This year, Montenegro became the center of European rural tourism by hosting the annual assembly of the European Federation for Rural Tourism – RuralTour. The federation brings together over 30 organizations from 26 European countries, and the honor of organizing this year’s gathering went to the Montenegrin Association of Rural Households – Tourism in the Countryside, a member since 2019. The new leadership will be headed by Agne Vaitkuviene from Lithuania.
Rural Tourism Conference
Following the assembly, a major conference on rural tourism in Montenegro was held within the project “Capacity Development and Knowledge Exchange” to support local food production systems and market access. The project is implemented by FAO with financial support from the EBRD, in close cooperation with the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for Bjelasica, Komovi, and Prokletije.
Key sector actors – from Klaus Ehrlich (RuralTour) to Ivan Mališić (RDA BKP) – emphasized the importance of international cooperation in strengthening local food production systems and linking them with the tourism market.
Speakers and Messages
Participants were addressed by representatives of the ministries of economic development, tourism, and agriculture, as well as Vučko Pešić, president of the Association of Rural Households. Via video link, Jelena Krivčević, Executive Director of RDA BKP, greeted the audience and highlighted the importance of international cooperation.
