Interest of Turkish tourists in Balkan countries continues to grow
The interest of Turkish tourists in destinations in Balkan countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia continues to increase, according to representatives of top tourism bodies in Sarajevo and Belgrade on Monday.
A public relations officer at the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, Jelena Stankovic, stated that Turkish visitors are particularly important for tourism in Belgrade, and Serbia in general, saying that approximately 200,000 Turks came to the Serbian capital last year.
Stankovic emphasized that Turkish visitors represent the largest tourist market in terms of numbers.
"We are only talking about the capital. This number is extremely high for Belgrade and has placed Turkish tourists on the list of top travelers for several years," she told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"For example, the figures I mentioned for last year indicate a 34% growth, which is very significant. We believe that our largest tourism market can grow even further, thanks to the extremely good tourism connections between the two countries," she added.
Moreover, Stankovic highlighted Serbia's support for tourism flows to Türkiye, noting that the national airline connects Istanbul to Belgrade with daily flights.
Discussing different flight routes between the two countries, Stankovic continued: "The national airline also connects Ankara to Belgrade. It also links Istanbul with Nis and Kraljevo. This is very important because it allows us to promote other destinations, different cities and regions in our country. We have learned that Turkish travelers are increasingly interested in exploring Serbian culture and history beyond just visiting our capital."
Diverse tourism opportunities
Stankovic pointed out that there are diverse tourism opportunities throughout the year and in every season, stating that tourism programs, tours, gastronomy, museums and cultural events are among the reasons why tourists from Türkiye choose Belgrade.
She also highlighted that excursions outside Belgrade are popular. "There are special tours available, such as visits to cities like Novi Sad and Nis, Danube River tours, monastery and vineyard visits. We welcome both group travelers and individual tourists. Additionally, Belgrade serves as the most important hub for major tour operators organizing large-scale Balkan tours, where Turkish tourists spend the most time before continuing to other Balkan countries," she explained.
Stankovic particularly emphasized that Serbia is a visa-free country for Turkish travelers and stated that they plan to expand tourism cooperation between Türkiye and Serbia.
As part of this expansion, she noted that travel agencies are collaborating and making business agreements, preparing for the upcoming season and working on special offers with tour operators for next year.
Stankovic mentioned that previous collaborations and promotional campaigns have been effective, also mentioning they have a social media presence in Turkish to assist Turkish travelers before their visits.
She also underscored that their participation in tourism fairs in Türkiye is proof of the strong cooperation between Türkiye and Serbia.
"We have never paused, even during critical times like COVID-19. We continue to present our offers to tourists, travel agencies and tour operators in Türkiye, and we will keep doing so."
Tourism traffic between Türkiye, Bosnia
On the other hand, an expert with the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo, Damir Muminagic, also emphasized that Türkiye is the largest market for Bosnian tourism, saying that the number of tourists from Türkiye increased by 20% compared to the previous year in 2024.
Muminagic stated that one of the main reasons Bosnia-Herzegovina is an attractive destination for Turkish tourists is the visa-free travel agreement between the two countries.
He also pointed out that the presence of significant Turkish universities in Sarajevo and Turkish students choosing the region for education contribute to boosting tourism.
"We continue our promotional activities in major cities like Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa. Tourism traffic between Türkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina is developing reciprocally. A significant portion of visitors from Türkiye come to our country through group tours, individual travel and educational programs," he noted.
AA-DailySabah
