Strategy of the new cultural and tourism destination presented

The fifth consultative workshop within the INTERREG project Terra Gothica Incognita was held on 13 February 2026 at the premises of the Regional Museum of Koper.

The main objective of the workshop was to present the Cultural and Tourism Development Strategy of the new cross-border destination, which connects the rich Gothic heritage of Croatia and Slovenia.

The workshop was opened by Renato Stanković, project manager, followed by Jelena Berečić, the author of the strategy, who presented the key elements of the document defining the way in which the overall offer of the project area is integrated into a single attractive tourism product.

The process of developing the document, through consultations with various stakeholders in the project area based on a bottom-up approach, began in May with the first workshop in Kastav, followed by the second in Hrastovlje a month later. The autumn cycle continued with the third workshop in Draguć and the fourth in Prem in October. The aim of these workshops was to actively involve the local community from the project area in Slovenia and Croatia in the development process of the Terra Gothica Incognita cultural and tourism destination. The workshops provided all interested stakeholders – representatives of local tourist boards, artists, business owners, residents, and others – with the opportunity to express their opinions, ideas and proposals, and to actively participate in shaping the strategy and governance model of the new cross-border destination.

In addition to consultations with stakeholders from the cross-border area, the analyses provided a baseline for defining the vision, objectives and thematic development areas of the Terra Gothica Incognita destination, enabling data-driven decisions based on international standards and relevant comparative practices. The multi-month process allowed for in-depth analysis and discussion, resulting in a document whose methodology is based on a combination of analytical, participatory and comparative approaches, in line with the principles of sustainable and integrated cultural tourism development.

The presented bilingual strategy consists of an analysis of the current state of the destination, including cultural heritage, tourism resources and infrastructure; priority areas and development objectives; guidelines for achieving the objectives ensuring effective destination management; and proposals for cultural and tourism itineraries within the destination, some of which will be tested through a dedicated project activity within Terra Gothica Incognita.

Strategic planning of sustainable tourism development and preparation of strategic and action documents (such as the Strategy, as well as the planned Action Plan and Management Plan for sites) within the Terra Gothica Incognita project enables knowledge and experience transfer regarding governance and cooperation models in the project area and beyond. These documents and models will be applicable by stakeholders from different fields, contributing to the development of new governance and cooperation frameworks and ensuring long-term development not only of cross-border areas but also of other regions seeking to apply similar approaches.

The Cultural and Tourism Development Strategy of the new destination Terra Gothica Incognita is available in Croatian here and in Slovenian here.

After the workshop, participants had the opportunity to explore the landmarks of Koper through a guided tour of the Praetorian Palace and the Bell Tower.

As a reminder, the main objectives of the Terra Gothica Incognita project are the preservation of shared cultural heritage from neglect and deterioration, its tourism valorisation through the development of a cross-border cultural tourism destination and cross-border products, the implementation of various heritage interpretation and promotion methods to raise awareness among local communities of its importance and potential, as well as the revitalisation of a shared cultural identity. 

The project is co-financed by the Office for Associations of the Government of the Republic of Croatia