MONTENEGRO

New Opportunities for Local Economic Development

CHF International is bolstering the tourism and agribusiness sectors in Montenegro through the USAID-funded Local Economic Development program, by working with small and medium enterprises in these industries. Through a dynamic mix of market-driven interventions and increased investment, LED will help these businesses identify market opportunities and enable them to take advantage of their commercial relationships and increase their competitiveness.

In 2008, CHF completed its five-year, USAID-funded civil society and economic development program in Montenegro. The Community Revitalization Through Democratic Action program promoted citizen participation and helped communities tap into opportunities in the tourism and agricultural sectors. Though CHF’s role is complete, in line with our aim of self-sufficiency and self-direction, it left behind several legacy groups to continue on the work.

Montenegro Adventures: www.montenegro-adventures.com

Montenegro Adventures is a for-profit tourism company that works toward increasing tourism and economic opportunities in the beautiful mountainous region of northern Montenegro. By promoting responsible travel they show tourists the local traditions, cultures, cuisine and lifestyle of Montenegro. Revenue from the tourism industry then increases the vitality of Montenegro’s economy as a whole.

Fors Montenegro: www.forsmontenegro.org

Fors Montenegro is a regional development non-governmental organization that is attracting US and EU funding for its civil society work in northern Montenegro. In doing so, they have taken up a pivotal role in the development projects of that region. In the spirit of CHF’s cooperative development approach, Fors has partnered with various local stakeholders to achieve each objective. Projects include the construction of a sanitary marketplace in the Murino district of Montenegro: producing a safe and sanitary workspace allows local businesses to expand, creating full time jobs and generating new income.

The Centre for Sustainable Tourism Initiatives: www.cstimontenegro.org

The Centre for Sustainable Tourism Initiatives is a not-for-profit tourism group, which focuses on the development of responsible, sustainable tourism products with the long term goal of increased employment and revenue in the tourism sector. They have become the leader in increasing public awareness of tourism development in Montenegro, working to regenerate communities, reduce poverty and attract infrastructure investment. Projects include the development of a national program for hiking and biking nature tourism and the creation of a tourism photography database for promotional use.