Zlatibor has recently gained a prestigious place among the world’s ecological destinations. At a ceremony in the Estonian capital Tallinn, a list of the world’s most attractive destinations promoting sustainable development was announced, including Zlatibor. The story of the dairy “Naša Zlatka” as a key support for local farmers was included in the “Top 100 Stories”, together with famous tourist destinations around the world.
Cooperation with the international organization “Green Destinations”, which is the organizer of “Top 100 Stories”, began at the Tourism Fair in Berlin, when representatives of Zlatibor expressed their interest in becoming part of this selected list of ecological destinations. This step is particularly significant because the municipality of Čajetina aspires to become the first environmentally aware local self-government in Serbia, offering Zlatibor the opportunity to compete for the prestigious green destination certificate.
In partnership with “Eko Agrar” from Zlatibor, the team of the Zlatibor Tourist Organization prepared a story about the dairy “Naša Zlatka”, which uses the most modern technology for milk processing and the traditional production of Zlatibor cheese and cream. This dairy uses milk from local farms and supports small and local producers. Also, tourists on Zlatibor can enjoy these products in various restaurants on the mountain.
This example promotes the successful creation of a local brand that benefits both farmers and the tourist center, which has brought Zlatibor to the top 100 destinations selected by Tallinn. The organization “Green Destinations” cooperates with more than 200 destinations in over 80 countries and rewards them with certificates and recognitions for their environmental efforts.
After this significant success, Zlatibor plans further development in the field of sustainable tourism through education and training. The goal is to become a recognizable green destination on the global tourist market. Also, this step coincides with the fact that the Republic of Serbia, with the support of UNDP, became a member of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism in May of this year, opening new opportunities for Zlatibor to develop in that direction and to participate in the projects of the Ministry of Tourism and youth in the following period.
