Funds from EU Interreg III to Help Develop Tourism in Zagorje

The European Union has supported the development of tourist trade in the cross-border area between Croatia and Slovenia with EUR 513,000 as a one-off financial assistance donated for this purpose through the Interreg III program.

The funds will be used for the development of tourist resources in the area of Haloze-Zagorje with a population of 50,000.

Croatia's part of the zone includes municipalities of Donja Voća, Vinica, Klenovnik, Bednja, Đurmanec, Gornje Jesenje, and the town of grad Lepoglava. In Slovenia, those are Zavrč, Videm, Majšperk, Žetale, Podlehnik and Gorišnica.

The purpose of the project is to revitalize old farm households and stop a decrease in the population, said Dragutin Čehok, the director of a Croatian company which together with a Slovene company drew up a project for the development of tourism in this cross-border area.

The project was positively assessed after it was applied for EU Interreg III funds, and the Union will co-finance the entire project covering 90 % of its value.