How to build a new wine story for the region: InterWine workshop in Velika Gorica brings together key stakeholders

As part of the Interreg VI-A Slovenia-Croatia project InterWine A motivational workshop was held in Velika Gorica, bringing together stakeholders from tourism, winemaking, the public and cultural sectors with the aim of strengthening cooperation and developing sustainable and innovative eno-gastro tourism products.

The workshop was held at the InterWine space in Velika Gorica, which was developed as the central Croatian hub of the project for education, presentations and stakeholder networking, and the development of cross-border tourism content.

As part of the workshop program, the InterWine project's digital platform was presented, which brings together key information about project partners, InterWine venues, and future tourist content and itineraries, with the aim of making information easier to access and strengthening stakeholder connections.

Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board Ivana Alilović She stressed the importance of involving local stakeholders in all phases of project development and its results, and emphasized that it is their participation that gives the project its long-term value and continuity: "InterWine shows how important it is to involve local stakeholders in the development and final results of a project, because it is they who provide the content, authenticity and story that goes beyond the project framework itself. In this way, what we develop does not remain just a project result, but becomes a living and sustainable story of the destination that continues to develop even after the project activities have ended."

A special emphasis of the workshop was on the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage. Turopolje.

The participation of the Turopolje Banderija members further contributed to the presentation of local identity and tradition, while the Noble Municipality of Turopolje naturally continues as one of the key bearers of the historical and cultural heritage of this area, which is interpreted and included in the contemporary tourist context through the InterWine project.

The program was complemented by a musical performance by the Jane Ensemble, which further contributed to the festive and authentic atmosphere of the event and emphasized the connection between the cultural and tourist dimensions of the project.

After the official part of the program, networking was held among the participants, during which stakeholders from different sectors had the opportunity to exchange experiences, establish new partnerships, and discuss the further development of joint activities within the InterWine project.

Numerous local stakeholders also participated in the program, including representatives of winemakers, associations and institutions that actively contribute to the development of the eno-gastro offer and the strengthening of local cooperation.

After the workshop, the continuation of the InterWine educational program in Velika Gorica was announced, where a two-day education on the topic of sustainable tourism will be held on June 15th and 16th, focused on strengthening the knowledge and skills of stakeholders and developing sustainable tourism products through practical work and examples of good practice.

The InterWine project is being implemented in partnership with the Zagreb County Tourist Board as the lead partner and the City of Velika Gorica, the Municipality of Pušća, ZPTM Brežice, the Posavina Museum Brežice, the University of Maribor - Faculty of Tourism and the Vocational College, which are jointly developing a cross-border network of InterWine spaces and tourist facilities in Croatia and Slovenia.

The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the Interreg VI-A Slovenia-Croatia program.

Photo: Zagreb County Tourist Board