On 27 October 2010 the Minister of Tourism of Montenegro, Predrag Nenezic opened the meeting of CEI Ministers of Tourism on "Sustainable Tourism” in Budva.
In his welcome speech, Minister Nenezic emphasized the importance of regional cooperation as a mechanism for the realization of goals which are common to the region as a whole. He stated that “the competitive advantage of the region is characterized by the richness and diversity of natural beauties and cultural heritage of the CEI countries”, and also stressed the importance of “sustainable tourism as a development concept that will provide the preconditions to eliminate potentially negative consequences of tourism growth”. The contribution of the CEI Executive Secretariat recalled the considerations of Member States highlighting that “if the development of the tourism sector as a rapidly growing industry is not properly managed, it can constitute a damage and degradation and negatively influence the attractiveness of the tourism destinations.” In this regard, the promotion of local tourism could enhance: natural beauties, environment, cultural heritage, local culture and tradition, local food and beverages, typical craftsmanship, original and typical products. The Executive Secretariat, thanks to expertise and experience of the CEI Member States accumulated over the years, expressed the usefulness of developing a large scale CEI project in sustainable tourism development in the future. For more information: dovier@cei-es.org