By increasing the budget from the Vojvodinian Secretariat for Economy and Tourism within the new fiscal year underneath the new convocation, more opportunities happen to be made for implementing better support measures for businesses.
We have talked using the Provincial Secretary for Economy, Dr Nenad Ivanisevi'c, about the activities the Vojvodinian Secretariat for Economy and Tourism completed this past year and also the implementation of measures underneath the new convocation from the Vojvodinian government.
“Considering that 2023 was a pandemic year and considering the relevant prevention measures, the majority of the economic indicators, especially in tourism, were conditioned by the unique circumstances, having a significant decline within the number of overnight stays of foreign tourists, which, usually, generate significant financial revenues. However, the Secretariat tried to promote domestic holiday destinations whenever possible, as did the other relevant institutions and organizations, so that tourism still generated income from domestic tourists, through internal migration tourism,”, said Dr Ivanisevi'c.
Significant funds were invested in these economic branches in the form of subsidies, but also refunds. Which sectors will receive the biggest investments?
That's right! Before the budget review in September 2023, the Secretariat provided additional support to the tourism sector by subsidizing the costs of machinery and equipment, but additionally upgrading and constructing tourist superstructure and the organization of events in Vojvodina, with about 150 million dinars. Plus, we allocated the additional 20 million dinars to female entrepreneurship and co-financed the programme of development and activities of local socio-economic councils with a total of 2.5 million dinars, along with the activities and establishment of local tourist boards with 5 million dinars.
How did the Secretariat influence the general economic structure in Vojvodina through its own measures targeted at supporting the SME sector?
By careful analysis of the SME sector, we figured this segment has become increasingly essential in the overall economy, i.e. in regard to its share in the economic structure, as well as that it has a growing impact on gross useful and turnover and, very importantly, is strongly export-oriented. Regarding employment in the tourism sector, as well as in the economy and entrepreneurship sector, the Provincial Secretariat is attempting to help this phenomenon by creating special conditions and terms in competitions. For example, one of the prerequisites for his or her participation in competitions is that they aren't permitted to laid off their permanent employees for 6 months, therefore we can help to save as many jobs as you possibly can.
Last year, you were especially centered on preserving traditions and cultural landmarks also thanks to launching a public competition for old arts and crafts.
The competition for old arts and crafts, that was launched in July and which is extremely important for that preservation of history, tradition and cultural features in Vojvodina, is another form of financial help to small business owners and micro and small establishments meant for purchasing equipment or raw materials. In this manner, the Provincial Secretariat awarded five million dinars price of grants in order to improve and preserve the production process, in a manner that does not endanger the traditional technology utilized in old arts and crafts or home-made production. The goal of allocating funds for this purpose would be to increase competitiveness and therefore improve entrepreneurship and the economic climate in Vojvodina.
Old crafts, as well as handicrafts and works of art, are another generator and power behind tourism, attracting a lot of domestic and foreign tourists who're prepared to spend more than they planned at a certain event.
You also had important cooperation with social partners within the public sector. What's the extent of the cooperation?
We have successfully established a network of social partners with whom we pool resources and capacities, with the purpose of defining and creating an infrastructure based on the given guidelines conditioned by the market policy. With this approach, I believe that we'll significantly bring about the expansion and regional uniformity, raise the economy by supporting and encouraging small businesses to sign up in public places competitions, while actively reducing negative population trends related to demographic structure. In connection with this, the Secretariat subsidizes the costs of loan application processing fees and rates of interest related to the competitions launched from the Development Fund of Vojvodina for long-term loans for the development of tourism and particularly rural tourism. The Secretariat also allocated Ten million dinars to co-finance you from the Fund’s credits which are allocated to offer the development of tourism that are used for upgrading the equipment in tourist facilities, creating conditions to increase quality and expanding the tourist offer, boosting competitiveness and increasing employment.
Many issues have been opened and challenges created which we have to overcome by providing a sufficient institutional response through our support measures targeted at guiding the economy right into a new direction that can help using its recovery.
What will the relaunch of the greatest of Vojvodina product quality label bring?
