Lecture in Mostar: On sustainable tourism and the launch of the Association of Licensed Tourist Guides

"Sustainable tourism - The role of tourist guides" is the title of the lecture held in Mostar on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

Kristina Nuić Prka, president of the Croatian Association of Tourist Guides and a guide with many years of experience, spoke about this topic, namely the development and management of tourist activities in a way that has minimal impact on the natural environment, culture and communities associated with tourist destinations, in a way that provides long-term benefits for all participants in tourism, as well as the role of tourist guides.

"Sustainable tourism is tourism in which everyone is satisfied, from those who work in all segments of tourism, guests, but also the local population. When we talk about Mostar, we often have a situation where we have a lot of guests, and in addition, we also have Mostar as a magnetic area for the development of all surrounding destinations, and in this way we would extend the stay of tourists in Mostar," said Nuić Prka.

She pointed out that the big problem of our country is the border crossings, which are the first meeting of foreigners with the country they are coming to, and they speak a lot about Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also pointed to the perception that tourists have about our police, corruption, and emphasized that it is very important to deal with these problems in the tourism segment in time.

As the president of the Association of Croatian Tourist Guides, she also spoke about the importance of establishing an association of licensed tourist guides in Mostar in order to fight together for their rights and put an end to those who operate in those areas without any permits.

The lecture was organized by the Franciscan Monastery in Mostar, in cooperation with the Mostar City Tourist Board, which announced that they are currently considering several models for managing tourist guides to ensure that city tours are in the hands of licensed local guides.

"With the aim of protecting and supporting our local experts, and at the same time preserving sustainable tourism, we believe that it is necessary to introduce an obligation for all tourist agencies to hire exclusively licensed local guides. This measure will not only improve the quality of the tourist experience, but will also directly affect the development of the local community and enable a more even distribution of tourist visits throughout the city, including those parts that are currently not sufficiently recognized," said Nikica Čerkez on behalf of the Tourist Board of the City of Mostar, adding that in this way they are trying to preserve the authenticity of Mostar, and at the same time contribute to sustainable tourism for the benefit of all citizens.