Investment of 280m EUR in Vlasina - thousands of people to get jobs in Serbia's south within next 12 years

(Vlasina Lake)

In organization of banks and settlements, construction of eight hotels, infrastructure and other facilities in the vicinity of the Vlasina Lake, 280m EUR will be invested within the next 12 years, and thousands of people will get jobs.

The state is going to invest 50m EUR in development of high-mountain tourism in the Vlasina area, while the rest should be provided by private investors from the country and abroad, and there is already plenty of offers from Italy, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, Russia and England.

The CEO of the Directorate for Building Land and Roads of Surdulica, Dragan Micić, said that four land-utilization plans are being elaborated at the moment by the experts from the Kruševac City Planning Institute.

- The land-utilization plans for organization of the Vlasina area will be adopted in March 2010, which should be followed by the moves made by local and foreign investors. We are doing our best to make the balance between future tourist development and preservation of nature and its values. High-rank hotels and other accommodation capacities should not have more than 4,500 beds in order for the natural balance to be preserved. Total of 24m EUR will be set aside by the state and from European funds and invested in construction and reconstruction of road, energy, plumbing and sewerage networks. Not only will the illegal settling of the Vlasina plateau be stopped, but also 50 illegally built facilities will be torn down - said Micić.

- About 13m EUR from the national budget should be invested in the purchase of land where the facilities anticipated by the Master Plan are supposed to be built. Total of 71m EUR should be provided for construction of eight hotels. The state should have a golf course worth 4m EUR built in association with private investors. Construction of aqua park will cost 13m EUR, while the entertainment center costs 3.5m EUR. Construction of the platforms with the view of the marina and the water sports center is also in the pipeline. The money provided by the private entrepreneurs will also be invested in construction of a sports hall and recreation center. It is possible that 600,000 EUR worth of ranch will be built as a tourist attraction - says Novica Tončev, the Mayor of Surdulica.