The City of Virovitica organized a cross-border project Kick-Off conference at the Town Hall on 12 June 2017.

The project – Cross-Border Touristic Routes of Honey and Bees, better known by its acronym Bee2Be, is financed through the Interreg V-A Hungary-Croatia Cross-Border Program; it totals €252,467.19 with an EU-funding rate of 85 percent (€214,467.19).

Virovitica City is the lead beneficiary with Hungary’s Baranya County as partner. Virovitica’s Tourist Board and the VTA Development Agency are also project partners.

Virovitica Mayor Ivica Kirin opened the conference together with the Interreg V-A Program Manager Antonija Bedeniković. Tihana Harmund, the head of the VTA Development Agency, presented the project goals and activities.

The project aims to develop a joint Strategy for Beekeeping, create a cross-border “Bee-Safari” tourist route, educate the public, organize honey competitions, and revitalize Virovitica’s ‘Little Park.

Ms. Harmund stressed that “we will set-up 35 honeykeeping points for what will become a tourist route. The so called ‘Little Park’ in Virovitica will be revitalized in a honey and bee theme, it is designed to work as a starting point of the future route.”

The goal is to develop tourism in the region and enhance the cross-border tourist offer creating a joint brand. Another perk is to present honey and other bee products and their value for human health. The project will strengthen the cooperation of beekeepers in the cross-border area.

“This project represents a continuity of our work to develop Virovitica as a viable Central European city,” said Mayor Ivica Kirin. “The honey from our region is widely known and highly regarded, this is a way to thank our diligent beekeepers for their effort.”

vta.hr/vijesti/viroviticki-mali-park-bit-ce-preureden-na-temu-meda-i-pcelarstva/