Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE
About project
- Project title and acronym: Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE
- Description of the project: Project is developing a new cross-border tourism product – the Blue Pass, which enables visits of new thematic routes: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (CRO), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (MNE), Hutovo Blato Aqua Path, and Mostar Old Bridge and River Neretva (BiH), and attracts more tourists in the area
- Total project budget (in EUR): 1.686.047,15
- EU co-financing amount (in EUR): 1.433.140,05
- Duration of the project: 15.08.2020 – 14.08.2022
- Information on the project’s Priority Axis: Contributing to the development of tourism and preserving cultural and natural heritage
Name of the Lead Partner and Project Partners and description of their roles within the project:
- University of Dubrovnik (LP): Work package (WP): Management and trainings.
- Tourist Organisation of Kotor (PP2): WP Implementation, in particular digital services and trainings.
- The University of Montenegro, Institute of Marine Biology (PP3): WP Management and graphic design.
- Tourist Board of Herzegovina – Neretva Canton (PP4): WP Investment and trainings.
- Public Company Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Čapljina (PP5): WP Communication.
A reference to the Programme webpage: [email protected]
A reference to relevant Funds: The project is co-financed by ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union
EXChAngE project is developing a new tourism product – Blue Pass, which will enable visits of new thematic routes with improved infrastructure: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (Montenegro), Hutovo Blato Aqua Path, and Mostar Old Bridge and River Neretva (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and attracts more tourists in the area. This will be first-ever attempt to create such a cross-border tourism product.
On the project main objective, Dr Nenad Antolović, the Head of the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research of the University of Dubrovnik – the lead partner, said, “Activities will be implemented with the main objective to strengthen and diversify the tourism offer through exploring cross-border aquatic biodiversity and to enable better management and sustainable use of cultural and natural heritage.”