There are places that quietly leave a mark on you, not because they try to impress, but because they remain deeply, unapologetically themselves. For me, Krupa na Vrbasu was always one of those places.
Nestled along the emerald waters of the Vrbas River, just outside Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Krupa na Vrbasu has long been known for its cascading waterfalls, centuries-old wooden mills, spiritual heritage, and a way of life shaped by nature, tradition, and community. Locals always knew its magic. Visitors came for school excursions, weekend escapes, and short day trips. Yet for all its beauty, Krupa remained largely a hidden gem, admired by those who knew it, but rarely seen beyond regional borders.
Today, that same village stands proudly among the world’s Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism. The journey from a quiet riverside destination to international recognition did not happen overnight. It was the result of vision, patience, partnership, and a shared belief that rural tourism could become a true driver of local development.
The process began when Krupa na Vrbasu was nominated through the local tourism authorities of Banja Luka for the Best Tourism Villages initiative. The application required a deep evaluation of everything that made the village unique, from its natural landscapes and spiritual heritage to its infrastructure, destination management, environmental protection, and community involvement.
Special attention was given to iconic landmarks such as the historic Krupa Monastery, the traditional watermills, preserved customs, waterfalls, and the surrounding landscapes that have shaped village life for generations.
Although Krupa was recognized early as a destination with exceptional potential, the first evaluation also revealed areas for improvement. Rather than seeing this as a setback, it became the beginning of something far more transformative.
Krupa na Vrbasu was selected for the UN Tourism Upgrade Programme.
For our community, this was a turning point.
International experts visited the village, walked its trails, spoke with local families, and assessed not only what existed, but what could become possible. Their recommendations were practical but ambitious: strengthen destination management, develop new tourism products, improve digital visibility, involve more local households, and most importantly, create a community-led destination management structure.
That recommendation changed everything.
In 2023, the local association Green Greben Grad was established as the village’s destination manager. What began as an organizational step quickly became the engine of Krupa’s transformation.
Today, the association brings together around 30 to 40 active members, including families, artisans, entrepreneurs, guides, and cultural stakeholders. Since its creation, it has coordinated approximately 15 tourism and community initiatives, signed 10 cooperation agreements with local, national, and international partners, and secured funding for 3 to 5 projects worth several hundred thousand euros.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
Before the Upgrade Programme, Krupa na Vrbasu welcomed an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 visitors annually, most of them staying only a few hours. Tourism was seasonal, concentrated almost entirely between spring and summer, and only 5 to 10 local households were directly involved.
Today, the village receives between 50,000 and 70,000 visitors annually, more than doubling its previous numbers. Average stays have shifted from just a few hours to nearly one overnight stay, marking a significant transition from a stopover destination to a place where visitors choose to linger, connect, and immerse themselves.
Tourism is no longer limited to the warmer months. Guided experiences, cultural events, and thematic programmes now attract visitors in autumn and early spring, helping extend the tourism season and create year-round opportunities.
Around 25 households are now directly involved in tourism activities.
More than 10 new tourism-related services have emerged, including rural accommodation, guided experiences, workshops, gastronomic offerings, and locally made souvenirs. An estimated 40 to 50 direct and indirect income opportunities have been created, from seasonal employment to family-run businesses and supplementary income streams.
Local producers have become central to this story.
Today, around 15 to 20 artisans and food producers actively sell traditional products through village tourism channels. A women’s association, with approximately 10 to 15 members, now showcases handcrafted embroidery, jewellery, and traditional textiles through a dedicated gallery space created as part of the village’s transformation.
More than 30 to 50 local residents have participated in training, workshops, and capacity-building activities, while 20 to 30 women and young people are now actively engaged in tourism, something that was once rare.
The village now hosts between 6 and 8 events annually, including the internationally connected Romantic Evening initiative, cultural festivals, gastronomic gatherings, and community celebrations. Visitors can choose from 5 to 7 guided routes and immersive experiences, from heritage walks and monastery visits to forest adventures, artisan workshops, and truffle-hunting experiences followed by traditional meals prepared in village homes.
When Krupa na Vrbasu was finally recognized as one of the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism, it was more than an award.
It was validation.
Validation that rural communities do not need to reinvent themselves to succeed. They simply need to believe in what already makes them extraordinary.
Since receiving this recognition, Krupa has seen increased media visibility, stronger online engagement, participation in international networks, and invitations to share its experience as a model of good practice across the global Best Tourism Villages network.
For me personally, having the privilege of leading this journey, from the first application at the local level to standing on the global stage and presenting Krupa as an example of best practice, has been one of the greatest honours of my professional life.
But the true success is not measured in awards.
It is measured in conversations with villagers who now see new possibilities in their farms, their crafts, their traditions, and their future.
Krupa na Vrbasu stands today as proof that when a community works together with vision, courage, and authenticity, even the quietest riverside village can find its place on the world stage.
