Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Blaž Pezo said the cycling route would promote active tourism, for which Croatia's southernmost county had considerable potential, given its diverse coastline and islands, Konavle and the Neretva Valley.
County head of tourism, entrepreneurship and maritime affairs Ivo Klaić said cyclists use more than 1,000 km of different routes in the county. The CYROS project provided €320,000 for further development of cycling tourism infrastructure, which was used to install 32 new signs and 18 service stations, he said.
Mauro Borin, representing the Italian project partners, said the project aimed to connect cycling routes along the Adriatic coast. It would improve services for tourists and cyclists from Croatia, Italy and elsewhere, including through better cycling routes, connections with other forms of transport and facilities for parking e-bikes, he said.
The CYROS project is worth €2.75 million and is led by Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Other Italian partners are the regions of Puglia, Abruzzo and Marche, while Croatian partners are Dubrovnik-Neretva, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties.
CYROS is funded through the €222.7 million Interreg Italy-Croatia 2021–2027 programme, which covers 25 Italian coastal regions and eight Croatian coastal counties, with a total population of 12.5 million and numerous major tourist destinations, as well as 80 ports and passenger terminals.