Serbia rising tourist destination, overnight stays up - gov't

BELGRADE - Serbia registered 1,003,817 overnight stays by Serbian and foreign tourists in December 2022, which is a 45 pct increase from 695,153 in December 2021, says the Serbian government, quoting figures from a report generated by the eTourist information system.

It is the central information system of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications for the hospitality and tourism sector.

In a statement, the government noted that, for the first time since the introduction of the system, the number of overnight stays generated by foreign tourists (552,481) had been higher than the number of those generated by Serbian tourists (451,336).

It said the increase was proof of huge government investments in the tourism economy through investments in roads and other infrastructure and construction of attractive accommodation capacities.

The figures also reflect government efforts in the field of culture, art and preservation of the national tradition and important archaeological sites, which are increasingly attracting interest from Serbian and foreign tourists alike, the statement said.

Examples include the renovation of the Golubac and Ram fortresses, archaeological sites and cultural institutions such as the National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade.

Attractive hotels in Vrnjacka banja, Vrdnik and on Mt Fruska Gora as well as the natural beauty of the Ovcar-Kablar Gorge are also indispensable choices of tourists visiting Serbia.

Some of the most popular tourist destinations with the highest number of overnight stays in December 2022 include Belgrade, Mt Zlatibor, Novi Sad, Mt Kopaonik, Subotica, Nis and Vrnjacka Banja.