Attending the 90th sessions of the General Assembly in Belgrade, representatives of the General Assembly of the European Travel Commission (ETC) agreed that Serbia is one of the most dynamic destinations in Europe because tourism in our country has recorded a double-digit growth in the last five years.
The session of the General Assembly of the European Travel Commission, which was attended by directors of national tourism organization and directors of tourism marketing and development from 25 European countries, was opened by Assistant Minister for Tourism Renata Pindžo who said that this sector has been recognized as one of the most important engines of economic development in our country in recent years. Pindžo also said that Serbia has been very active in regional projects in the last few years as cooperation with other countries in this sector is very important.
Director General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWТО) Marcio Favilla said that Serbia is on a good way considering that it has marked a growth in the number of domestic and foreign tourists in the last few years. He also took the opportunity to commend the initiative of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for encouraging domestic tourism by granting vouchers and noted that domestic tourists are economically more important than foreign tourists because every country needs tourists throughout the year and not only in peak season.
“Many countries in the region have similar projects and France recorded excellent results in the promotion of domestic tourism” Favilla concluded.The current year operational report and work plan for 2016 were reviewed on the 90th session of the ETC General Assembly, whose official host was the Tourism Organization of Serbia, and special attention was paid to visa liberalization in European countries as an incentive for a greater influx of tourists from other continents and to the further development of Pan-European Thematic Tourism Routes.
The operation of the General Assembly involved representatives of the World Tourism Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council and the European Commission.
The European Travel Commission is a non-profit organization founded in 1948 with an aim to promote Europe as a tourist destination on overseas markets. Through the membership in the Commission, representatives of 33 national tourism organizations acquire knowledge, exchange experience and work together on the branding and promotion of Europe as a unique tourist destination. The Tourism Organization of Serbia has been a member of the European Travel Commission for almost a decade.
