On the occasion of the Herzegovina Wine Route’s admission to the European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – Iter Vitis – Le Chemins de la vigne – a press conference was held today at the BiH Foreign Trade Chamber.
The Herzegovina Wine Route (HWR) consists of vineries, restaurants, accommodations, and cultural and natural attractions in the Herzegovina Region. HWR provides a unique tourism experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranging from rustic dishes and rural households to exclusive hotels and modern gastronomy.
The USAID Turizam initiative had a vital role in revitalizing the HWR in order to highlight its potential as a leading international tourist destination. Through partnership with the BiH Foreign Trade Chamber, active cooperation, and the engagement of the private sector, we created a path to Iter Vitismembership.
Today, wine tourism is gaining global prominence and attracting higher-spending and longer-staying guests, thereby contributing to resolving some of BiH tourism’s most important challenges. USAID Turizam revitalized and further developed this touristic product by combining the efforts of the public and private sectors and incorporating 30 wineries in six municipalities (Mostar, Citluk, Ljubuski, Capljina, Stolac, and Trebinje). In accordance with the previously specified business plan, several local and worldwide promotional activities are scheduled to take place in the following period.
The cultural route program was founded in 1987, and the European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – Iter Vitis – Le Chemins de la vigne was established in 2009. The concept of Iter Vitis acknowledges that vineyards are more than just a location to consume wine and raises awareness of wineries in terms of their cultural attractions, as well as the tourism-based and culture-based valorization. Each route is an intrinsic part of the local identity, and the uniqueness of wine tourism lies in its vivid depiction of the lives of locals, its appreciation of human labor in vineyards, their stories, wine landscapes, and the cultural legacy of wine-producing regions.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country in the heart of European continent, is putting the HWR on the path of wider international recognition. This is a new travel perspective that revitalizes and enhances enological and tourist offerings, while preserving historical heritage of wines with a hundred-year long tradition and the biodiversity of the wine-producing regions. One of the most significant benefits of HWR is that it stimulates local growth, cultural integration and sustainability.
After celebration in BiH Foreign Trade Chamber, Iter Vitis membership will be celebrated as well at the BLAŽ Festival in Međugorje.
The newly developed HWR prospectus can be accessed at the following link: bit.ly/3KV9oRJ
Download the promotional flyer of the Herzegovina Wine Route:
