When food meets forest: SReST and Danube Wood(s) Route creating synergy

The SReST project team participated on April 10, 2025, in the partner meeting of the Danube Wood(s) Route project, held in Sarajevo and organized by the Sarajevo Economic Region Development Agency (SERDA). On this occasion, the Socially Responsible Slow Food Tourism in the Danube Region - SReST project was presented, with a focus on results that can contribute to the development of cultural and natural itineraries within the Wood(s) Route initiative.

A key contribution of SReST highlighted during the meeting was the document “Mapping the Potentials for the Development of Slow Food Tourism in Sarajevo Canton,” which covers the areas of Bjelašnica and the Nišići plateau. Since these same areas have also been identified in the Danube Wood(s) Route project strategy, this confirms a territorial synergy between the two concepts. Moreover, both projects share a similar development philosophy – valuing local resources, preserving natural and cultural heritage and involving local communities in the creation of tourism content.

Although the thematic focus differs - SReST emphasizes "slow food" and agrobiodiversity, while the Wood(s) Route focuses on forest landscapes and cultural routes – their objectives complement each other through the development of innovative and sustainable tourism products. Data from the SReST mapping document, which includes 13 local "slow food" products, 19 potential tourism products and a network of 72 stakeholders, represents a valuable platform for further developing of itineraries that integrate gastronomy, nature and culture.

Since the Wood(s) Route project foresees the development of tourism itineraries that include agroforestry landscapes, producers and educational content in collaboration with local actors, the data from the SReST mapping can also serve as a basis for training and workshops with tour operators, guides and other stakeholders involved in designing Wood(s) Route itineraries.

Synergy is also reflected in a pilot activity implemented by SERDA within the SReST project – the education of young people with disabilities for inclusion in the "slow food" tourism. This activity has been recognized as a model that can be adapted and applied within the Wood(s) Route concept, particularly in the area of education and community empowerment. The possibility of organizing joint peer-review meetings, foreseen in both projects, was also highlighted as an opportunity for mutual knowledge exchange and alignment of next steps.

The meeting in Sarajevo confirmed that the synergy between SReST and the Wood(s) Route is not merely conceptual, but grounded in the potential for implementing concrete activities and achieving shared outcomes and values. The results and tools developed through SReST can support the continued implementation of the Wood(s) Route initiative, contributing to the realization of common objectives and the broader priorities of the Interreg Danube Programme – including sustainable tourism development, strengthened transnational cooperation and the empowerment of local communities.