 TOURISM |
For a long time, all embassies based in Belgrade used to issue warnings to foreign visitors for them to avoid Serbia and Belgrade. Those were the times of war in former Yugoslavia. One international expert in tourism recently gave some free advice to Serbian authorities: "At least you are certain that everybody in the world can recognize the names of Belgrade and Serbia and their geographical position. Now you just have to turn that negative image in a clever way".
It seems that it was true. October the 5th was covered by almost all leading world news agencies. TV stations even stopped their program to announce that Serbia was liberated. From that time up to now, Serbia, and particularly Belgrade raised its number of foreign tourists by more than 40 percent. For now, most of them are coming either for business or want to spend one weekend in a place they found yet undiscovered.
Belgrade has a unique, beautiful position on the estuary of two rivers, and more than anything a vivid spirit and warmth that attracts foreign tourists. "Belgrade, apart from its cultural inheritance, also knows how to offer its soul to people" says Ms. Radmila Hrustanovic second female president in the history of the Belgrade municipality.
About 65% of the whole Serbian tourism takes place in Belgrade. The main reason for this is the offshoot of tourism coming from businesses and congresses. For international businessmen and tourists Hyatt Regency offers the best quality accommodation in Belgrade. It is also the favorite spot for international investment conferences and receptions. "The importance of Hyatt in Belgrade is obvious, since there are only two five-star hotels in Belgrade", says Mr. Francois Dussart General Manager of Hyatt Regency Belgrade.
After serving in Tahiti, Paris, Istanbul, Cancun and La Manga (South of Spain) Mr. Dussart find himself very happy to be in Belgrade. "I found the city very lively and people very friendly and welcoming, very Mediterranean in a way…" he says. But more than that, it is about business. Mr. Dussart believes that Belgrade is an important market. "If things continue in this way and the economy improves, Belgrade will become the key city in this region very soon". So far, the Hyatt Regency hosted the French President, Mr. Chirac, the American Embassy, which had their offices for 5 months during 2001, and many more.
The man in charge of the Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Services, Mr. Slobodan Milosavljevic, underlines the fact that Serbia is on a crossroad position, with all major roads axis from East and West passing through the country.
The average stay per tourist in Yugoslavia is 1.5 days, but the statistics improved after the promotion of new interesting spots. Starting from Belgrade, tourists, or businessmen eager to take some break from their everyday office routine will find out that Serbia has a lot to offer.
Among the various activities and destinations are hunting, river tourism, health tourism, skiing on Kopaonik, specially popular in Great Britain with its 50 ski lifts and more than 8000 bed capacity, another ski point Brezovica, rare birds resorts, mystique lakes, Middle Age castles in Vojvodina, monasteries and beautiful spas recently discovered by German tourists.
| One of the new authorities' objectives and actions is to persuade tourists to spend more time in Serbia, is to bring accommodation on a much higher level. Mr. Milosavljevic is in charge of the privatization of Serbian hotels. "So far I had about 60 world famous hotel chains interested in the privatization of our hotels such as Accor or Sheraton. Last week in Belgium I met 20 businessmen from the hotel branch interested in the presentation of our hotels, and we will provide them with all the information needed for participating in their privatization", says Milosavljevic. The biggest and most luxurious hotel in Kopaonik, the main ski resort in Serbia, presently owned by a Serbian export-import company will be privatized this year. Other tourist resorts are also waiting for foreign investors.
In September 2001, Serbia entered the World Tourism Organization, which is considered a very important chance to bring the country back on the tourism market. Two campaigns were recently launched revealing dynamic slogans such as "Serbia, fall in love again" and "Serbia, three times love". The message is that Serbia is not only nature, cultural heritage, or people, but the three together. "For 2002 we expect 2.5 million tourists and about 7,5 million overnights.
That is approximately two-thirds of the amount we had at the beginning of the nineties. We want to reach that level now and then develop it to the same level than other European countries", says Mrs. Ljubica Milojevic, Director of the Tourism Organization of Serbia. The National Tourist Organization is a government organization specialized in promotional activities abroad and inside the country.
The next step will be "promotion and cooperation" with neighboring countries such as Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia and Czech Republic, in order to bring back Serbia on the European map. The major challenge will be the Olympic Games in Greece scheduled for 2004: Serbia prepared a comprehensive and imaginative plan to introduce "transiting tourism", which in short means that it will offer its accommodation, sport and recreation facilities to foreign sportsmen for their preparations for the Olympic Games. Mr. Milosavljevic already presented the idea on the Berlin Tourist Fair and was backed up by all leading sport clubs in Serbia.
But Olympic games would be just an starting point for more sport tourism. The Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic confirmed that Serbia will be the host of European Basketball competition, and the first steps in preparing that glamorous event already started. Even if the worst days of Milosevic's regime, Serbia was well known for its first class basketball players, which were competing at the same level with US and Russian teams, and for its football players, members of the leading European soccer teams.
Another still not well-developed tourism branches, which may flourish and give Serbia a unique image, is rural tourism. "On the 1st of June we will host the first congress of rural tourism organized by WTO in Belgrade. Serbia has a strong potential for rural tourism, which is becoming more and more popular in Europe nowadays", says Milojevic. There are for example splendid monasteries to visit such as Studenica, Sopocani or Stari Ras, which are protected by UNESCO. Studenica and Sopocani are among the "South European culture itinerary", which means that they are included and recommended by an international tourism program, a sort of cultural and historical connection between Central and Western Europe.
Few months ago, Serbia and Montenegro declared separate republics and signed an agreement that gives a new angle to tourism in the area. Both republics are looking at more fruitful and successful cooperation in the tourism sector. Mr. Milosavljevic believes that it would be wise for tourists to start their visit in Belgrade, continue to discover the beauties of Serbia and end their trip in Montenegro. "Montenegro's Adriatic coast and Serbian mountains or hunting areas could make one good offer altogether," concludes Serbian minister for Trade, Tourism and Services. |
