📍 Location: Tjentište, Lukomir, Galichnik, and Lazaropole in Bosnia & Herzegovina
🤝 Partners: Regional NGO with support from GIZ
👥 Lead Expert: Oleksandr Fainin (Senior Tourism Expert)
📆 Timeline: 2023
🏆 Focus: Destination Strategy, Rural Tourism, Eco-Tourism, Public–Private Dialogue

🌱 Region Overview

The Upper Drina & Bistra Highlands span the scenic mountains and valleys of Bosnia & Herzegovina and North Macedonia, with cultural and ecological ties extending toward northern Albania. This small but diverse region is home to traditional villages, pristine rivers, and untouched natural landscapes — ideal for sustainable tourism development.

🚀 Project Goals

• Empower Local Communities: Engage villages such as Tjentište, Lukomir, Galichnik, and Lazaropole to preserve cultural heritage and benefit economically from tourism.

• Promote Eco-friendly Tourism: Develop hiking trails, eco-lodges, and responsible visitor experiences that protect biodiversity.

• Support Authentic Experiences: Encourage farm-to-table gastronomy, handicraft workshops, and local festivals that showcase regional traditions.

• Cross-Border Collaboration: Leverage connections with northern Albanian villages like Theth and Valbona to promote regional tourism circuits.

💡 Key Actions

📌 Community Engagement: Workshops and participatory planning sessions with local stakeholders to align tourism initiatives with community priorities.
📌 Sustainable Infrastructure: Design eco-lodges, guided trail systems, and visitor centers using environmentally friendly materials.
📌 Cultural Preservation: Document traditional architecture, folk music, and crafts, integrating them into tourist experiences.

📌Marketing & Partnerships: Develop digital storytelling campaigns highlighting the region’s unique attractions and work with regional NGOs and tour operators.

🏆Expected Outcomes

• Increased local income while maintaining cultural integrity

• Enhanced environmental protection and responsible tourism practices

• A replicable model for sustainable tourism in small, rural regions of the Balkans

• Strengthened cross-border cooperation between Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania

📍Conclusion

The Upper Drina & Bistra Highlands offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate how sustainable tourism can revitalize rural areas while respecting cultural and ecological heritage. This project serves as a practical example of how carefully planned initiatives can create high-impact, community-centered tourism experiences in the Balkans.