The number of tourists visiting the capital of Sarajevo has hit the record high this year with over a million overnight stays, according to official figures of the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Board.
The significant growth in the number of tourists and overnight stays happens for the first time after the 1984 Winter Olympics when Sarajevo was a centre of the world.
“Statistics show that the number of tourists coming to Sarajevo and staying here is constantly increasing. This October we broke the record having the millionth stay in the Sarajevo Canton, the first time after 1984 when Sarajevo was the centre of the world owing to the Winter Olympics,” said Sarajevo Canton Tourist Board spokesperson Aida Kusundzija.
The October trend has continued in the next month too.
“Over a half million of tourists visited Sarajevo in the period from January to November, and there were 1.1 million of overnight stays. So, compared to the last year these figures increased by 17-20%,” said Kusundzija.
Tourists mostly come from Turkey, the United States and the neighbouring countries Croatia and Serbia. The number of visitors from Germany and Italy is also significant.
“Those are usually the top 10 countries the visitors come from,” according to Kusundzija.
“Depending on their cultures, the people have different demands and interest. Some come to learn about our rich history, some find our wartime tourism exceptionally interesting,” she said explaining that many tourists wish to see two museums that provide information on the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
The visitors mostly want to spend time with locals and enjoy Bosnian cuisine, according to Kusundzija. Also, the mountains surrounding the capital city attract many tourists throughout the year.
The tourist board expects “the Olympic city” to be the centre of this part of Europe during the New Year holidays. Hence, they plan the central outdoor event to be called ‘Sarajevo, the New Year centre of the region.’
“We expect that all available capacities, over 330 facilities with more than 13,600 beds, to be fully occupied. We’re opening the winter season on Mount Bjelasnica on December 19,” she announced.
“We’re constantly enriching the offer in order to make these statistics grow. We’re improving our offer in sense of wishing to change the image of the city of Sarajevo for the better,” said Kusundzija.
