDP during which trail. Following the above mentioned the Via Dinarica White Trail was fully USAID and UNDP funded project, the core developed through Bosnia and organisational structure has been Herzegovina, while during the same time a established in Bosnia and Herzegovina as cross-border initiatives supported by EU well. developed sections of the trail connecting Since early 2014 there has been strong Montenegro and Kosovo* and Kosovo* private sector recognition for close regional and Albania. Further trail development coordination of the Via Dinarica product support is projected for the upcoming that led to establishment of the Via period, again focusing on specific segments Dinarica Alliance – the business of the trail. partnership that jointly presented Via Currently, Via Dinarica regional Dinarica in the international market and coordination platform is under closely coordinated delivery of the Via development, bringing together lead Dinarica products on the ground. organisations from each Via Dinarica From the development perspective it is economy. The platform already incudes important to highlight that Via Dinarica national members form Slovenia, Croatia, Mega Trail is a flagship programme of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo* Via Dinarica adventure travel and cultural and Serbia. The platform will continue to corridor. expand to include lead organisations from Montenegro and Republic of North Trans Dinarica Macedonia. The first mountain bike trail to connect the Western Balkans, the Trans Dinarica is a 2 continuation of the Via Dinarica concept On-line marketing and visibility of and aims to expand the area's tourism adventure trails product base. Via Dinarica and other regional adventure Trans Dinarica is created to address routes in Western Balkan economies mountain bikers as a market segment already have a certain online presence. tailored to their specific needs. The biking The website www.viadinarica.com has route also traverses the eight economies of been established, currently offering the region—Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and information on the trail and development Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, activities in those economies where there is Kosovo*, and North Macedonia—and will an active Via Dinarica development effort. bring more small business-engine A partnership has been established with the opportunities and capacity building to Outdoor Active www.outdooractive.com communities on the trail and in the vicinity. through which an App is also made Other initiatives and thematic trails available. The information is updated In addition to the above described, there are targeting the itineraries and tourist services cross border initiatives on grassroots level located along Dinaric Alps in WB6 where individuals (guides) and small economies. In this App you will find businesses are connecting, sharing products of Via Dinarica and other thematic information and coordinating themselves. trails connected with it. They are trying to meet the demand that shows that adventure travellers want to visit Other important links featuring regional more than one or two economies in the adventures trails are: region and coming back again. www.accursedcultour.com They are exchanging information about the guests, developing products together and http://www.mokragora.org/ working on joint promotion for bigger www.balkanridingroutes.eu recognition. https://vipdinarica.com/en/bike-trail/ These grassroots initiatives are mainly http://trails.vipdinarica.com/en/home/ focused on activities that the region has endless opportunities for such as ski https://www.rcc.int › download › pubs touring, cat and freeride skiing, mountain https://www.rcc.int/news/577/via-dinarica- biking (MTB), sport and rock climbing, just-keeps-getting-better rafting, etc. https://www.rcc.int/news/579/via-dinarica- The connection or integration of these expands-its-regional-coordination- fragmented initiatives within the regional structure-throughout-western-balkans offer under Via Dinarica corridor requires harmonisation and diversification of the itineraries and offers with other thematic Public infrastructure and services along trails (full adventure meaning including adventure trails nature and cultural assets in the areas) Tourism infrastructure on adventure sites is existent at grassroots level. still very weak, often non-existent.

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There are both public and privately-owned lack of adequate infrastructure along the sites along Via Dinarica and other routes trail that would provide adequate and that currently cannot be located by needed services – i.e. accommodation, independent travellers – the signage to bicycle servicing centres or spare part these sights has either never been placed or services, dry toilets, and similar. needs to be replaced. Close cooperation is needed with national Similarly, any new products and trail parks and public authorities along the segments that are prepared and opened for routes to find solutions and resources to visitors need to be adequately signed. address specific needs. In addition a It is necessary altogether to take into common approach to address those consideration the initial signing of the trail solutions through practices of responsible or location/site, and the maintenance and tourism that causes minimum intervention into local environment, with full respect to management of the signage posted. existing traditional architecture and natural In order to communicate the common settings need to be agreed and pursued as a vision and standards of services, the regional approach. signage needs to be standardised – both in visual and in meaning of each sign established. This refers to both directional and interpretative signage. In addition to the signage itself, and particularly in remote areas, there is often

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