Skadar/Shkodra Lake Activities Sustainable resource utilisation Cross-border Cooperation: Vision and its Realisation workshop July 10-12, 2001, Bar, Montenegro This regional workshop was organised for environment-related institutions and organisations of the republic and NGOs from four project countries: Albania,l Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Montenegro. The purpose of the workshop was to come up with a joint vision for each of two sites, as well as to discuss ways to reach that vision. A joint vision was the first step in bringing together representatives of Albania and the Republic of Montenegro to focus on the same issue. They expressed the same vision for the region in which Shkoder Lake was recognised as a unique cross-border protected area. They agreed bilateral protection will go further with a joint management plan for Shkoder Lake. A workshop report, together with the list of participants, was made available in the REC project offices in the towns of Shkoder and Podgorica. Supporting tourism in Skadar Lake National Park, Montenegro With the goal of promoting sustainable tourism development in Montenegro’s Skadar Lake National Park, some new information tools have been developed. Entrance passes containing a map and basic information about the park were printed for local tour boats. Another effort involved the creation of trail markers for foot paths in the area around the old monastery of Vranjina, the peaks of Vrsuta (1,183 m) and Rumija (1,595 m), and the vacinity of the old fisherman’s village, Rijeka Crnojevica. A special hiking guide was also developed, with descriptions of the trails, and briefly presenting the natural and cultural values of the lake and its surroundings in both English and Serbian. Workshop for representatives of local tourist businesses Representatives of tourism businesses, relevant ministries and local NGOs met October 14-15, 2005 at a workshop organised by the REC Field Office in Montenegro and Skadar Lake National Park. The workshop concerned sustainable tourism, and covered possibilities for the sustainable use of natural resources in tourism development, current trends and initiatives, and relevant plans of the national park. It is recognised that tourism activities around the Skadar Lake increase day by day, but development is going in many different directions. To ensure that Skadar Lake remains an interesting and unique tourism destination with long-term prospects, it is important to link tourism businesses together and help them exchange ideas and learn about innovative approaches successfully applied elsewhere. Cooperation between Albanian and Montenegrin tourism faculties As part of the newly established cooperation between the faculties of tourism in Shkodra, Albania and Kotor, Montenegro a visit of Albanian students and professors to Montenegro was organised in May 2005. The trip included a meeting with the dean of the tourism faculty in Kotor, lectures, and presentations by experts from both Albania and Montenegro on the potential of Skadar/Shkodra Lake for tourism development. It also included a guided field trip through the old town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Introduction Activities: Studies Sustainable resource utilisation Dialog and Partnership Capacity building Education Local Initiatives Programme Photo gallery   Other sites: Neretva Delta West Stara Planina