The re-launched quality label, which bears the already recognizable name “The Best of Vojvodina”, speaks concerning the excellence of the product, where and how it was created, and therefore promotes a certain area in the best possible way. So far, this quality signed continues to be mainly allotted to food, industrial and craft products, as the new concept has extended this label to include tourist services and destinations. The label is used to mark natural, agricultural, craft, industrial and domestic products, cheap it was awarded to particular product or for the caliber of tourism service, thus confirming the product or service has now become a member of ‘the club’ of the highest quality products and services. However, much more should be done concerning the greater use and practical value of the product that bears this label.
Under the auspices of the project, we have been recognizing and awarding the best product, service and business since 2004, when the label was established. All awarded products meet European product quality standards – they have a HACCP certificate and ISO standard. With this project, we will certainly move the line of establishing product quality, concentrating on the domestic economy and production, as well as on the service activities of Vojvodina-based businesses.
According to the latest batch of received applications, the biggest quantity of applications refers to the organization of events, that is among the indicators that life is returning to normal, while, obviously, we carefully monitor the spread of the coronavirus, along with the immunization in the territory Serbia and AP Vojvodina.
While we're on the topic of event organization, which important trade shows did the Secretariat take part in last year?
The Secretariat opened “the season” by organizing a web-based Entrepreneurship Fair in the Novi Sad Fair. We also participated in the 88th Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where we promoted an offer called “Vojvodina Lunch – Irresistible Tastes from the Plains” using the Vojvodina Tourist Board. The concept was to present the advantages of this endeavour to the catering facilities that had been assigned ‘The Best of Vojvodina’ quality label through ‘The Best of Vojvodina’ campaign and the ‘Vojvodina Lunch’ campaign, while promoting serving the traditional Vojvodina lunch, for example, at noon every sunday.
Will you still invest in untapped capacities that certainly exist around the territory of AP Vojvodina?
Various analyses and our internal research show the citizens of Vojvodina, along with the rest of the Republic of Serbia, are slowly becoming aware of Vojvodina’s tourist potential. Therefore, along with the Vojvodina Tourist Board, we're attempting to combine and invest funds in digital marketing, i.e. the promotion of local tourist boards, thus increasing the visibility of the tourist offer. The idea is to establish local tourist boards in local self-government units where they do not exist up to now, in addition to raise the capacity of existing local tourist boards.
We will include as numerous wineries, national restaurants, farms, religious and cultural heritage, the benefits of Fruska Gora, the town of Novi Sad with Petrovaradin Fortress, all of the features of Sremski Karlovci, the town of Vrsac with its Vrsac Hills, nearby Bela Crkva lakes and Deliblato Sands, Danube, Tisza, Sava and also the network of internal canals, which will make the lifeblood of Vojvodina. Untapped potentials are located primarily in religious, cultural, rural, wine, but additionally hunting and cyclo tourism. Religious tourism is a great capacity that Vojvodina has at its disposal, bearing in mind that major religions are represented in Vojvodina. Furthermore, Sremski Karlovci is unquestionably a special gem of Vojvodina’s tourist offer. Hunting tourism in Vojvodina is doing well for years, however the public isn't sufficiently conscious of it.
What’s the next phase within the implementation from the Green Trail project that is funded together through the Vojvodinian and Serbian governments?
I recently signed a contract worth 21,600,000 dinars, which the Ministry allocated to the Provincial Government, more precisely to the Provincial Secretariat for Economy. These funds are intended for the preparation of the project, namely drafting technical documentation concerning the project implementation procedure and implementation of project activities around the corridor of the former Petrovaradin-Beocin railway. This trail, 17.5 kilometres long, is planned to become special-purpose area, more precisely a tourist route referred to as a “green trail”. To have this, there is enough interest to show the railway section right into a “green trail” for pedestrians and cyclists. This endeavour is the result of the joint work from the Provincial Government and also the Government from the Republic of Serbia, as well as a consequence of some pot concept implemented through the Head of the Provincial Government, Igor Mirovi'c, and Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Tomislav Momirovi'c.
