Post by radovic on May 9, 2008 9:47:10 GMT -5
Adventure tourism grows as paragliders play aerial chess over Budva
Thursday, 08 May 2008 22:32
!“It's like aerial chess, but much more strategic, the more you learn about the terrain the further you can fly,” says the man who has just opened up Budva's first paragliding venture.
Robin Brown should know. He has already flown 86 kms cross country (in Brazil) and been involved in the sport since 1982. He ran a successful business in England, taking groups to paragliding hot spots in countries such as Australia, Brazil and South Africa and regularly to Montenegro.
The flying site at Beèiæi has been flown for many years by Eastern European pilots but Robin was probably the first UK pilot there, discovering the site during his winter tours of Eastern Europe.
On May 1 he greeted the first guests to his Montenegro Adventure Centre in Lapèiæi, above Budva. The centre is close to Lovæen National Park with its deciduous forests and high pastures, where Robin plans to also organise treks.
With the recent news that the United Nations Development Programme is planning, with its partners at the national and municipal levels of government, to simultaneously clean up a toxic mine tailings pond in Mojkovac and create an adventure tourism industry in the region, the main tourist focus is switching from coastal to encompass all attractions in this scenically packed country.
And not before time. Robin laments that adventure tourism needs a lot more backing from the Ministry of Tourism. “They need to be more proactive and develop adventure tourism. Officialdom often doesn't seem to have much time for small businesses and tourist officials have little idea about outdoor pursuits,” he told the Montenegro Times.
“There are no marked walking tracks up here or maps you can buy --- he gestures to the mountains behind his six-room accommodation centre. “There are Yugoslav army maps, mostly out of date, and some trails haven’t been cleared for 50 years.”
He considered several options including Romania before settling on Budva for his centre. “Montenegro has many leisure options in a small area such as rivers, lakes, mountains and the coast. You can paraglide from up here to the coast in the day, stay on the beach later and then go into town. I don't believe there is anywhere else in Europe where everything is so close.”
Why does he prefer paragliding to hang gliding? “Unpowered flights are more demanding than having an engine. Having a motor requires far less skill. Initially there is the adrenalin charge, then the feeling changes. As you get better, it becomes more challenging to go up and fly cross country, longer distances. The equipment too is much lighter than that used for hang gliding and the harness can be stashed easily in the boot of a car.”
He started paragliding in 1982, opening a school in Gloucestershire, England in 1996. There are now 5000 registered pilots in the UK. The Airtopia Paragliding Club is a registered club in Budva, and a member of the newly formed Association of Clubs of Montenegro. Clubs are in Budva, Nikšiæ, Bijelo Polje and Mojkovac.
Although Robin is a qualified instructor with the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and will help any visiting schools with their training, he does not teach paragliding to beginners as the centre is not a school. Visiting pilots need to hold a recognised qualification before flying in Budva and to provide proof of insurance.
The package the centre offers includes transfers from and to the airports of Dubrovnik, Tivat or Podgorica. Bed and breakfast accommodation is based on twin room sharing in en-suite rooms. There is always a daily weather report and access to the Internet. The lounge area has a TV, video and DVD players. Alternative activities are offered if the weather is not suitable for flying. And one way transport into town is provided every evening if needed.
President of the Paragliding Commission of the Aeronautical Union of Montenegro, Dusan Simovich, says Montenegro has great potential for the sport. He cites a 1200 meter mountain near Bar as being ideal for experienced paragliders. The Commission regulates the sport and ensures that safety regulations are strictly adhered to, closely monitoring any potential problems.
He applauds Robin Brown's adventure centre as filling an essential gap in the tourism market, appealing to people who do not just want to sit on the beach, but also trek through national parks, ride mountain bikes, climb and go kayaking.
“We tried to get the Deputy Minister of Sport interested in creating maps, but the government has more important business with water supply, roads and such like, of course, so we are now considering producing brochures showing paragliding takeoffs in the north and south of the country,” he said.
Cooperation with adventure tourism organisations to produce other material is also a plan. “We want to organise paragliding competitions and Montenegro will be represented for the first time in the European paragliding championships in August in Niška Banja. We also hope next year to hold a world cup competition in Buljarica, a village near Budva," he said.
