{"id":11869,"date":"2025-11-14T10:35:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/treci-sastanak-projektnog-tima-i-drugi-sastanak-gifts-mreze-odrzani-u-banjoj-luci\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T10:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:39:09","slug":"treci-sastanak-projektnog-tima-i-drugi-sastanak-gifts-mreze-odrzani-u-banjoj-luci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/treci-sastanak-projektnog-tima-i-drugi-sastanak-gifts-mreze-odrzani-u-banjoj-luci\/","title":{"rendered":"Third project team meeting and second GIFTS network meeting held in Banja Luka"},"content":{"rendered":"

The third project team meeting and the second GIFTS network meeting were held in Banja Luka on 11\u201312 November 2025, as part of the project GIFTSnet \u2013 Network for Green and Inclusive Fortified Tourism Solutions<\/em>, co-funded through the Interreg IPA Croatia\u2013Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2013Montenegro 2021\u20132027 Programme. The event was hosted by the City of Banja Luka, with coordination by the Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture \u0160ibenik, the project\u2019s lead partner.<\/p>\n

Overview of project progress<\/strong>
\nThe meeting offered a platform to review the current status of activities, assess progress and plan the next steps. Project Manager Kata \u017dganjer presented an overview of completed work, followed by updates from the project team on implemented activities and achieved results. Special emphasis was placed on investments in seven cultural and tourism sites in \u0160ibenik, Karlovac, Banja Luka, Trebinje, Bar and Ulcinj, including an overview of procurement procedures, progress reports, and challenges within the set timeframe.<\/p>\n

Development of the GIFTS network<\/strong>
\nThe second part of the programme focused on the development of the GIFTS network, a European platform connecting cultural stakeholders for knowledge exchange and sustainable heritage management. Alongside project partners, the meeting gathered cultural stakeholders from Banja Luka and other actors interested in cooperation in the field of cultural tourism.
\nThe introductory presentation on the network\u2019s goals and activities was delivered by \u0110ur\u0111a Vrljevi\u0107 \u0160ari\u0107, Head of the Department for International Cooperation and Projects at the Fortress of Culture \u0160ibenik, who highlighted the importance of cooperation and networking for strengthening capacities in sustainable heritage management.
\nThe second cross-border workshop was also announced. It will take place in March 2026 in \u0160ibenik under the title \u201cSustainable Reuse of Cultural Heritage Infrastructure: Green Procurement, Energy Efficiency Measures, Carbon Footprint \u2013 Measuring and Reducing in Heritage Buildings\u201d<\/em>.
\nPartners from Banja Luka and Karlovac presented examples of implementing the Night of Fortresses Goes Green<\/em> event in their communities.<\/p>\n

Workshop on resilience and sustainable event development<\/strong>
\nThe final part of the programme included the GIFTSnet workshop \u201cParticipatory Planning for the Future: Night of Fortresses Goes Disastrous\u201d<\/em>, led by the project\u2019s Communication Manager Vera Jergovi\u0107. The aim was to develop ideas for the future of the event by identifying risks and creating sustainable solutions that improve the resilience of cultural and tourism events.
\nThe workshop used a scenario-based approach to encourage creativity, proactive thinking and preparedness. Participants also discussed current challenges and opportunities in sustainable tourism and the connection between heritage preservation and broader social and economic benefits for local communities.<\/p>\n

Study visit to Kastel Fortress<\/strong>
\nThe meeting concluded with a study visit to Kastel Fortress, where partners were introduced to the progress of restoration works financed by the project. Works are underway on the adaptation and conservation of Tower 1 and Tower 2, as well as the improvement of the shared courtyard. After completion, Tower 1 will serve as a tourist information centre, while Tower 2 will house a souvenir shop and a hospitality space.
\nThe works are planned for completion in December 2025. The restored and newly equipped Kastel Fortress will offer an attractive area for visitors and a space for cultural and creative activities. The programme also included a visit to the Trappist Monastery \u201cMarija Zvijezda\u201d, one of the key cultural sites in the region.<\/p>\n

About the GIFTSnet project<\/strong>
\nThe project GIFTSnet \u2013 Network for Green and Inclusive Fortified Tourism Solutions<\/em> is funded through the Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia \u2013 Bosnia and Herzegovina \u2013 Montenegro 2021\u20132027 Programme.
\nIt runs for 30 months, from 15 September 2024 to 14 March 2027, with a total budget of EUR 2,244,442.80.
\nAlongside the Fortress of Culture \u0160ibenik as lead partner, project partners include the City of Karlovac, the City of Banja Luka, the Museum of Herzegovina Trebinje, the Municipality of Bar and the Municipality of Ulcinj.
\nThe project supports sustainable and inclusive development of cultural tourism through investments in seven cultural sites across Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, as well as through the development of inclusive tourism offers and capacity-building for stakeholders in sustainable cultural tourism.<\/p>\n

This text was produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents are the sole responsibility of the Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture \u0160ibenik and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The third project team meeting and the second GIFTS network meeting were held in Banja Luka on 11\u201312 November 2025, as part of the project GIFTSnet \u2013 Network for Green and Inclusive Fortified Tourism Solutions, co-funded through the Interreg IPA Croatia\u2013Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2013Montenegro 2021\u20132027 Programme. The event was hosted by the City of Banja Luka, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11869"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11872,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11869\/revisions\/11872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightoffortresses.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}