The construction of a marina in Veliko Gradište has begun

The construction of the first phase of the marina in Veliko Gradište started today, in the presence of the Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, the director of the Port Governance Agency Vuk Perović, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Youth Uroš Kandić, and the president of the municipality of Veliko Gradište Dragan Milić.

Minister Vesić stated that a total of 3,8 million euros will be invested in the construction of the marina, of which 2,5 million euros will be allocated in the first phase.

Reminding that Serbia has two international and one interstate river, Vesić said that we should have used our rivers much earlier and much more not only for tourism but generally for the economy.

He mentioned that the marina in Veliko Gradište will be completed by April next year and added that the construction of the marina in Golubac will begin in the meantime, as well as marinas in Smederevo, Kladovo, and Sombor.

"This clearly indicates that our strategy is to invest more in nautical tourism and in the rivers themselves," Vesić said. The Minister added that, for example, on the Sava River, international passenger terminals are open in Sremska Mitrovica and Šabac, and the project of a terminal in Ram is underway. Vesić mentioned that last year there were 183,000 tourists who came to Serbia by cruise ship, which is 35 percent more than the year before, and that there will be more of them this year, which is good for the development of our country.

He emphasized that the part of Serbia that was visited today will develop and become very attractive. "True decentralization happens when you build roads, bridges, railways, and when you connect all people in that way because it means that people are mobile and can work because where you have roads and railways, new jobs are created. And a marina, like a factory, creates new jobs, and people can stay there and live decently from their work," the Minister added.

State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, Uroš Kandić, stated that Veliko Gradište, once the marina is completed, will undoubtedly become the tourist center of the Lower Danube region.

"In addition to having a marina here, we will also have a passenger terminal near Ram Fortress. Also, the construction of bicycle paths is underway, initially from Rama to Zatonje, which will be completed by the end of May, and in the next phase, we will work on paths from Srebrno jezero to Vinci," Kandić said. He emphasized that the construction of the marina in Veliko Gradište is a significant development for nautical infrastructure in Serbia because, as he said, we see an increase in nautical tourists every year.

Vuk Perović, the director of the Port Governance Agency, said that marinas are an important segment of waterway passenger traffic and represent Class A in nautical tourism. "This is the first investment in marinas in Serbia in decades, within the framework of the capital project “Sail throuhg Serbia," Perović said.

He reminded that the construction of an international passenger terminal in Ram is underway, which will be open this year. "The marina and the passenger terminal will position Veliko Gradište highly as a nautical destination," Perović said.

The president of the municipality of Veliko Gradište, Dragan Milić, said that the construction of the marina in this municipality is of great importance and added that it will be the most modern marina in Serbia. Among other things, Milić said that the construction of the marina demonstrates how Serbia is developing evenly and expressed hope that the marina will operate at full capacity, showing its importance for tourism development in the region.