The program and participants of the upcoming 45th International Tourism Fair, which begins for visitors on Thursday, 22 February at the Belgrade Fair, have been announced.
This year, this premier tourism event, gathering the entire region of Southeastern Europe and other parts of the world, has filled all the capacities in the halls where it is held, halls 1, 1A, and 4.
Dragan Zečević, coordinator of the 45th International Tourism Fair, announced with great satisfaction that more than 400 participants from over 27 countries will present their offers.
“Greece, as this year’s partner country of the Tourism Fair, will be particularly interesting for the fair visitors because every year about a million tourists from Serbia visit Greece, mostly the northern part, and among those who have their holiday abroad, 70% of Serbs choose Greece,” said Zečević.
This year, Cambodia, Ecuador, Saint Lucia, Libya will participate at the Tourism Fair for the first time, while the countries returning and participating again are the islands of Indonesia, Cuba, and Sao Tome and Principe.
Popular and favorite destinations that are continuously present at the fair will be there this year as well: Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Cameroon, Gabon, Namibia, and Cyprus.
Zečević also announced the 19th International Fair of Hotel and Catering Equipment HORECA-EQUIPMENT that will take place simultaneously with the Tourism Fair, from 22 to 25 February 2024 in halls 2A and 2C. Under the slogan “Be My Guest” HORECA-EQUIPMENT offer will be the largest to date, and exhibitors from Italy, Croatia and Serbia, from various areas related to hospitality activities that elevate every tourist offer to a higher level, will present the most modern equipment for kitchens, restaurants and bars, hotels, as well as new trends of business, supply, and operation of catering facilities.
This largest tourism gathering continues to determine many events in the region. This is obvious based on the number of exhibitors and more than 500 meetings scheduled by professional buyers for the upcoming fair.
Uroš Kandić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Youth of the Republic of Serbia, noted that Serbia has recorded the highest growth in tourism, with an increase of 79% after the pandemic, and this year, from 01 January to 01 February, there has been a 3-4% increase in arrivals.
-The Tourism Fair will be ceremonially opened by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Minister of Tourism of Greece, Olga Kefalogiani. We expect a lot from this kind of partnership with Greece, as it is always like that after every tourism fair when cooperation between countries gives excellent results. Investment in tourism and infrastructure continues, and we hope that tourism will be a strong driver of the entire economy,” announced Kandić
Georgios Kakoutis, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organization office in Serbia, emphasized that it is a special honor for Greece to be the partner country of the 45th International Tourism Fair, and the cooperation between the two countries is a reason for further connecting the two nations.
– The fact is that this fair has been a leading tourism event for over four decades, with high professional standards, and the Greek National Tourism Organization has been present at this tourism celebration every year. This year, the pleasure is greater, as Greece is the partner country, and all tourism representatives from the most popular Greek destinations will be present at the stand in Hall 1. Their main task is to introduce visitors to all tourism capacities, historical, natural, culinary, wine, and cultural tours for exploring Greece. Also, there is promotion of new, lesser-known destinations that can satisfy the taste of every traveler,” said Kakoutis, adding that more than 70 thousand Greeks choose Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zlatibor, Serbian spas and Kopaonik for their tourist visits to your country, and this number increases every year.
Serbia will present its tourism assets in Hall 4 of the Belgrade Fair through presentations by the Tourist Organization of Serbia (TOS), Tourist Organization of Belgrade (TOB), Tourist Organization of Vojvodina (TOV), as well as numerous local and regional tourist organizations from all parts of Serbia. In halls 1a and 1, the Guarantee Fund of AP Vojvodina and the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism will have a noticeable presentation.
The Tourist Organization of Serbia will present itself under the slogan “Serbia. Experience it!”, and in addition to active holiday, the emphasis will be on the richness of diversity through the promotion of a new brochure titled “Stronghold of Spirituality” and “My Danube”.
Marija Labović, Director of the Serbian Tourist Organization, stated that more than 60 percent of foreign tourist arrivals in Serbia are related to visits and tours linked to spirituality (churches and monasteries) and programs associated with the Danube River, so she announced that these programs will gain importance for this season by TOS.
The appearance of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade at this year’s Tourism Fair will be marked by the upcoming EXPO 2027 exhibition, as well as various events offered by Belgrade municipalities.
During the fair, a protocol of cooperation will be signed between the Tourist Organization of Belgrade and the company EXPO 2027, a project that will change the face of the city, because if you have new attractions to offer, success is guaranteed. At the Tourism Fair, the Tourist Organization of Belgrade will focus on foreign markets, especially Turkey, as one of the most popular markets, and colleagues from Izmir will be visiting Belgrade to work together with us on further expansion of our cooperation, said Miodrag Popović, Director of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade.
He added that Belgrade is an eclectic city, a mixture of cultures and tastes, and is that way presented to tourists. Regarding the Belgrade Fair, he said that as the largest regional fair, it has responded to the demands of the times, and that this year, thanks to well-done work, offerings, B2B meetings, it will bring maximum revenues.
Opening hours of the Tourism Fair and the HORECA-EQUIPMENT Fair:
THU – SAT, 22 – 24 February: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
SUN, 25 February: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tickets:
The price of a single ticket is 500 RSD
Group ticket (minimum eight people): 400 RSD
Business ticket with a package of benefits: 3,000 RSD
Car parking: 200 RSD per hour
