Promotion of Grozdana Pašin’s publication ”Žene koje pričaju turizam”

The tourism publication ”Žene koje pričaju turizam – od lične priče do javne vidljivost” (”Women Who Talk Tourism – From Personal Stories to Public Visibility”) by author Grozdana Pašin was presented at the Tourism Organisation of Vojvodina’s Info Centre in the presence of media representatives and numerous guests.

The event featured speeches by Milivoj Kovačević, Acting Director of the Tourism Organisation of Vojvodina; Ivana Krsmanović, Director of the Provincial Institute for Gender Equality; Grozdana Pašin, author and editor of the publication; and Biljana Marčeta, a long-standing tourism and travel agency professional. The women whose stories are featured in the publication also spoke about their work and experiences: Jovanka Nina Šovljanski of the Ethno Home Association ”Gorocvet” in Inđija; Leona Vislavski of the ”Oloria” Ethno House in Đurđevo; and Jovanka Seka Jovicin, a custodian of stories and the recipe for Svetosavska pita (Svetosavska pie).

In his address, Milivoj Kovačević, Acting Director of the Tourism Organisation of Vojvodina, expressed his gratitude and said:

”I am delighted to be here today and to be surrounded by these wonderful women. Grozdana Pašin has been a collaborator and friend of the Tourism Organisation of Vojvodina for a very long time. She is a faithful chronicler of tourism in Vojvodina. Through my work in tourism, I have noticed that women make up the majority of it. I have often wondered how women manage to achieve so much, with such dedication, enthusiasm, knowledge and determination. I believe that women are the best example of how the identity and traditions of Vojvodina can be preserved. Equally important is the fact that they pass these values on to younger generations. Women present Vojvodina to foreign visitors through its greatest asset – its multicultural and multi-ethnic communities. Women are the identity of Vojvodina.”

The women who attended the presentation of the publication ”Žene koje pričaju turizam – od lične priče do javne vidljivosti” spoke about their work and personal commitment, which have undoubtedly contributed to strengthening Vojvodina’s position as a tourism destination. Their stories show that tourism is not just about destinations – tourism is about people.

The publication was produced with the generous support of the Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Association of Tourism Journalists of Vojvodina and the Provincial Institute for Gender Equality.

”It is a great honour for us to support projects such as this. At the Institute, our task, with the support of the Provincial Government, is to empower women. We recognised the importance of this publication for tourism. We are also pleased that its publication coincides with the major anniversary of the Association of Tourism Journalists of Vojvodina,” said Ivana Krsmanović, Director of the Provincial Institute for Gender Equality.

Grozdana Pašin, author and editor of the publication, gave those present a closer insight into how the project was developed and what the publication contains.

”I am pleased that we have completed this project. Our aim was to introduce women who are not sufficiently represented in public life. The project also has a multimedia component. These women preserve heritage, create tourism experiences and bring greater visibility to the places and people of Vojvodina. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Tourism Journalists of Vojvodina,” Pašin said.

As someone who has been active in tourism in Vojvodina and beyond for many years, Biljana Marčeta expressed her gratitude for being part of the project. She stressed the importance of supporting women. In her address, she highlighted the importance of passing knowledge and experience on to younger generations, as well as the need to make better use of modern technologies and invest more effort in promotion. She also recalled the importance of the former ”Bogastvo različitosti” project, which contributed to the development of tourism in Vojvodina and Serbia.

The publication is available on the website of the Association of Tourism Journalists of Vojvodina: www.utnv.org