The European Union project “EU for You – for cultural heritage and tourism” has allocated one million euros for 120 projects, aimed at eliminating the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector, the EU Info Center announced today.
The recipients of the aid are, as it is stated, small and micro enterprises, family businesses, agricultural farms and companies from 12 cities and municipalities in the east and southeast of Serbia.
“The EU continues to provide assistance and cooperation with Serbia, and with 93 million euros in total aid, the EU is the leading partner and donor in Serbia in eliminating the consequences of the pandemic,” the statement said.
It is added that the EU provided direct assistance in the spring with medical and protective equipment for respirators, masks and triage containers, as well as food and hygiene packages for vulnerable groups, worth a total of 15 million euros.
It is now, as it is stated, moving to short-term and medium-term assistance for the purpose of economic recovery, for which 78 million euros of non-refundable funds have been allocated.
“Thanks to this EU project, the allocated funds will reach the most endangered entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in order to improve their tourist offer,” said the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Sam Fabrizi.
The largest number of future grant beneficiaries, up to 10,000 euros per project, provides private accommodation for tourists (52 entrepreneurs), and camps, restaurants and providers of various catering services, boarding houses, hotels and hostels, travel agencies, wineries and beekeepers are also supported.
“The key goal of our project was to help the most vulnerable actors in the field of tourism to try to overcome the consequences of the pandemic to a certain extent and improve their offer, in order to become more attractive to visitors,” said project leader of “EU for you – for cultural heritage and tourism”, Aleksandar Bec.
He added that Eastern Serbia is an undiscovered gem and that the EU project will continue to help and improve the tourism potential of Eastern Serbia and the Lower Danube region.
“EU for You – for cultural heritage and tourism” is a project aimed at the development of tourism as a significant economic potential for stimulating the economic development of Eastern Serbia and the Lower Danube, and is funded by the EU with 15 million euros, co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development with 1.6 million euros, and implemented by the German development agency GIZ, Beta reports.
