University of Rijeka, Center for Advanced Studies – South East Europe and Center for Industrial Heritage organized an education for tourist guides, which took place on November 28 -29, 2018 in RiHub, a newly opened creative hub in the center of Rijeka.
University of Rijeka is working alongside the City of Rijeka and Rijeka Tourist Board in a program and infrastructure development project “Touristic Valorisation of Representative Monuments of Rijeka’s Industrial Heritage”, focusing on the renovation of the Sugar Refinery Palace in the Benčić complex and the Galeb ship – two objects to be renovated and opened in Rijeka, managed by the City Museum of Rijeka in 2020. The project includes various education and research activities and the creation of the industrial and marine route, connecting diverse cultural and historic city locations.
The education focused on introducing the tourist guides with the future Route of Industrial and Marine Heritage, the objects currently in the process of renovation and the themes connected with the industrial heritage of Rijeka in the aim of developing a unique cultural-touristic product which will distinguish and enrich Rijeka touristic offer and contribute further developments on the local and regional level. This year’s education for tourist guides is the first of the following educations, to be continued in 2019 and 2020.
The first day of the program included a guided tour of the future Route elaborated within the Project, and the expert guidance was provided by Ivana Golob Mihić (UNIRI CIB) and Velid Đekić (City Museum of Rijeka). The second day of the program continued with the presentations and lectures by Ivan Šarar (Head of the City of Rijeka Culture Department) and Dominik Damiš (Rijeka Tourist Board) who provided attendants with the current project developments and the future plans and innovations of the Rijeka Tourist Board.
Associate Professor Zrinka Zadel (UNIRI FMTU) gave a lecture entitled Industrial Heritage – From a Resource to a Touristic Product, an inspiring showcase of the relevant European and global examples of the usage of industrial heritage in tourism.
Kristina Pandža (UNIRI CIB) presented the activities and plans of the Univeristy of Rijeka Centers and proposed further collaboration with the tourist guides in the field of education on Rijeka cultural and industrial heritage. The director of the City Museum of Rijeka, M.Sc. Ervin Dubrović held a lecture on the history of Rijeka commerce organization and the Sugar Refinery Palace, closing the two-day program of the education.
The education of tourist guides is a part of the program activities of the University of Rijeka, partner in execution of the “Touristic Valorisation of Representative Monuments of Rijeka’s Industrial Heritage” project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund – Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion”. Once renovated, in 2020 the Baroque Palace and the Galeb ship will be managed by the City Museum of Rijeka. The project is managed by the City of Rijeka in partnership with the Rijeka Tourist Board and the University of Rijeka – Center for Industrial Heritage and the Center for Advanced Studies – South East Europe.
