Tourism in Ljubuški is experiencing increasing growth and development, and the Kravica waterfall records almost the same number of visits as in pre-pandemic times, making it one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
– The past two pandemic years stopped the evident momentum that Ljubuški experienced in the tourism sector. A large number of planned investments in accommodation facilities, primarily in holiday homes, were stopped at the beginning of 2020. the onset of the pandemic. We can say that this year things are changing in a positive direction. Investments stopped during the pandemic are continuing, and we are witnessing the construction of around thirty new holiday homes, which, in addition to existing apartments and hotels, are increasing their capacities and thus contributing to the development of Ljubuški as a tourist destination. – said Feni Mladen Bebek, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Ljubuški.
He reminded that the Tourist Board of the City of Ljubuški was the first in ŽZH to introduce a digital guest registration through the page právka.ba, thereby facilitating the technical tasks related to registration upon arrival and departure.
– According to the data from the application, until today we have slightly more than 4,000 registered overnight stays in the pre-season in the Ljubuški area, and we believe that this figure will be even higher when we introduce all the accommodation units into the application. – says Bebek, who believes that we should always work on branding and promotion of this area in tourism.
– You always need to do more and there is never enough promotion… In all developed countries, tourist boards at all levels are the bearers of destination management and promotion. They are not an expense, but organizations that work on the development, promotion and branding of the destination. I am proud that the authorities in Ljubuški recognized this and followed the path of positive examples from the west – adds Bebek.
He also spoke about attendance and the most important tourist locations in the area of Ljubuški.
– The Kravica waterfall is certainly the most visited tourist attraction in Ljubuški, and I dare say that in 2019 was also the most visited tourist location in the whole of BiH with over 305,000 tickets sold. Last year, attendance was at the level of 35 percent from 2019. year, and this year in May and the first part of June we recorded about 78 percent of visits compared to the same months of pre-pandemic 2019. year, which are satisfactory results that are certainly the result of a marketing campaign carried out by JP Parkovi Ljubuški together with the Tourist Board of the City of Ljubuški – points out Bebek.
He adds that this year there will be no change in the price of the ticket to the waterfall.
– JP Parkovi Ljubuški, which manages the Kravica waterfall, does not plan to raise ticket prices at the Kravica waterfall this year – he underlined.
Bebek also spoke about the “Herceg Stjepan Tower”, stressing the great importance of its preservation and restoration.
– The old town of Ljubuški with the fortress that we colloquially call “Herceg Stjepan’s Tower” was in a rather bad condition and was in danger of collapsing and was not safe for visitors – emphasizes Bebek.
However, in recent years, intensive work has been done, as he says, on restoration, reconstruction and renewal.
He goes on to state that the works that are taking place as part of the EU project “Heritage Revived” are coming to an end in the coming days.
These are the most demanding works so far and the biggest in terms of finances. As part of these works, the central part of the “Herceguše” tower and the surrounding walls, which were in a dilapidated state, were restored.
– We estimate that about 60 percent of the work has been completed and that through the projects that are ahead of us, the fortress of Herceg Stjepan will be ready to receive tourists and various musical, cultural and entertainment facilities. The city of Ljubuški and the Herag Development Agency did a very good job there – notes Bebek.
He says that numerous cultural and entertainment events are organized in Ljubuški in order to enrich the complete program and content that can be offered to visitors.
– In the preseason, we organized two festivals that exceeded all our expectations, the Herzegovina Travel Fest and the Ljubuški Outdoor Festival. Both events are unique in BiH and the audience obviously recognized that. In the coming period, we are planning to organize wine weekends at the Kravica waterfall with the Ljubuški Winemakers and Vinegrowers Association, where Ljubuški winemakers will present their wines every weekend, and on the 12th In August, the “Taste Ljubuška Wine” festival will take place. Furthermore, at the end of August, the Ljubuški Jazz Fest is held, and then the Ljubuški Beer Fest is planned. We have selected only a part of the content that we can offer you this summer in Ljubuški. We organize all these events with the great support of the City of Ljubuški and the County of West Herzegovina, without which it would not be possible – emphasizes the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Ljubuški.
He also touched on the location of the Roman military camp “Bigeste”, which will have a visitor center.
– As part of the IPA CBC cross-border cooperation Croatia – BiH – Montenegro (2014 – 2020) from the “Heritage REVIVED” project, the first in situ visitor center will be built and equipped at the archaeological site of Gračine.
In the scientific literature, the Roman military camp of Bigeste, better known as the Roman military camp, will thus gain new value through systematic processing, digitization, preservation and presentation of movable archaeological material. The value of the works is estimated at 318,000 euros. The project holder is the JU Development Agency of ZHŽ – HERAG, and the project partners are the City of Ljubuški from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the City of Solin and the Split County Road Administration from Croatia, and the Municipality of Ulcinj from Montenegro.
As Bebek explained, it should be available for visitors next year.
Hair dryer
