As part of the implementation of the RECOLOR project, a two-day seminar was held for licensed tourist guides entitled "Interpretation of Heritage as a Tool for Developing Thematic Walks". The project has been implemented by the City of Zadar since the beginning of 2019 in cooperation with the Administrative Department for EU Funds and the Administrative Department for Culture and Sports.
The goal of the RECOLOR project is to improve the potential of cultural and natural sights and landscapes that are not part of traditional tourist routes. The selected pilot location of the City of Zadar, a partner in this project, is the park in the city district of Brodarica, where the Sphinx of Zadar is located. With the help of RECOLOR, the City of Zadar wants to renovate and promote the Sphinx - one of the city's sights that is not well known or visited.
The seminar was conducted by the Croatian Association for Heritage Interpretation - Interpret Croatia, for which this is the first such engagement in Zadar. The goal of the project overlaps with the work of the association, one of the main goals of which is to promote tourism and spread knowledge and skills, exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences in the field of heritage interpretation. The seminar leaders, Ms Iva Čaleta Pleša and MS Ivana Jagić Boljat, are interpretation trainers certified by the international association - Interpret Europe.
The seminar was attended by seventeen guides with a license for the Zadar area, some of whom are owners of travel agencies. Lunch and refreshment breaks were organized for the participants on both days. The program consisted of the following thematic blocks: What is heritage interpretation; Basic skills of personal interpretation; What is an interpretive triangle; Creating deeper connections with heritage; Turning heritage into experience; Involving guests in the experience.
Positive comments from tourist guides who participated in the training and tour of Brodarica showed that their expectations were met and that they acquired new useful and applicable knowledge. The seminar also showed that the interest in the implementation of the RECOLOR project is great and that the efforts of the City of Zadar for the reconstruction and promotion of the Sphinx enjoy the support of the professional actors.
