For three years in a row the total number of tourist has been falling, just like the foreign currency influx from tourism, and in a period when we are constantly listening about the branding of Serbia, the medicinal waters which are abundant in our resorts, healthy mountain air and alike.
Tourist workers claim that these are not “kids’ tales” and that Serbia really does have the potential, but on its own it doesn’t mean anything. The country is under-constructed and unadjusted for tourists, and you need money for serious business. As much for investments as for marketing.
The task of the Tourist Organization of Serbia (TOS) is the promotion of the country as a tourist destination, and with that it is the right place to ask the question how to earn a billion Euros from the foreign currency influx from tourism?
„We are still not competitive, primarily in prices. Having in mind the accomplished level of the tourist offer, we are investing great efforts to attract foreign agencies to take us into consideration. Their first comment is mostly: it is expensive. And it really is. The hotels in bigger cities are among the most expensive in the region, and very often the prices are higher than in hotels in the countries of the European Union. Until recently even the trip to Serbia was expensive for foreigners, which has changed with the arrival of the low-cost airline“, says Zorica Jovanov, head of the department for international promotions and cooperation in TOS.
HOW DID KOPAONIK GO DOWNHILL: The current state of tourism is maybe best explained by Kopaonik’s example, which TOS tried for years to place in the offers of big international agencies.
„They refused us because we were expensive, and then we somehow made it into the programs of two of the biggest tourist agencies in Great Britain. We were kicked out after only two years, and now it is unsure if we’ll ever be in their offer again“, Zorica reveals. So, what happened?
Thanks to the offer of the tourist agencies, Kopaonik was full of British tourist in 2008. But, next year the number of tourist that came was cut down to a half. And, it seems that there are two reasons for it. On one hand, it looks like that the impression we left on the British, mainly because of the high prices, wasn’t as such to make them come again or recommend Kopaonik to their friends.
On the other hand, because of the crisis there is not as much money as there was before for the promotion, so no new “victims are being caught ”. And the British have thrown out Serbia from its offer.
But, no one suffered because of it. The state officials are mainly sorry because of the lack of money. The international fairs, where TOS is mostly promoting our country, are not at all a cheap way of marketing.
TOS will receive some 2,6 billion Euros from the state budget this year, and a half of that sum is intended for the international promotion. Really a small amount.