The EU-funded project INHERIT, whose aim is to promote sustainable tourism while taking account of natural heritage, was presented in Učka Nature Park on Wednesday.
The value of the project is HRK 42 million, of which 85 per cent will be provided from the European Regional Development Fund and IPA, while the Ministry of Tourism and Sport will contribute about HRK 2.5 million.
The project includes 15 partners from 10 Mediterranean countries and is aimed at conserving coastal natural heritage areas, Ana Težak Damjanić of the Institute for Agriculture and Tourism based in the northern Adriatic town of Poreč, said at the presentation.
The project was launched in February 2018, and since then criteria have been laid down for 13 natural heritage sites to be awarded the INHERIT designation, she said.
The project was to have been completed by the end of January 2022, but has been extended until the end of April.
Ana Vukčevič, the project manager at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, said that the intention was to extend the tourist season and shift the focus from overcrowded tourist destinations to those with special natural heritage value.
The INHERIT designation, approved under this project, has been awarded to ten areas in Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal. Kornati National Park is the only area in Croatia with this certificate and the aim is for other coastal areas in Croatia to get it.
The director of the Kvarner Tourist Board, Irena Peršić Živadinov, said that the Kvarner region is trying to brand itself as a sustainable tourism destination in order to conserve its valuable heritage. "This certificate would serve as a tool and provide guidance to us on how to develop in this regard," she said.
This designation is valuable on the market because more and more tourists want to spend time in areas that foster sustainable tourism, Peršić Živadinov said.
The presentation was organised as a regional gathering for those interested in establishing INHERITURA areas. Similar presentations have already been held in Zadar and Split-Dalmatia Counties and the next one will be held in Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
(Hina)
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