Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić, together with the Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport, the representatives of the Austrian Agency Ada and the Mayor of Golubac marked today the beginning of the restoration of the Golubac fortress from the 14th century by symbolically releasing doves.
The Minister pointed out that the completion of the full restoration works is expected in two years, precisely in July 2016 and thanked the EU for this project which is worth 6.6 million euros.
The Minister pointed out that this restoration is important because the Golubac fortress is undergoing complete repairs for the first time, recalling that although it was built in the 14th century, partial repair works were performed only once in the seventies.
Ljajić said that this was an excellent basis for further development of tourism, adding that we should create a Golubac fortress tourism brand. He extended an invitation to all potential investors to create the preconditions for the development of tourism, through public-private partnerships, primarily through the construction of restaurants, accommodation, bungalows and hotels.
He said that the Danube has a very important place in the tourism development strategy, adding that out of a total of 14 master plans, four are related to the Danube and its potential.
“We want to develop small and medium enterprises through this project and for entrepreneurs to see their interest in making investments which will contribute to the development of the entire region, because tourism entails other industries”, concluded the Minister.
The Head of the EU Delegation Davenport said that Veliko Gradište has fantastic tourism potential, but that a stable supply of water, whose quality will be harmonized with EU quality regulations, must be provided.
The President of the Municipality of Veliko Gradište Dragan Milić explained that this project would be implemented in three phases; in the first phase, three wells, a water treatment plant, a reservoir, a pumping station and a four kilometers water network will be built.
The total cost of the project is 4.6 million euros, and it is expected that the first phase will provide 30,000 people with water at the height of the tourist season.
