Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić opened the Tourism Fair in Novi Sad today, which gathered more than 100 exhibitors from the neighboring countries, and pointed out that tourism in Serbia and in the region has great perspective.
By noting that tourism has multiple roles, Ljajić said that, apart from being an indicator of the condition of society, tourism also contributes to the stability in the region.
“This year’s partner country of the Tourism Fair is Montenegro and this is not a coincidence because we have good cooperation with this country and the ministries of tourism of the two countries have particularly good cooperation that is on a strategic level” Ljajić said.
He explained that Montenegro has the sea and Serbia some other tourism potentials and that the ministries of tourism of both countries wish to promote them together.
Ljajić said that tourism potentials of Vojvodina are also important and added that foreign tourist visits in Vojvodina increased by 11% compared to last year.
He pointed out that out of the total number of visits to Vojvodina 36% of the guests visited Novi Sad and 15% Subotica which means that these two towns have been visited by more than half of the number of tourists.
“We also have to promote other towns in Vojvodina to make them attractive for tourist visits” Ljajić said.
He pointed out that it is good that spas in Serbia recorded a growth in the number of tourists of about 20% this year.
According to him, Serbia has significant reserves of tourism potentials in hunting tourism and these potentials should be used in the ensuing period.
Deputy Prime Minister Ljajić announced that the initiative for the promotion of domestic tourism and distribution of vouchers will continue next year and that the citizens will be able to use the vouchers throughout the year starting from January 1 next year.
The Minister explained that the current Regulation will be amended by simplifying the procedures for obtaining vouchers and we will probably also increase the number of the citizens who will have the right to use the vouchers and we have already started preparing amendments to the current Regulation.
Ljajić said that the Ministry will continue with the projects for the development of tourism infrastructure and pointed out that 16 such projects have been financed in Vojvodina this year in the total value of RSD 77.7 million.
“Out of the total amount of the funds allocated for tourism infrastructure, 17% was invested in projects in Vojvodina and we will continue with such practice because these projects were good and of good quality” he concluded.
Montenegrin Ambassador to Serbia Branislav Mićunović said that relations between the two countries are better and better, and the fact that Montenegro is a partner country of the Tourism Fair in Novi Sad shows that relations between the two countries are improving.
He specifically referred to the visit of Serbian tourists to Montenegro and pointed out that there has been 326,763 of them this year and they have made a total of 2,565,153 overnight stays which means that the number of Serbian tourists increased by 38% compared to last year and that they made 44% more overnight stays.
Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević said that tourism is a chance for development for Novi Sad and added that he was particularly proud of the fact that this town has marked a steady increase in the number of tourists in the last three years.
