Richly illustrated publication on 46 pages presents main deliverables of the project:
- Trainings
- Seminars
- Promotional events
- Blue Pass EXChAngE Guide
- Blue Pass
- Improved small touristic infrastructure
The project is supported within the Interreg IPA Cross – border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014 – 2020 and uses ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union. Total project budget is 1,7 M EUR with EU co-financing of 1,4 M EUR. Project duration is from 15th August 2020 to 14th November 2022.
The project is implemented by the international consortium composed of five partners:
- The University of Dubrovnik, the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (Croatia) as the lead partner,
- Tourism Organization Kotor (Montenegro),
- The Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro (Montenegro),
- Tourism Organization of Herzegovina-Neretva County (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and
- Nature Park “Hutovo Blato” (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The project has developed a new cross-border tourism product – the Blue Pass, which enables visits of new thematic routes: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (Montenegro), Hutovo Blato Aqua Path, and Mostar Aqua Path (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and attracts more tourists in the area. Blue Pass ticket is available at EXChAngE project partners’ selling points.
Download the publication from the following link:
]]>Dubrovnik, Croatia: Closing event of the project “Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE” was held on 10th November 2022 at Dubrovnik University, Croatia. After 27 months of implementation, main result was presented: a new tourism product – Blue Pass, which enables visits with discount rates of new thematic routes with improved infrastructure: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (Montenegro), Hutovo Blato Aqua Path, and Mostar Aqua Path (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and attracts more tourists in the area. Blue Pass ticket is available at EXChAngE project partners’ selling points.
On the project main result, Dr Nenad Antolović, Project Director, said, “Blue Pass is much more than discount pass for five thematic routes in three neighbouring countries. It is accompanied with digital tourist guide and creates community for sustainable use of the cross-border aquatic biodiversity”.
The project is implemented by five partners: University of Dubrovnik, Croatia (leading partner), Tourist Organization Kotor, Montenegro, University of Montenegro – Institute of Marine Biology, Montenegro, Tourist Community HNK/Z, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nature Park Hutovo Blato, Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project is supported under the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014-2020. Total project budget is 1,7 M Euro with EU co-financing of 1,4 M Euro. Project has started on 15th August 2020 and was lasting 27 months.
About Blue Pass EXChAngE Tourist Guide: Blue Pass EXChAngE Guide enables exploring cultural and natural heritage of the cross-border area Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, in particular cross-border aquatic biodiversity. For easy reading and navigation through the content, the guide is structured in sections – each dedicated to one thematic route. Each section has four chapters, presenting (1) natural heritage, (2) cultural heritage, (3) one thematic route and (4) transportation to the site. Chapters are structured into thematic topics, keeping as similar as possible outline across the guide. The guide is available under name “Blue Pass – EXChAngE” for Android at Google Play and for iOS mobile platforms at App Store.
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At the opening of the fair, the welcome words were delivered by: Mostar Fair Director Ms Dalfina Bošnjak, Mayor of Mostar Mario Kordicć, Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Fadil Novalić, Zoran Tegeltija, Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers. Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, and Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, who declared the fair open. Partner country of the 23rd International Economy Fair in Mostar is the Republic of Hungary.
Project partners
Project partners
EXChAngE project is implemented by five project partners: The University of Dubrovnik – Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (lead partner), Tourist Organisation of Kotor, University of Montenegro – Institute of Marine Biology, Tourist Board of Herzegovina – Neretva Canton, and Public Company Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Čapljina. Representatives of all partners are present at the exhibition area of the project.
The main goal of the EXChAngE project is to strengthen and diversify the tourist offer through exploring of the cross-border aquatic biodiversity and to enable better management and sustainable use of cultural and natural heritage.
Blue Pass
On the new cross-border tourist product – The Blue Pass, Dr Aleksandar Joksimović, director of the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro, said: “It is much more than discount voucher for four thematic routes in three neighbouring countries. It promotes cross-border mobility of tourists end exploring cross-border nature and cultural diversity. Each tourist with the Blue Pass ticket will become a member of growing community for supporting sustainable use of the cross-border aquatic biodiversity”.
Bue Pass – EXChAngE
On the exhibition boot of the project new mobile application for Android and iOS platforms – EXChAngE Blue Pass e-guide was launched. With this guide users are discovering a part of the cross-border area Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro.
On this e-guide, Mr. Jovan Ristić, director of the Tourist Organization of Kotor, said: “It enables exploring cultural and natural heritage of the region, in particular cross-border aquatic biodiversity. For easy reading and navigation through the content, the guide is structured in sections – each dedicated to one thematic route: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (Montenegro), Mostar Aqua Path, and Nature Park Hutovo Blato Aqua Path (Bosnia and Herzegovina).”
Each section of the EXChAngE Blue Pass e-guide has four chapters, presenting natural heritage, cultural heritage, one thematic route and transportation to the site. Chapters are structured into thematic topics, keeping as similar as possible outline across the guide.
Implementation period and funding
The implementation period of the project is 15.08.2020 – 14.08.2022, and the total value of the project is 1,686,047.15 euros, of which 1,433,140.05 euros is co-financing of the European Union. The project is implemented through the programme Interreg IPA CBC Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014-2020, co-financed by ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union.
]]>On this e-guide, Mr. Jovan Ristić, director of the Tourist Organization of Kotor, said: “It enables exploring cultural and natural heritage of the region, in particular cross-border aquatic biodiversity. For easy reading and navigation through the content, the guide is structured in sections – each dedicated to one thematic route: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Kotor and Aquarium Boka (Montenegro), Mostar Aqua Path, and Nature Park Hutovo Blato Aqua Path (Bosnia and Herzegovina).”
Each section of the EXChAngE Blue Pass e-guide has four chapters, presenting natural heritage, cultural heritage, one thematic route and transportation to the site. Chapters are structured into thematic topics, keeping as similar as possible outline across the guide.
To maximize the usefulness of this guide, all users are recommended to obtain a Blue Pass, a new touristic ticket which enables discounted visits of four mentioned thematic routes.
Launched guide and presented ticket are products of the project “Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE”, co-financed by ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union through the programme Interreg IPA CBC Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro. EXChAngE project is implemented by five project partners: The University of Dubrovnik – Institute for Marine and Coastal Research, Tourist Organisation of Kotor, University of Montenegro – Institute of Marine Biology, Tourist Board of Herzegovina – Neretva Canton, and Public Company Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Čapljina. The Blue Pass ticket is available at all project partners.
About the Tourist Organization of Kotor: TO Kotor’s main role is preservation, improvement, and promotion of authentic values of Kotor – one of the most charming and historical touristic sites of Montenegro.
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Representatives of all project partners made an overview of activities implemented so far and discussed coordination of public procurements for the Blue Pass ticketing and entry control system, and tour guide and audio guide systems.
The first draft of EXChAngE videos was presented to all participants as well as the structure and graphics of the mobile application of the EXChAngE E-guide.
The project team agreed on the forthcoming meetings: training on Hutovo Blato biodiversity in Karaotok, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 8-9 March 2022, Mostar Fair presentation at 5-9 April 2022, E-guide presentation, and Closing conference in Kotor at mid-June 2022.
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