Familiarization Tour for Biking Tour Operators – 25th -30th May 2008

The Tourism Master Plan of Montenegro is paving the way for a national development program for hiking and biking, with new infrastructure and services. The realization of its step-by-step program for the coming three years will help visitors to discover experience and enjoy the best kept secret in the Mediterranean. The focus will be on the development of Northern Montenegro and one of the targeted activities includes attracting biking tour operators to the country.

Biking Fam Tour May 2008 Biking Fam Tour May 2008 Rest Point above Katun Vranjak Katun Vranjak Biking Fam Tour May 2008


For that reason, the National Tourism Organization (NTO) together with partner organizations and agencies working in the field of adventure tourism conducted a six-day FAM Tour tailored for biking tour operators from Germany and Austria. The initial success in creating an inaugural tour for biking in the fall of 2007 led to CSTI being invited to actively participate in this FAM Tour. CSTI's participation was focused on the selection of a trail network and service providers, utilizing its familiarity with the terrain and tourism resources arising from their past activities. The selected trails were suitable for bikers of average skill using traditional roads where possible and connecting the most important sights, while avoiding big settlements.

In addition, CSTI and MA were in charge of organizing the last day of the tour on Mount Bjelasica for a group of 25 people - seven tour-operator representatives (BiTou Bike Tours & Adventure Incentives, Cycling Adventures Radsportreisen, Mapsolutions, Flory Kern Ski Berge Abenteuer, Radurlaub ZeitReisen GmbH, World Wide Active and Naturfreunde) and media. The trip culminated in a workshop where CSTI presented the results of the inaugural tour, as well as the profile of the travel agency Montenegro Adventures. The workshop was extremely important for the national Hiking & Biking Development Program and all participating organizations and agencies, as tour operators, based on their experience, provided thorough feedback on the current position of the country in the market while listing the next essential steps in biking development.