Bosnia and Herzegovina plans to open a Benelux tourist office in Belgium

A little-known destination, or almost unknown to Belgians. With this in mind, Bosnia-Herzegovina has decided to open a tourist office in Belgium this autumn. And to involve AVs in discovering this small Balkan country.
Erol Avdovic, Bosnia-Herzegovina's ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, who has been in Brussels for less than two years and is keen to show people around his country. An award-winning journalist and former UN correspondent, he knows that the Belgian market is not to be neglected, and is delighted to announce the creation of a tourist office in Belgium as of next autumn. ‘It's the right time, I'm feeling the good vibes in all sectors and we have excellent diplomatic relations with your country.’

Leisure and MICE
However, there were no representatives of the press for this cordial presentation - apart from Pagtour. ‘They replied that they were interested in a trip but not free for this meeting,’ confides Damir Devedzic of Go2Bosna and DAL Projects - two companies that are promoting the advantages of business tourism, which he believes also has a place to play.
‘Obviously, our country is not among the top destinations for Belgians: 5,974 visitors in 2022 and 6,981 in 2023, out of more than a million tourists, but 65% of our visitors come from Europe... But we want to attract you! Business people and, above all, families’.
Sarajevo on every traveller's bucket list
And he goes on to unpack the assets of this small republic that is better known for its capital than for its twenty kilometres of beaches. ‘Every travel professional should have our capital on their bucket list,’ says the ambassador. Nicknamed the Jerusalem of Europe, Sarajevo is a historic crossroads of Islam, Judaism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy. And it has a rich cultural offering - cinema, dance, music and literature. An ideal city trip, according to the speakers for one evening. Who immediately add that nature is its main asset. With wine and a very cheap budget when you come from Western Europe.

The obligation to think sustainably
A visual presentation of ‘a country that is geographically small but great for its tourist interests’, featuring a very welcoming population, dreamy landscapes, rivers with miles of drinking water for hikers, sites labelled ‘most beautiful villages’ and a ‘wine route’ just like in France. ‘Few beaches, no cruises, but a Mediterranean climate, waterfalls galore and activities and adventures for all. With the help of USAID, the country also has to think ‘sustainable’ for every tourism initiative.
Air travel, a sore point
All this 1,600 kms from Belgium, which the Bosnian tour organisers behind this initiative suggest travelling by car: ‘There are so many beautiful stops along the way, via Croatia. By way of Croatia. Damir Krupalija, Executive Director of BH Passport, has to add that air travel is still the hardest part. ‘The day we have a direct route from Brussels, it will be very easy. We have contacts with Brussels Airlines, who knows? In the meantime, to get to Sarajevo, you have to leave from Charleroi with Ryanair or make a stopover from Brussels with Brussels Airlines and Austrian Airlines - that's 4-5 hours to get there.

The country's first famtrip

At the same time as opening a tourist office, Bosnia-Herzegovina is preparing its first famtrip. ‘Travel agents don't sell our country because customers don't ask, and they don't ask because they don't know... There's virtually no diaspora in Belgium and they don't talk about us. With these initiatives, at least the VAs will be able to offer something new. They'll know that they can work with us,’ say the two receptive partners optimistically - ’We'll take care of everything, from accommodation to bike hire, not forgetting experiences and great encounters.

UPAV-VVR Congress in 2025?

For the famtrip, a few days in September or October, conditions will be set - a fee refunded after sales and few places for a more effective immersion. B2B and B2C events are also in the pipeline.
But the offensive doesn't stop there. The proposal to organise the UPAV-VVR congress in 2025 has been put forward. With the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the country can offer a Sarajevo-Mostar double for 200 participants. The CEO of the VVR, Koen van den Bosch, and Sébastien Pauwels of BTC, who were present, listened attentively to this initiative. Behind the scenes, we even heard the idea of making up for the poor air offer by chartering a special TUI flight... To be continued.

Béatrice Demol (Travel Reporter)

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Why a BiH Tourist Office for Benelux?
• The presence of a Tourist Office in a country is necessary for the adequate promotion of BiH
• The cooperation of the largest and most important Tourist Offices in BiH is assured
• The first drafts of the marketing and communication strategy are ready
• Website, social media
• Printed media (professional tourism trade publications, general written media – newspapers, magazines)
• Trade fairs (B2B and B2C)
• Fam Trips
• Educational trainings and packages + certification

Tourism in BiH
Foreign arrivals:
• 2022: 915.143 - 2023: 1.183.169 (+29,3% vs 2022)
Most arrivals from: Croatia-Serbia: 27% (total for two countries) - Turkey: 8% - Saudi Arabia, Germany: 5% (per country) - USA: 3.3%
Arrivals from Belgium: 2022: 5974 (0,65%) - 2023:6981(0,59%

Airports
In BiH
• Sarajevo (Ryanair from Charleroi)
• 1 Stopover: Brussels Airlines (Frankfurt)
• 1 Stopover: Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
• 1 Stopover: Croatia Airlines (Zagreb)
• Banja Luka (Ryanair from Charleroi)
In Croatia
• Zagreb (Zaventem, Charleroi)
• Zadar (Charleroi)
• Split (Antwerp)
• Dubrovnik (Zaventem, Charleroi)