Dalmatian Nature – Final Seminar

“Active tourism and nature protection” is the name of the final seminar as part of the project “Partnership for sustainable use of protected areas of nature in Dalmatia – Nature of Dalmatia” held in Dubrovnik on March 1, 2016.

The project partners presented the numerous results of this successful project, the premiere of the video “Be Natural – Be Active” and a promotional brochure with the same name was presented as well.

Domestic and foreign lecturers have introduced participants to the national policy of sustainable tourism, visiting protected areas, opportunities for active tourism development and “leaving no trace” principles.

As part of the seminar, discussions were held on the cooperation of the active tourism and nature protection sector in which all participants were actively involved. In order to further develop the extremely important cooperation of the sector of nature protection and tourism sector as well as the start of responsible and sustainable active tourism in Croatia, the representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, Croatian National Tourist Board, Croatian Environment and Nature Agency, Dubrovnik-Neretva County, public institutions of national parksa nd nature parks as well as representatives of project partners and active tourism agencies have also attended and discussed the above mentioned topics.

The seminar has gathered 50 representatives of the public, private and civil sector in order to develop and enhance cooperation as well as effective management and sustainable use of protected areas and NATURA 2000 areas.

The project “Nature of Dalmatia” started in September 2014. The Project Coordinator, Sunce Association has co-operated for 18 months with the Ecological Association “Krka” Knin and the Public Institutions for the Management of Protected Areas of Split-Dalmatia, Šibenik-Knin and Dubrovnik-Neretva County on numerous activities related to improving the management of protected areas, further development of Green trips and the promotion of active tourism.

The Nature of Dalmatia Project was funded within the National Program for Croatia, within the EU IPA Component Assistance in Transition and Institution Building. The total value of the project was EUR 138,888, and the EU co-financed the project with EUR 124,860.31. The contracting authority in the Republic of Croatia was the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU Programs and Projects (SAFU).