From the moment five-million-year-old mammoth Vika was found near Kostolac , a new text about this sensational discovery appears on the Internet every five minutes. So far we have had her younger relative Kika from Kikinda, while skeleton of mammoths have also been found in the vicinity of Novi Sad, Belgrade, Smederevo, Zrenjanin, Negotin…
Future tourist destination “Through Serbia on mammoths’ paths” is a great opportunity for development of Serbian cultural tourism. It could attract over 200,000 visitors on monthly basis.
“Discovery of Vika can be compared to winning billion euros on lottery. BBC stopped broadcasting regular news in order to announce the news about the whole skeleton of a mammoth found in Serbia. Last week reporters from ‘Financial Times” were our guests and all world media reported about this discovery. Possibilities offered by science and culture can easily be used for the development of economy and bring money. The important question is how to take advantage of the great interest for Vika and offer tourists a true adventure in Serbia,” says Miomir Korac, PhD, a director of Viminacium.
According the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, cultural tourism in Serbia is becoming more and more important owing to epochal archeological discoveries. They think that following examples in Europe, we can easily unite archeological discoveries with the local tourist offer in a significant tour. We should connect all locations where mammoths were found and enrich them with attractive tourist activities and together with “Mammoth Paths”, “The Paths of Roman Emperors” and “The Danube Fortresses” or “Wine Tour” make a tourist hit in Serbia.
“This route would have a significant place for the development of the smaller companies (trades, souvenirs), employment of local residents (animators, interpreters) and the promotion of new gastronomic specialties with authentic names. Archeological skeletons of mammoths exist in some European countries, but the mammoth from Kostolac is definitely the most attractive one. Serbia could be the first European country which could include the mammoth’s route, according to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
A share of cultural tourism in an overall world turnover is even 19,3 per cent, which is more than in the car industry.
“It would be enough if only a part of 270,000 cyclists who pass through Serbia on the way from the Atlantic to the black Sea are intrigued to see our mammoths and start “The Paths of Roman Emperors”, and we will already have a significant profit. Of course, accommodation and infrastructure are important issues, but every investment is definitely profitable. The first archeological tourist center “Domus Scientiarum” in Viminacium will have its first guests in 2010 and it is only one of the numerous buildings which we need,” says professor Korac, adding that the world cultural funds will support this project, but the present application can bring the investments in a year at best. That is the reason why all ministries, tourist organizations and business people should be involved in the promotion of this project.
“The cultural path is a serious cultural product which thematically connects several interesting destinations in one or more countries and can bring much bigger profit than it is the case with separate cultural destinations. Tourists have a possibility to learn more about a historical or cultural epoch, about the country they are visiting, its residents, customs, specialties and have a great time,” says Borislav Surdic, the head of the sector for international relations of the Ministry of Culture.
However, The Ministry of Culture is not able to deal with the question of the mammoth’s path, because according to Minister Nebojsa Bradic, their priority is taking care of medieval monuments in Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia. On the other hand, people from the Ministry of Economy say that they could include this project in their financial plan for the next year.
Future tourist destination “Through Serbia on mammoths’ paths” is a great opportunity for development of Serbian cultural tourism. It could attract over 200,000 visitors on monthly basis.
“Discovery of Vika can be compared to winning billion euros on lottery. BBC stopped broadcasting regular news in order to announce the news about the whole skeleton of a mammoth found in Serbia. Last week reporters from ‘Financial Times” were our guests and all world media reported about this discovery. Possibilities offered by science and culture can easily be used for the development of economy and bring money. The important question is how to take advantage of the great interest for Vika and offer tourists a true adventure in Serbia,” says Miomir Korac, PhD, a director of Viminacium.
According the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, cultural tourism in Serbia is becoming more and more important owing to epochal archeological discoveries. They think that following examples in Europe, we can easily unite archeological discoveries with the local tourist offer in a significant tour. We should connect all locations where mammoths were found and enrich them with attractive tourist activities and together with “Mammoth Paths”, “The Paths of Roman Emperors” and “The Danube Fortresses” or “Wine Tour” make a tourist hit in Serbia.
“This route would have a significant place for the development of the smaller companies (trades, souvenirs), employment of local residents (animators, interpreters) and the promotion of new gastronomic specialties with authentic names. Archeological skeletons of mammoths exist in some European countries, but the mammoth from Kostolac is definitely the most attractive one. Serbia could be the first European country which could include the mammoth’s route, according to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
A share of cultural tourism in an overall world turnover is even 19,3 per cent, which is more than in the car industry.
“It would be enough if only a part of 270,000 cyclists who pass through Serbia on the way from the Atlantic to the black Sea are intrigued to see our mammoths and start “The Paths of Roman Emperors”, and we will already have a significant profit. Of course, accommodation and infrastructure are important issues, but every investment is definitely profitable. The first archeological tourist center “Domus Scientiarum” in Viminacium will have its first guests in 2010 and it is only one of the numerous buildings which we need,” says professor Korac, adding that the world cultural funds will support this project, but the present application can bring the investments in a year at best. That is the reason why all ministries, tourist organizations and business people should be involved in the promotion of this project.
“The cultural path is a serious cultural product which thematically connects several interesting destinations in one or more countries and can bring much bigger profit than it is the case with separate cultural destinations. Tourists have a possibility to learn more about a historical or cultural epoch, about the country they are visiting, its residents, customs, specialties and have a great time,” says Borislav Surdic, the head of the sector for international relations of the Ministry of Culture.
However, The Ministry of Culture is not able to deal with the question of the mammoth’s path, because according to Minister Nebojsa Bradic, their priority is taking care of medieval monuments in Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia. On the other hand, people from the Ministry of Economy say that they could include this project in their financial plan for the next year.
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