The program brings together international professionals from the remote work community, with the aim of promoting the region as an attractive destination for longer stays and remote work, but also strengthening the capacities of local tourism stakeholders.
The program involves a group of experienced digital nomads who travel through Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina for a month, combining remote work with exploring local destinations.
“I’m two days into my multi-week STAR Nomad Residency journey through Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. There’s something about moving slowly through unfamiliar terrain — crossing borders, changing paces, adapting to new cities and rural environments for a few days — that strips away all the clutter. Over the next month, I look forward to experiencing and documenting what life and work as a digital nomad is really like in the field, together with my colleagues on the STAR Nomad Residency team: practical challenges, unexpected benefits, and community gathering places like Code Hubs, which serve as meeting points in Nikšić and Mostar, where digital nomads naturally congregate. By mid-May, I hope to have a wealth of stories, experiences, and insights worth sharing,” said Michael Cohen, one of the program participants.
Their stay focuses on authentic experiences — from natural beauty to cultural heritage, using the services of local tour operators and staying longer in selected environments. It is an intensive itinerary that includes numerous locations in both countries.
In Montenegro, the route includes Podgorica, Mojkovac, Kolašin, Šavnik, Žabljak, Plužine, Nikšić, Herceg Novi and Kotor, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina it includes Ravno (Vjetrenica), Stolac, Čapljina (Hutovo blato), Ljubuški, Mostar and Grude.
The goal of this approach is to present the diversity of the cross-border area's offer, but also to show the real experience of living and working on the move.
The program is not designed as a classic tourist trip, but as a combination of work, research and content creation. Participants will share authentic stories and recommendations through their own channels, focusing on lesser-known locations and local service providers, thereby contributing to the long-term visibility of the destination.
Special emphasis is placed on gathering concrete insights into the needs of digital nomads — from infrastructure and accommodation to the quality of the offer and the overall stay experience. These insights will serve as a basis for improving tourism products and better positioning the region in the global remote work market.
The STAR project works to strengthen the capacities of tourism operators, develop an innovative cross-border tourism product, and promote Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro as a destination for sustainable travel and remote work.
The most interesting part of the program is expected to be through content from the field, where participants will document their experiences and interactions with local communities, offering a different perspective on the region — from the perspective of a longer stay, rather than a short visit.
You can follow the journey and impressions of digital nomads, as well as recommendations from the locations they visit, on the social networks of INTERA and Tehnopolis, where their posts, photos, short videos, as well as visuals of the routes and places they visit are regularly shared.
The project is implemented by INTERA Technology Park in partnership with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis and the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, within the framework of the IPA III CBC Program Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro 2021–2027.
