The Herzegovina Wine Route Hides Stories Waiting to be Discovered

This week, USAID Turizam gathered prominent BiH journalists and reporters dedicated to business and lifestyle topics and included them in a promotional tour to get to know the Herzegovina Wine Route. The itinerary included stops to the Imperial Vineyards in Mostar, the BLAŽ Enology Festival of Quality Wines in Međugorje, a tour of the Begić Winery in Prolog, and the Kravica waterfall and Herceg Stjepan’s Fortress in Ljubuški. In the discussion with the participants, we discovered why it is important that the tourism sector communicates with the media and develops the story of the Herzegovina Wine Route.

“Many hidden locations are found throughout the Herzegovina Wine Route, and they all connected in a single narrative. It transforms from a simple tour of local wines into a guide that shows you how to make the most of your trip and have a unique experience. To convey things that may have been ‘previously seen’ from a different perspective is exactly what we do with our magazine Fashion Beauty Love. Because of this, it’s critical that local businesses and communities see us as partners. And that’s why it’s important that we’re here,” explains Besima Svraka, editor of the Fashion, Beauty, Love (FBL) website and notes that for nine years, the portal has been discussing topics that illustrate life in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a unique way.

The project also supported the organization of the BLAŽ Enology Festival of Quality Wines, about which reporter Leonard Kvesić, who participated in our trip, reported for BHRT. Leonard sees this as an opportunity to discuss the region’s top-notch cultural and tourist offerings, which are mostly unknown to people outside of the Herzegovina region.

“Promotion is largely dependent on the media and effective journalist relations. We’re here to shift some patterns and move things in a new direction since wine as a domestic brand is not adequately portrayed in the media. These types of tours enable us to explore many topics, discover some unique stories, and ultimately demonstrate the resources available to our community. On the other side, we look into what is taking place locally. You have more time throughout the tour to select your interview subjects, develop a theme, and bring the Herzegovina Wine Route closer to the audience. We must build our brand on the strengths we now possess. We have a genuine value that we must communicate to the domestic populace. Producers and restaurant owners along the Herzegovina Wine Route have yet to understand how crucial it is for the media to cover this story and that they should be proactive and start initiatives like this visit,” reflects Leonard.

The editor of the Bloomberg Adria portal for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rijad Durkić, thinks that the media in this country needs encouraging stories and chances to talk in-depth about economic prospects, difficulties, and triumphs.

“I dare to say that the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina still haven’t figured out how to cover business stories and give the economy more prominence in their shows. This will, of course, call for stronger journalistic sensitivity to these issues. Business should be viewed as the primary force behind the growth of every society because it fills all the budgets,” Rijad noted.

Reporter Vanja Iličić from BH Radio 1 reports directly from our tour every few hours. The significance of Herzegovina Wine Route joining the Iter Vitis Cultural Route of the Council of Europe is highlighted, along with the value of the USAID’s project Turizam support for local tourism promotion initiatives.

“In journalism filed work is crucial, and this is a real chance for journalists to use their knowledge. It’s challenging to taste life and wine from the editorial office. It is easier to spread the word when you are on the front lines and can observe how things really are and how people behave. There should be as many opportunities as possible because we learn together, explore new topics, and can help each other. It’s crucial to realize that the public is fascinated when we speak with regular working people who can explain how they started their businesses or the history of their wines. And that’s worth it, ” concludes Vanja.

Representatives from the publications “Ljepota i zdravlje,” “Fashion, Beauty, Love,” “Bloomberg Adria,” BH Radio 1, BHRT, the News Agency of the Republic of Srpska (SRNA), and Oslobođenje were also with us on the journey. Their stories will spread throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next days, educating many people about the importance of the Herzegovina Wine Route.

The newly developed HWR prospectus can be accessed at the following link: bit.ly/3KV9oRJ