For more information on Robin Brown's adventure centre go to www.montenegrofly.com
Thursday, 08 May 2008 22:32
!“It's like aerial chess, but much more strategic, the more you learn about the terrain the further you can fly,” says the man who has just opened up Budva's first paragliding venture.
Robin Brown should know. He has already flown 86 kms cross country (in Brazil) and been involved in the sport since 1982. He ran a successful business in England, taking groups to paragliding hot spots in countries such as Australia, Brazil and South Africa and regularly to Montenegro.
The flying site at Beèiæi has been flown for many years by Eastern European pilots but Robin was probably the first UK pilot there, discovering the site during his winter tours of Eastern Europe.
On May 1 he greeted the first guests to his Montenegro Adventure Centre in Lapèiæi, above Budva. The centre is close to Lovæen National Park with its deciduous forests and high pastures, where Robin plans to also organise treks.
With the recent news that the United Nations Development Programme is planning, with its partners at the national and municipal levels of government, to simultaneously clean up a toxic mine tailings pond in Mojkovac and create an adventure tourism industry in the region, the main tourist focus is switching from coastal to encompass all attractions in this scenically packed country.
And not before time. Robin laments that adventure tourism needs a lot more backing from the Ministry of Tourism. “They need to be more proactive and develop adventure tourism. Officialdom often doesn't seem to have much time for small businesses and tourist officials have little idea about outdoor pursuits,” he told the Montenegro Times.
“There are no marked walking tracks up here or maps you can buy --- he gestures to the mountains behind his six-room accommodation centre. “There are Yugoslav army maps, mostly out of date, and some trails haven’t been cleared for 50 years.”
He considered several options including Romania before settling on Budva for his centre. “Montenegro has many leisure options in a small area such as rivers, lakes, mountains and the coast. You can paraglide from up here to the coast in the day, stay on the beach later and then go into town. I don't believe there is anywhere else in Europe where everything is so close.”
Why does he prefer paragliding to hang gliding? “Unpowered flights are more demanding than having an engine. Having a motor requires far less skill. Initially there is the adrenalin charge, then the feeling changes. As you get better, it becomes more challenging to go up and fly cross country, longer distances. The equipment too is much lighter than that used for hang gliding and the harness can be stashed easily in the boot of a car.”
He started paragliding in 1982, opening a school in Gloucestershire, England in 1996. There are now 5000 registered pilots in the UK. The Airtopia Paragliding Club is a registered club in Budva, and a member of the newly formed Association of Clubs of Montenegro. Clubs are in Budva, Nikšiæ, Bijelo Polje and Mojkovac.
Although Robin is a qualified instructor with the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and will help any visiting schools with their training, he does not teach paragliding to beginners as the centre is not a school. Visiting pilots need to hold a recognised qualification before flying in Budva and to provide proof of insurance.
The package the centre offers includes transfers from and to the airports of Dubrovnik, Tivat or Podgorica. Bed and breakfast accommodation is based on twin room sharing in en-suite rooms. There is always a daily weather report and access to the Internet. The lounge area has a TV, video and DVD players. Alternative activities are offered if the weather is not suitable for flying. And one way transport into town is provided every evening if needed.
President of the Paragliding Commission of the Aeronautical Union of Montenegro, Dusan Simovich, says Montenegro has great potential for the sport. He cites a 1200 meter mountain near Bar as being ideal for experienced paragliders. The Commission regulates the sport and ensures that safety regulations are strictly adhered to, closely monitoring any potential problems.
He applauds Robin Brown's adventure centre as filling an essential gap in the tourism market, appealing to people who do not just want to sit on the beach, but also trek through national parks, ride mountain bikes, climb and go kayaking.
“We tried to get the Deputy Minister of Sport interested in creating maps, but the government has more important business with water supply, roads and such like, of course, so we are now considering producing brochures showing paragliding takeoffs in the north and south of the country,” he said.
Cooperation with adventure tourism organisations to produce other material is also a plan. “We want to organise paragliding competitions and Montenegro will be represented for the first time in the European paragliding championships in August in Niška Banja. We also hope next year to hold a world cup competition in Buljarica, a village near Budva," he said.
For more information on Robin Brown's adventure centre go to www.montenegrofly.com