Una - Spring of Life

Project „Una - Spring of Life“

Total value B&H and Republic of Croatia: € 421.050,23
B&H: € 222.582,54
Donor: EU
Period of implementation: April 2011 – March 2013 (24 months)

Project partners B&H: Municipality of Bihać, PLOD Center Bihać, Tourist Board of the Una- Sana Canton
Project partners Republic of Croatia: Zadar County, Gračac Municipality, Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas in Zadar County, Development Agency of Zadar County- ZADRA, Tourist Board of Zadar County and Association Una

The project “Una- Spring of Life” is funded by the European Union within the IPA Cross-border Co-operation Programme Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is implemented by Bihać Municipality, PLOD Centre and Tourist Board of the Una-Sana Canton on B&H side, in partnership with Zadar County, Gračac Municipality, Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas in Zadar County, Development Agency of Zadar County- ZADRA, Tourist Board of Zadar County and Association Una on Croatian side. The overall objective is to contribute to creation of a common economic space in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina through development of joint tourism offers. The project develops and promotes the spring of the Una River in Croatia and the waterfalls of the Una River in Martin Brod and the old town of Ostrovica in Kulen Vakuf in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as parts of the same environment-integrated joint tourism product, through cross-border collaboration and pooling of experience among all stakeholders in the cross-border region of the upper course of the Una River.

Target groups include project partners and associations, local tourist companies and members of community and regional tourist organization.

So far, the following activities have been implemented on B&H side:

design of tourist signalization and informational panels created (5 multi-lingual informational panels and 40 small signs);
tourist signalization created and installed in targeted area;
project documentation created for reconstruction of old town Ostrovica in Kulen Vakuf and for building/improvement of bridges and viewpoints in Martin Brod;
2 workshops held for the target groups (“Aspects, importance and implementation of ecological principles in tourism” and “How to develop a rural tourism offer”);
promotional material created (pens, notebooks, USB memory sticks, folders, leaflets, etc.);
“Strategy for development of tourism in cross-border region of the upper course of Una-River”- signing of contract in progress.
tender for procurement of works on infrastructure in the area of Martin Brod is in progress.

Expected results after implementation of the project:

improved cross-border tourism policy and management through increased cooperation and coordination of activities on both sides of the border;
tourist infrastructure on locations, necessary for the development of the joint tourism product "Una - Spring of Life", built and improved;
human capacities in tourism sector strengthened in the cross-border region and awareness of conditions for living and working in/or near protected natural values increased and public awareness raised regarding the newly developed joint tourism product "Una – Spring of Life".