As part of the two-day Tourism Forum 2023 in Tuzla, from May 23rd to 25th, a range of new initiatives were presented to stimulate dynamic tourism development in the Tuzla Canton. Velibor Trifković, a product development specialist, spoke on behalf of the USAID Turizam project at a panel dedicated to rural tourism.
In the objective to promote sustainable tourism development, the growth of rural tourism is an ideal example of synergy between local communities, authentic experiences, and the preservation of natural and cultural-historical heritage. Velibor Trifković, a product developmentspecialist at the USAID Turizsm project, spoke about the potential of rural tourism. Through the implementation of the initiative “Most Beautiful Villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, USAID Turizam presented a new narrative about rural tourism to the wider public, opening up opportunities for the valorization of the entire tourism offer in Bosnian and Herzegovinian villages. In the previous period, USAID Tourism supported the organization of training and workshops for all members of local communities and businesses in six out of a total of 14 villages that received the label “Most Beautiful Villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Trainings on the topic of “Opportunities for Rural Tourism Development” were held in the villages of Prokoško Jezero in Fojnica, Stupe in Livno, Umoljani in Trnovo, Ostrožac in Cazin, Martin Brod in Bihać, and Ravno. More than 74 representatives of local communities, associations, and businesses attended these practical training programs. These workshops will continue in the future, along with the process of certifying selected villages throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This year, the Tourism Forum 2023 focused on a detailed analysis of the Tourism Development Strategy of the Tuzla Canton for the period 2022–2027. Considering that the strategy provides an analysis of four key components: tourism product, tourism infrastructure, marketing and management, and human resources, managing the processes requires skilled individuals who will offer new solutions and a new concept of tourism development. During the first day of the forum, the panelists paid the most attention to the significant shortage of human resources in the tourism and hospitality sectors. They concluded that while investing in infrastructure is necessary, it is equally important to invest in human capital, which represents the foundation for further tourism development, with a particular emphasis on the professions of chefs and waiters.
The competency gap, lack of personnel, and average statistical indicators require new investments and partnerships between the private and public sectors. Changing the perception and re-conceptualizing what is known as mass tourism becomes imperative for local communities in the Tuzla Canton for sustainable and prosperous tourism sector development.
USAID Turizam welcomes the idea of the organizers, the Government, and the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Transport of the Tuzla Canton to include rural tourism in this year’s program, as it represents a vast and untapped tourism potential in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
