Serbia plans new investments in tourist destinations

Serbia plans to attract more tourists by making investments into tourist destinations and making a joint offer with countries in the region, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said at the opening of the International Tourism Fair Thursday.

Vucic opened the 38th tourism fair and announced that Serbia, although it is a small country, has potential to draw tourists from all over the world with its destinations and its traditional hospitality.

In his opening speech, Vucic announced improvements in infrastructure, services across the country as well as investments in revamping Danube River and the three biggest cities, namely Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad.

He said that Serbia will invest additional 10 million euros (about 11.1 million U.S. dollars) this year into several destinations on the Danube from town of Apatin to Beska in the north and from Smederevo to Kladovo in the east of the country in order to bring the country to the focus of tourism in the region.

He added that city centers of Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad will be repaired and facades reconstructed so that these cities can become top city break destinations.

Mayor of Belgrade Sinisa Mali and Tourism Minister Rasim Ljajic also attended the opening ceremony.

Mali announced the beginning an intensive campaign to draw visitors from Asian countries, especially China, to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, for which purpose tourist organization of Belgrade premiered a promotion video starring Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, actor famous in China for his role of Valter from the 1972 movie "Valter Defends Sarajevo".

He said that official data show the revenue from tourism has increased by 14 percent from 2014 to 2015 and that the city plans to expand its tourist offer even more by promoting itself as a safe and secure city where people from all over the world are welcome.

Ljajic said that by having regional countries Slovenia as this year's partner and Montenegro as next year's, the fair aims to inspire the creation of a joint tourist offer of countries in the region.

Estimating that tourism is growing into a prosperous branch of the economy, he suggested that regional tourist offer should be formed and planed jointly by regional countries so that it could attract tourists from all over the world more effectively.

The international tourism fair in Belgrade, the biggest in southeast Europe, opened on Thursday and will last until Feb. 21, under the slogan "Where you've never been?" Endit