Within the Exchange project in which the Tourist Board of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is one of the partners, activities have begun on developing a new cross-border tourist product “Blue Pass”, which will allow visiting new thematic routes with improved infrastructure: Old Bridge in Mostar and Neretva River, Hutovo blato with a water path, Dubrovnik with an aquarium and Kotor with an aquarium Boka.
Currently, TBHNC is working on the preparation of texts on the natural and cultural heritage of Mostar and the Neretva River. The texts will be used for the promotion of the new tourist product through the website, social networks, as well as for the audio guide intended for future visitors of the new thematic routes that will be offered as part of the “Blue Pass”.
The implementation of the activities of the project Exchange – Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity began on August 15, 2020, and ends on August 14, 2022. The project is implemented by the University of Dubrovnik with the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research as the lead partner, and partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina: TBHNC and Nature Park “Hutovo Blato”, as well as from Montenegro: Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro and Tourist Organization of Kotor.
The main goal of the project is 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. The project is supported by the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Program Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014 – 2020, and uses ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union. The total budget of the project is 1.7 million euros, and the EU co-finances it with 1.4 million euros. TBHNC’s budget is 253,000 euros.