City of Zavidovići installed 10 pavilions at the Maoča picnic site by Krivaja

Good news for Maoča - and the problem that needed a solution

The City of Zavidovići had been recording a growth in the number of visitors to its natural sites. Maoča, a picnic site on the upper course of the Krivaja river, ranked at the top of popularity: arranged bathing spots, installed benches, camping areas. But with the growth of popularity a visible problem emerged: over the summer, when locals and foreign visitors gathered, there was simply nowhere to sit in the shade, eat, and rest before continuing the day. A visitor would go down to the river, bathe, and then look for any gazebo - usually in vain.

This was not a small matter. When a visitor could not spend a full day at the picnic site, the stay shortened, and the site - however beautiful it may have been - became less attractive than it could be. That very phenomenon the City of Zavidovići called by its name in the application: a lack of content that greatly slows further development and progress of tourism.

What was specifically done

Ten standard pavilions with a table and benches were installed at Maoča - wooden, designed to fit entirely into the natural ambiance of the picnic site. The idea was simple but effective:

• smaller objects, distributed at different points along the river
• each sufficient for one table and accompanying benches
• wooden construction that fits into the surrounding forest ambiance
• roof structure protecting from sun and rain

A family or a group of friends can spend the whole day at one point - shade, table, view of the river, protection during rain or hot sun.

The project did not require a building permit, these were standard, temporary objects not classified as buildings. That eased the administrative path and accelerated realisation.

Who all participated

The project received full institutional and local support:

• Investor - the Ministry of Economy of ZDK and the City of Zavidovići
• Contractor - a local construction company
• Expert supervision - an authorised supervisory company
• Volunteers - members of the Sports, Scientific, and Research Club "ATOM" Zavidovići

The inclusion of "ATOM" volunteers was not accidental - it is a local organisation with experience in researching, cleaning, and arranging natural sites. Volunteers of this profile ensured that objects were not only installed, but also that someone cared for them after the contractor finished the job. That participation model prevented the project from being perceived as "top-down", and instead made it a joint matter of citizens and the City.

Where the project fits - the second phase of a long-term story

The City of Zavidovići had been investing in the development of tourist infrastructure across the wider city area for years. The Maoča project was the second phase of implementation, meaning that there was a first one before it (basic arrangement of the bathing area, benches, camping spots), and then came the content that made that foundation truly usable for a full-day stay.

The logic is that every picnic site is rounded off as a whole - not just "a place where the water looks nice", but a place where a visitor can plan a whole day or weekend, without constantly searching for the nearest hospitality or city.

Sustainability - why this endures

The effect was not one-off. By expanding the tourist offer at Maoča, the City of Zavidovići expected:

• An increased number of visitors from all of BiH and beyond in upcoming tourist seasons
• A longer stay of tourists at the location; a longer stay means greater spending at local facilities
• Continuity in the development of Maoča as a destination; the project builds on a previous phase and leaves space for the next

From now on, when a tourist group comes to Maoča, there are 10 points where it can settle. Each pavilion is a small but independent content, which turns the whole picnic site from a "beautiful but limited point" into a functional full-day space.

What comes next

The completion of the second phase cycle at Maoča meant that point was now rounded off. The City of Zavidovići was already working on a wider spectrum of tourist projects - new children's content and entertainment spaces in the city itself will complement the offer for visitors coming with families and expecting more than nature: content in the urban centre as well.

The message of the project

Small wooden objects, a table, a bench, a roof of wood and sheet metal are not a dramatic construction solution. But they are the exact solution to a real problem that a Maoča visitor feels within the first twenty minutes of the stay.

With this project, the City of Zavidovići showed it understands the difference between "we do something because we must" and "we do what will be seen immediately on the visitor's face". And that is the only way for tourism not to be pushed by paperwork but by the excursion itself - the one the visitor actually spends from morning to evening.