Cabinet adopts Regulation enabling a public call to support the development of rural tourism

At yesterday's Cabinet session, the Decree on Amendments to the Decree on the Implementation and Procedure for the Use of Funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance of the European Union (IPARD II programme) was adopted, which created the conditions for announcing the FIRST public call to support the development of rural tourism through the IPARD II programme.

Recognising the importance of the natural potentials of rural areas of Montenegro as well as their contribution to rural revitalisation, balanced regional development and reduction of unemployment, support for the development of rural tourism will have multiple benefits.

The rural tourism creates conditions for meeting the needs of an increasing number of tourists interested in nature, healthy lifestyle, traditional cuisine and local customs.

Through a new public call, interested applicants can apply for projects, whose eligible costs range from € 10,000 to € 150,000, while support amounts to up to 65% of eligible costs.

Beneficiaries of support can be natural persons as holders of family farms (registered in the Register of agricultural holdings until the day of the announcement of the public call), but also legal entities (micro and small) operating outside or in rural areas.

Only investments that are realised at an altitude above 600 m are acceptable.

The subject of the investment may be the construction and/or reconstruction and/or equipping of hospitality facilities providing accommodation, preparing food and beverages, arranging tourist infrastructure (theme and amusement parks, tennis courts, swimming pools, entertainment and recreational trails or roads - trim trails, viewpoints, panoramic trails, bike and hiking trails); construction and/or reconstruction of plants and/or procurement of equipment for renewable energy sources (photovoltaic systems) and procurement of equipment and devices for waste and wastewater treatment.

Beneficiaries must be the owners of hospitality facilities until the day of the final payment in accordance with the Law on Tourism and Hospitality.

Natural persons can apply for the following facilities: house, rural household, tourist apartment, camp for up to 15 accommodation units, with a maximum capacity of up to 10 rooms or 20 beds.

Legal entities can apply for the following facilities: house, rural household, tourist apartment block (ten or more tourist apartments within the same building), tourist apartment, inn, hostel, ethno village, resort, mountain lodge, with a maximum capacity of 15 room or 30 beds.

More detailed information and complete documentation will be available after the publication of the public call on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management - IPARD programme - www.ipard.gov.me.