March the 1st, 2022 - Ploce in southern Dalmatia might be close geographically to the City of Dubrovnik, but it isn't anywhere near on the same level or even on the same path when it comes to tourism, at least until now. Could the construction of the Ploce nautical tourism port transform this town into a tourist destination?
As Morski writes, the preparation of the documentation necessary for the beginning of the construction of the Ploce nautical tourism port has begun. In addition, Ploce's local administration plans to finally put into operation the abandoned camp located at the mouth of the Neretva River there.
As far as the camp is concerned, the planning and spatial plans are both ready, and Ploce has received approval from the Ministry of Construction for a unified procedure of targeted amendments to the spatial plan and the urban development plan. The whole story has yet to be announced in full detail by the council there, after which the land can be leased, and Ploce will, according to HRT, provide the investor with all the necessary infrastructure.
Ver soon, the fate of the planned Ploce nautical tourism port with a capacity of 400 berths in the Bacina area should be known. The local Ploce administration claims that they are still waiting for the assessment of the prepared environmental impact study, and the acquisition of a location permit and the determination of the border of the maritime domain is in progress. After that, all of the collected documentation will be sent off to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, which is the body announcing the concession. The best bidder is then selected to prepare the main project, after which construction can begin.
Ploce and its surroundings have great potential for the development of nautical tourism, at least according to the local tourist board, which claims that the arrival of tourists would kickstart the construction of hotels, which, on the stretch from Metkovic and Opuzen to Ploce - are chronically missing. Tourists are currently staying mostly with private renters, who cannot complain about the interest of guests they've had from abroad and at home so far.
''We're expecting some great tourist traffic because people have already heard about the Bacina Lakes, the Neretva estuary, kite surfing and our outdoor activity offers, so the number of visitors will be higher than it was in previous years,'' said the director of the Ploce Tourist Board, Maja Erak.
The fact is that the recent opening up of the long awaited, very much anticipated Peljesac Bridge which will connect Croatian territory with the extreme south of Dalmatia will affect the distribution of tourists on the country's coast, and Ploce could have some new doors and new opportunities made available to it.
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