Announcement of the 3rd day program at the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism

  1. 6th International Rural Tourism Congress
  2. Press
  3. Announcement of the 3rd day program at the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism

Zagreb, April 4, 2024 – The third day of the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism will usually begin with a gathering in the Congress Center of the Le Meridien Lav Hotel and continue with introductory lectures.

The schedule from 9:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. is reserved for the following topics and lecturers:

• Empowering communities through smart strategies to build collaboration and improve communication is the topic of Diane Dodd, president of the International Institute for Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). She is an expert in her field of work, which includes gastronomy, culture, and tourism.

• "We are out of the niche" - Rural tourism as a consolidated part of the tourist economy will be taught by Klaus Ehrlich, co-founder and head of several entrepreneurial associations related to rural tourism in Spain. He is included in working groups and advisory bodies of the European Commission related to tourism, rural development, and the digital economy.

• Agritourism as a new trend towards cluster development and sustainable food systems - the case of Albania will be presented by Valbona Ylli, an experienced expert with more than 25 years of experience as a national and international consultant with numerous leading international institutions. Her areas of expertise include agriculture and rural development, food policy, value chain analysis, agro-biodiversity conservation, agritourism development, cross-sectoral issues (climate, environment, gender), and capacity building.

After the end of the first part of the lecture, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., there will be a panel:

• Enogastronomy - an opportunity for entrepreneurs and a pleasure for tourists
The panelist is Diana Lazar, a prominent figure in the transformation of the Moldovan tourism sector, with a special focus on agritourism, wine tourism, experiential travel, destination marketing, and tourism policy creation. With a decade of experience in leading the development of the tourism sector, she is currently the senior tourism manager and wine director in the USAID-funded project to strengthen tourism competitiveness and resilience in Moldova. There is also Ljupcho Janevski from the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Skopje. Edith Szivas, vice president and treasurer of the Institute for Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism in Barcelona (IGCAT) will also be a panelist. She is an internationally recognized expert in tourism development, specializing in tourism strategies and development plans, tourism investments, development of small and medium-sized enterprises in tourism, gastronomic and cultural tourism, and strategic development of human capital. The fourth panelist is Renata Vincek from the Tourist Board of Kvarner.

From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., there will be a panel called Expatriates and Returnees – tourists, investors, and revitalizers of smart rural communities.

Then there is a presentation of Baranja' tourist offer organized by the Baranja Tourist Board with a working lunch from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

In the second part of the day, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., interesting topics await us again:

• Rural Destination Transformation Workshop: Discover sustainable tourism with Stefan Pettersson, an expert with more than 35 years in tourism and hospitality, focusing on the key role of sustainable tourism development. He is a respected keynote speaker covering the topics of place branding, digital cultural campaigns, and brand development.

• Let's Interpret the heritage of Smart Rural Villages will be presented by Dubravko Fijačko with further exhibitions of works and presentations.

The evening is reserved for going to the pearl of the Mediterranean, the city of Split, and the paths of the Split giants. After returning to the hotel, there will be a festive dinner on the Heritage Trail of Split-Dalmatia County.

Saturday, April 13, also the final day of the Congress, is reserved for the beautiful island of Brač and the Brač heritage trails. In addition to lectures, panels, and workshops, visits to the Split area and its rural environment will certainly beautify and crown the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism.