Storytelling Routes Workshop Held as Part of the MYSTICAL DANUBE Project

As part of the project GREEN AND MYSTICAL DANUBE STORYTELLING ROUTE - Transnational valorisation of natural and intangible cultural heritage for socio-economic development of rural areas in the Danube region, co-funded by the Interreg Danube Region 2021-2027, an online workshop dedicated to storytelling education in tourism was held on March 12, 2026.

The workshop was organized by the lead partner, Zadar County Rural Development Agency AGRRA, in collaboration with the City Development Agency Banja Luka - CIDEA.

Participants included partners from Slovenia (BSC, Business support Centre L.t.d., Kranj), Serbia (Business association for sport, recreation, rehabilitation and business Eco zone Ada Huja), Bosnia and Herzegovina (City Development Agency Banja Luka – CIDEA), and stakeholders of the Mystical Danube project.

The event was opened by the organizers, with the keynote session led by Dijana Zorić from StoryLab.

The workshop focused on defining storytelling not merely as a word-smithing skill, but as the art of conveying emotion through the narrator, (the "teller").

Participants were presented with practical examples of how to transform a historical sculpture, a person, or a specific site into a compelling story.

Key highlights of the session included: value creation, emphasis on how a story effectively "sells" a location by creating a desired perception for the visitor.

Special attention was given to branding concepts such as placetelling and rebranding, successfully demonstrated through real-world examples.

Participants showed exceptional interest during the Q&A session.