December 6, 2018 - Cultural and tourism cooperation is of particular importance to Montenegro, said Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanovic during the panel that was held within the Third World Conference on Tourism and Culture under the slogan "Culture and Tourism: For the Good of All" in Istanbul.
"Given that tourism in Montenegro represents one of the central economic branches, and that cultural heritage, material and intangible, testifies to the millennium past, whose traces today represent exceptional cultural and tourist potential, through the cooperation of the cultural and tourism sector in Montenegro, there have been developed cultural trails 'Between Two Magical Shores', which include a visit to the National Park Skadar Lake, as well as numerous cultural goods in this area. Also, the 'Circle around Korita' route has been developed, which besides the exceptional natural environment, enables visitors to get acquainted with museums, memorials and famous places that are an integral part of the route. Such projects make lesser-known heritage sites visible to the broader community, at the same time provide tourists with the opportunity to visit unknown destinations of exceptional cultural and historical significance," the minister said in his presentation.
As stated by Bogdanović's office, participation in the conference is an opportunity to strengthen the relations of the participating countries, exchange experiences and practices in the field of tourism, as well as to stimulate economic cooperation. The ministerial session, on which Bogdanovic spoke, gathered the ministers of tourism and culture to exchange examples of positive practice on policies that can be networked to achieve sustainable development. Speaking on the thematic panel titled "Strengthening cooperation among all participants in the field of tourism and culture", Bogdanović emphasized the importance of cultural tourism through the aspect of economic benefits that can be achieved in this way, primarily in terms of generating income and new jobs, training for jobs and maintenance of traditional crafts, the revival of city centers, the increase in value of assets, the improvement of small entrepreneurship and much more. During his presentation, he emphasized that cultural tourism cannot be treated as a separate and isolated segment, but, on the contrary, that in cooperation with creative industries, the issue of heritage can be comprehensively addressed, and that it contributes to sustainable development and creation of additional values.
"The economic significance of cultural tourism is reflected in the financial support of preserving, revitalizing and promoting cultural goods on the one hand, and enabling the financial and organizational independence of cultural institutions on the other. This is precisely why cultural tourism is the driving force behind the development of cities, regions and countries. The social impact of cultural tourism is material, but it also has intangible effects, such as the development of awareness and the care of cultural heritage, its own cultural values and the creation of a cultural identity. Cultural sites that are attractive to the local population are also striking for tourists," the minister said.
He is convinced that intersectoral connectivity will provide favorable socio-economic and socio-cultural effects.
"Also, in order to make the effects of the cultural tourism more important, it is necessary to observe cultural resources as market products that are becoming more and more important, because tourists are, above all, customers and therefore should be treated as such," Bogdanović said.
Bogdanović also spoke about the area of protection and preservation of cultural goods, as one of the main priorities in the work of the Ministry of Culture, but also about the modality of moving from massive to exclusive tourism, in which culture and cultural heritage play the most important role.
Text by CdM, on December 4th, 2018, read more at CdM
