Danube - Connection: Tourism as the basis of regional cooperation, good neighbourhood and sustainable development in the Danube region

You are here: Home -> Conferences -> Fifteenth International Conference

The objective of the Conference was to review the state of cross-border and regional relations in the past fifteen years through the prism of the activities of the International Scientific Forum "Danube - River of Cooperation". The emphasis was on the field of tourism, which has a dominant place in the activities of the Forum, since the development of this branch of industry stimulates the development of other important branches of industry, as well as the development of protection of natural resources and cultural wealth - and vice versa.

The conference had 113 participants - 27 foreign and 86 domestic. It was also possible to attend the conference via internet. Apart from authorial presentations which confirmed, from different angles, the initial concept that the Danube is the river of international connections and cooperation in all spheres of life and at all levels, the conference also promoted projects - those initiated by the International Scientific Forum "Danube - River of Cooperation", as well as those introduced by other governmental and non-governmental organizations, which referred to sustainable development of tourism, particularly in the field of nautical tourism. In this way the Fifteenth Conference brought new quality to the work of the ISF "DRC": wide openness for ideas and projects in the field of tourism, especially nautical tourism, and a possibility of completing its mission of connecting, initiating and developing cooperation between the authors of the projects and programmes in our country, as well as at regional, European and global level.

The conference was organised together with the Institute of International Politics and Economics, under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Services. The co-organizer and the host of Belgrade Session was the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, of the Session in Novi Sad - the Chamber of Economy of Vojvodina and of the Session in Smederevo - the Municipality of Smederevo.

The conference confirmed that the 15-year long work of the International Scientific Forum "Danube - River of Cooperation" directed toward the improvement of all forms of regional cooperation in the Danube Region, with focus on the close cooperation between the Danube countries in transition, was reasonable and successful despite all unfavourable conditions for international cooperation in the bigger part of that 15-year long period.

The ISF "DRC" inspired many new non-governmental organizations which specialized in certain fields from the treasury of the Danube themes. Also it drew the attention of state authorities and organizations, at all levels, to the problems which should be solved in the area of sustainable use of natural resources in the Danube Region, especially in Serbia and Montenegro.

In the last 15 years the common problems and possibilities of development of cooperation between the Danube countries were studied in the most important areas of life: science, economy, culture, protection of environment. The area of tourism was mostly emphasized as the branch of economy which stimulates not only other branches of economy, but culture and environment, as well.

After accessing the achievements of the last 15 years, suggestions and instructions were made for further activities. For a full version of conference conclusions, please refer to the Final Document (in .pdf format)

Some papers and presentations made at the conference are available on-line

General themes regarding regional cooperation in the Danube Region and tourism as the most powerful branch of sustainable development:
Organized Crime in Southeastern Europe as a Threat to Regional Freedoms and Cooperation by Aleksandar Fatić
Economic Opportunities in International Tourism, Example of Hungary by Soós Károly Attila
The Circumnavigation of the South-Eastern Europe by Pietro Montalenti

Environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources, especially in tourism:
Basic Delineation of Surface Water Bodies in Slovenia - the Gained Experience in the Implementation of the WFD by Aleš Bizjak
Development of Rural Tourism in the Danube Basin from the Aspect of Sustainable Development by Pero Petrović

Programmes and potentials for regional cooperation in the Danube municipalities and counties:
Regional Cooperation of Small-Sized Producers and Exporters Cooperatives by Miroslav Antevski
Danube Joins Us The creation of capabilities for a Romanian - Serbian bilateral cooperation development in the field of protected areas management for the Danube Gorge Region by Tim Rupa and Carmen Toma

For the full list of introductory lectures and presentation please refer to the Final Document.

Final Document

Download from GoogleDocs Final Document