The growing trend of the number of arrivals and overnight stays of domestic visitors encourages and inspires hope that this year’s season in the Republic of Srpska will not experience a complete collapse, and vouchers that used more than 12,000 contributed to that, said the director of the Tourist Organization of Srpska Nada Jovanović.
Jovanović added that vouchers should become a practice even when the coronavirus pandemic passes because citizens have never met the tourist pearls of Srpska like this year.
– Tourist vouchers given by the Government of Srpska are an exceptional move and a decision made at the right time to support the domestic tourist economy – said Jovanović.
She expressed hope that the “Experience Srpska” campaign will come to life in the future, because that is, as she pointed out, an excellent incentive for domestic tourism.
Jovanović stated that since June 15, when the “Experience Srpska” campaign began, 12,066 vouchers have been used so far.
According to her, during July, the number of arrivals of domestic tourists was 12,720, and the number of overnight stays was 35,965, which is less compared to the previous year, but given the fact that in the months before we had almost no guests, the data is encouraging.
– The numbers show that this trend continued in August and that domestic tourists will have an approximate number of arrivals and overnight stays as last year, which is very positive. Following the data of the Republic Bureau of Statistics, from March to July this year, a total of 41,385 arrivals were recorded in Srpska, and 115,484 overnight stays were realized, while in the same period last year, 179,061 arrivals and 419,420 overnight stays were recorded – she stated.
She pointed out that most vouchers were used in the Health and Tourist Center “Banja Vrućica”, then in hotels in Trebinje, “Banja Kulaši”, spa “Vilina vlas” and National Park “Sutjeska”.
She stated that since the proclamation of the pandemic, tourism has stood out as one of the most affected industries that will feel the consequences for a long time to come.
When it comes to the recovery of tourism, Jovanović says that it is difficult to say what time period is needed for that as long as the virus is in the community, as long as there is no cure, and as long as the world functions under restrictions.
Jovanović says that he is happy that countries and destinations such as Italy and Spain are recovering in terms of tourism, as well as that other European countries are working on tourist programs and plans for next year, which instills hope for freedom of movement and exchange of tourists in the upcoming period.
– In that regard, the Tourist Organization of Srpska will work in parallel on the development of a plan and program for the promotion of the tourist offer of Srpska, both on the domestic tourist market and abroad, in order to be ready for the end of the pandemic – she said.
Jovanović stated that one of the most visited destinations in Srpska in this period is Trebinje, a city that with its Old Town, swimming pools, and the City of the Sun provides a real Mediterranean atmosphere.
“The next destination that stood out this summer is Jahorina. Mountain bobsleigh on the rails is the biggest summer attraction, and there are also spa centers, National Park` Sutjeska`, and Višegrad with Andrićgrad, ” Jovanović emphasized
TST
