The admission of the Herzegovina Wine Route in the Iter Vitis Cultural Route is a recognition of its revitalization and development facilitated by USAID Turizam
At an official ceremony held on 8 September in Sarajevo, the Herzegovina Wine Route (HWR) was offi-cially certified as a member of the Council of Europe’s Cultural Route Iter Vitis – Les Chemins de Vigne. The ceremony was attended by USAID/BiH Mission Director Courtney Chubb, BiH Foreign Trade Chamber Secretary General Zdravko Marinković, USAID Turizam Chief of Party Ibrahim Osta and Iter Vitis President Emanuela Panke.
Following the event in Sarajevo, the HWR’s Iter Vitis membership was celebrated at the Festival of Quality Wines Blaž in the town of Međugorje, one of the country’s most significant wine events focusing on the domestic varieties Žilavka and Blatina. USAID Turizam supported the organization of a media fam trip that included several wineries and cultural sites in the Herzegovina region, as well as attendance at the Blaž Festival.
HWR consists of vineries, restaurants, accommodations, and cultural and natural attractions in the Herzegovina region, the southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina with excellent conditions for wine production. HWR provides a unique tourism experience in Bosnia and Herze-govina, ranging from rustic dishes and rural households to exclusive hotels and modern gastronomy. One of the most significant benefits of HWR is that it stimulates local growth, cultural integration, and sustainability.
USAID Turizam played a vital role in revitalizing the HWR and high-lighting its potential as a leading international tourist destination. Using criteria defined by Iter Vitis, USAID Turizam developed this touristic product by combining the efforts of the public and private sectors and incorporating 30 wineries in six municipalities and almost 150 touristic attractions in the Herzegovina region in the HWR. Furthermore, USAID Turizam engaged renowned international wine experts to develop a management and marketing plan for the HWR and developed a new brand and visual identity.
Wine tourism is a fast-growing niche of global travel attracting tourists with higher expenditure and longer stays. With excellent wines, stunning nature and unique cultural sites, the Herzegovina region has a great opportunity to attract a larger share of this lucrative market.
