As part of the partner meeting of the GUSTI project, authentic products of Lika-Senj County were presented at the international tourism fair BTM – Business Tourism Management.
The Italian city of Bari, from 25 to 27 February 2026, hosted the fourth meeting of partners of the GUSTI project – Gastro UpScaled Tourist Itinerary in rural regions of Croatia and
Italy (ID: ITHR0200403), co-financed from the Interreg VI-A Italy – Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027. The GUSTI project, worth EUR 2.6 million, connects rural regions of Croatia and Italy into a unique gastronomic story.
The three-day meeting in Bari, organized by project partner Puglia Culture, brought together representatives of eight partner organizations from Croatia and Italy. During the working meetings, the partners analyzed the project’s progress so far and planned further steps in developing cross-border gastronomic itineraries that connect the rural areas of both countries, as well as activities that will further promote these regions.
A special part of the program was participation in the international tourism fair BTM – Business Tourism Management, one of the more important events of the tourism industry in the region. The fair provided an opportunity to promote the GUSTI project as well as rural destinations and their unique products to an international audience.
As part of the fair, the event “Taste the Destination” was also held, dedicated to sustainable gastro-cultural tourism, where visitors had the opportunity to taste and get to know authentic products of Lika-Senj County that reflect the rich tradition and natural wealth of the region.
Presented were plum jam from the Development Center of Lika-Senj County, prepared from organically grown plums, then the bar of the Smočnica craft (owner Nikolina Perša) – an energy bar made of nuts, honey and seeds, produced in small batches without additives and preservatives.
Also tasted was linden honeydew honey from the Pavičić family farm, a premium natural honey recognizable by its aroma, quality and medicinal properties, created within a family beekeeping tradition with many years of experience in the Lika area.
The offer was rounded off by brandies and liqueurs from the Pavelić Distillery, a family distillery that produces premium drinks using traditional methods, using local fruit and wild-growing fruits of Lika such as cornelian cherries, sour cherries, walnuts and aronia, with special attention paid to fermentation and distillation.
On that occasion, the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board provided promotional materials that further brought the region’s tourism potential and natural beauty closer to visitors.
Special thanks are extended to the Zera Like souvenir shop for the continuous promotion of domestic products and for providing local producers with the opportunity to place their products on the market, as well as to the Development Center of Lika-Senj County and the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board for their assistance in organizing and promoting the identity of Lika-Senj County in Italy.
Through cross-border cooperation between Croatia and Italy, the GUSTI project continues to develop innovative tourist itineraries that combine authentic gastronomy, cultural heritage and the natural beauty of rural areas of Croatia and Italy, creating new tourist experiences and contributing to the development of sustainable tourism.
More about the project on the project website: https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/gusti
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