Ambassador Johann Sattler, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina visited the cycling/walking trail in Trebinje restored with EU funds. The 15-kilometer-long bicycle-pedestrian trail which runs from Trebinje to Jazina (the former narrow-gauge ‘Ćiro’ railway trail) and passes through the magnificent Sušica and Trebišnjica rivers was refurbished with the support of the EU-funded project “ReTrail”.
Ambassador Johann Sattler, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina visited the cycling/walking trail in Trebinje restored with EU funds. The 15-kilometer-long bicycle-pedestrian trail which runs from Trebinje to Jazina (the former narrow-gauge ‘Ćiro’ railway trail) and passes through the magnificent Sušica and Trebišnjica rivers was refurbished with the support of the EU-funded project “ReTrail”.
The assistance included also the refurbishment of bicycle/pedestrian paths in Trebinje with proper labelling and equipment, capacity building for local tourist operators, the establishment of a comprehensive platform for tourist promotion and online booking of trips and activities. For the implementation of this project, the European Union provided a total of 136,000 euros in grants.
Ambassador Sattler tested the trail together with the members of the Biking club “Vučiji zub” and Young European Ambassadors to highlight the beauties of BiH tourist sites and promote the new tourist offers which can generate new job opportunities in the city.
“The EU and its member states are the most loyal partner and investor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am glad that together with Young European Ambassadors and the “Vučiji zub” cycling club we had the opportunity to experience first-hand the results of EU support for the tourism sector. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an incredibly beautiful country, and strategic investment in sustainable tourism can help preserve the country’s riches for future generations, as well as generate income, jobs and economic development,” said Ambassador Sattler.
The “ReTRail” project is implemented by the Development Agency of the City of Trebinje – TREDEA in partnership with the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Trebinje and the Tourism Organisation of the City of Trebinje.
Project “ReTRail” in Trebinje is only of 16 recent projects across BiH funded by the European Union within EU4Business and EU4BusinessRecovery programmes aiming to generate new tourist content and help local tourism companies mitigate the consequences of the pandemic. The support includes sustainable tourism projects in Prijedor, Bihac, Šamac, Zavidovići, Maglaj, Žepče, Sarajevo, Vogošća, Ilijaš, Konjic, Mostar and Trebinje, Mrkonjić Grad, Šipovo, Ribnik, Istočno Sarajevo, Pale, Sokolac, Stolac, Ravno, Čapljina and Mostar.
Furthermore, the EU invests in green tourism through EU4BusinessRecovery, with five sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina recognised as being suitable for a green certification process which will help conserve their natural beauty: Bosanska Krupa, National Park Kozara, Nature Monument Skakavac Sarajevo, Šamac and Trebinje. The project “ReTRail is among those who have applied for the prestigious Green Destinations TOP 100 story prize, where it will compete against some of the world’s top sustainable destinations.
The EU4Business Recovery project worth 13.7 million euros aims to reduce the consequences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on agricultural and tourism enterprises, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the metal and wood sector, the textile, leather and footwear production sector, as well as on entrepreneurs and farmers. The project ensures the continuity of business operations in 150 companies, keeping more than 1000 jobs and established at least 100 innovative start-ups, in order to preserve existing and secure new jobs.
