Project Description

This project will create new tourist products for tourists who visit this area during the summer, and thus expand the tourist offer for longer stays of visitors and more guests in the field of outdoor tourism.

Project

Old Railroad Trail

Financed by

  • U4Business project, jointly funded by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany, and the project is jointly implemented by GIZ, ILO and UNDP

Location

  • Central Bosnia Canton
  • Municipalities of Busovača, Vitez, Travnik, Donji Vakuf and Jajce

Project implemented by

REZ Agency (Regional Development Agency for Central BiH Region) – Lead Partner

Partners

  1. Tourist Association of Central Bosnia Canton
  2. NESA sistemi d.o.o. Travnik

Duration of the project

18 months (June 2020 – November 2021)

Overall objective

Improvement and integration of the cultural and outdoor tourist product of BiH (Old Railroad Trail) into the international value chain by integrating it into the green Via Dinarica trail.

Specific objectives

  1. Establish preconditions for the development of a new tourist product through tracing the trail and its infrastructural preparation.
  2. Increased degree of integration of local stakeholders into the old railroad route.

The implementation of the project will:

  • Establish the route and provide infrastructure and equipment
  • Develop and adapt a bicycle system, increasing the added value of the route itself
  • Integrate local stakeholders into route development and promotion
  • Increase the connection of the route with global markets (visibility) and provide easy access to cycling services for tourists through IT tools
  • Work on the visibility of the route and services tailored to bikers and the visibility of the project
This project will create new tourist products for tourists who visit this area during the summer, and thus expand the tourist offer for longer stays of visitors and more guests in the field of outdoor tourism. Also, the project will support the construction of a bike trail combined with sightseeing of rural areas, gastronomic offer and accommodation.

The project “Old Railroad Trail” will also enable the promotion of this offer at the international level. Beneficiaries, which include travel agencies, catering companies, hotels, bed and breakfast providers, and themed sports associations, clubs and others, will all benefit from a better quality of tourist infrastructure and increased the number of tourists.

About EU4Business project

With the aim of strengthening the economy of BiH, the EU4Business project of the European Union encourages the development of entrepreneurship, export-oriented sectors, tourism and agriculture, as well as rural development.

The EU4Business project is worth € 16.1 million and is jointly funded by the European Union (€ 15 million) and the Federal Republic of Germany (€ 1.1 million). The project is implemented jointly by GIZ, ILO and UNDP, from April 2018 to March 2022.

EU4Business is part of the Local Development Strategy – Local Self-Government and Economic Development Program in BiH, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany. For more information of EU4Business project visit: www.eu4business.ba

Achieved Results

This project has developed a new tourist product for outdoor tourism that includes a bicycle trail in combination with tourist sightseeing of rural areas, gastronomic offerings, and accommodation as a bike-friendly destination.

A route has been mapped out from its endpoints, Jajce and Lašva-Busovača, which allows for planning various sections and paths according to personal preferences, such as Travnik-Donji Vakuf, and connecting two attractions, such as the fortress “Stari grad Travnik” and “Plivska jezera”.

The trail is physically connected throughout the entire Jajce-Lašva stretch and has been restored according to priorities: the first priority being connecting sections that were previously impassable, and the second priority being sections in very poor condition for bicycle traffic.

The trail is equipped with unified bicycle signaling, resting areas, and smart benches for bicycle repairs.

Specialized web tools such as a website and mobile app have been developed specifically for the bicycle trail, where the complete route is mapped out and features digital map downloads and information about companies integrated into the “Bike Friendly System”, which includes travel agencies, food and beverage companies, hotels, bed and breakfast providers, and other important information about the trail.

The project has also enabled the promotion of this offering on an international level through integrating the cultural and outdoor tourist product of Bosnia and Herzegovina “Old Rail Trail” into the international value chain by incorporating it into the Via Dinarica green trail.