In Mostar, on 21 April 2026, the director of the Public Institution Museum “Battle for the Wounded on the Neretva” Jablanica, together with the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Environmental Protection of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement aimed at improving cooperation between schools and institutions that manage, protect, or represent the cultural, historical, and natural heritage of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

The agreement was signed by Minister Emil Balavac, directors of all secondary schools for tourism and hospitality, as well as schools that include tourism and hospitality content in their curricula across the canton, and authorized representatives of the partner institutions. The agreement enters into force on the day of signing.
As cultural and natural heritage institutions, the agreement was joined by the Museum of Herzegovina Mostar, the Woodcarving Museum Konjic, the Public Institution Museum “Battle for the Wounded on the Neretva” Jablanica, the Bosnian Memory Museums, the Žitomislić Museum Foundation, the Public Institution “Radimlja” Stolac, the Public Enterprise Nature Park Hutovo Blato Čapljina, the National University Konjic, Tito’s Bunker Konjic, and the Public Institution Vjetrenica Ravno. Religious communities and sites that joined include the Islamic Community Center (Medžlis) Mostar, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Mostar, St. James Parish Međugorje, and the Franciscan Monastery Rama-Šćit. The Tourism Association of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton also joined as a supporting and promotional partner.
The agreement clearly defines the obligations of all parties. The Ministry is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the agreement. Cultural and natural heritage institutions commit to providing schools and students with access to their facilities, organizing educational visits, workshops, and programs, and actively participating in the development of educational content related to heritage. The signatory institutions also expressed their readiness to provide students with preferential visiting conditions compared to regular visitors. Schools commit to actively encouraging students to engage with the cultural, historical, and natural heritage of the canton. The agreement remains open for new schools and institutions to join by submitting a written request to the Ministry.
Museums, protected natural areas, religious sites, and tourism entities that have joined this agreement are not only cultural and natural assets. They also represent real working environments where future tourism professionals will build their careers. Through this agreement, students are given the opportunity to become familiar with these institutions from within during their education, to understand their role in the canton’s tourism offer, and to acquire practical knowledge that cannot be gained from textbooks alone. The goal is to develop a generation of professionals who understand, value, and are able to promote their region—who will remain in the canton, build their careers locally, and contribute to the development of tourism.