This overview is a valuable source of information on the current state of tourism in 8 countries of the Balkans. It contains evidence and data that indicate the priority given to development of tourism in each country, such as budget allocations, earnings from tourism, what kind of tourism they promote, what are their most developed and marketed attractions, which are their best practices so far, and who are the donors in the development of tourism. The countries included in this research are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.
The Balkan region can offer many different experiences from gastronomy, to natural and cultural heritage, traditions, hospitality, historical sites, impressive coastlines and so much more.
The region lies at a crossroads, where empires met, fought and combined to form a kaleidoscope of cultures unique in Europe, left their own indelible mark on the local architecture, cuisine, languages, music and traditions.
There are several underlying issues that will challenge any effort to develop a shared vision for regional tourism based on sustainable development. There remains a lack of consensus on the mutual benefits (income, jobs, and investment opportunities) of shared tourism products. The persistence and recent increase in nationalist sentiments has reinforced competition over collaborative approaches, exacerbated the region’s ‘branding problem’, and made it difficult to celebrate the region’s diversity. Connectivity is limited between cities of the region and transport networks are poor. Lack of an information sharing platform for useful tips and guidelines is also identified as a challenge.
In terms of capacity, the region underperforms in quality and status of tourism programmes, while lacking collaborative vehicles or networks that could facilitate cooperation and help to manage and promote a regional tourism ‘product.’
The region suffers from a branding problem; the “Balkans” conjures up narratives and stereotypes of conflict and fragmentation. Strengthening transportation infrastructure was identified as critical for improved regional tourism and sustainable economic growth in the Balkans. However, investments in infrastructure will not happen without regional cooperation, the building of consensus, and political will; these are preconditions. For instance, current plans for mutually beneficial transport projects, such as the Adriatic Highway, require more promotion of the clear advantages they would offer through modest initiatives that connect municipalities across borders, produce tangible benefits for communities, and generate local demand for improved infrastructure.
Evidence suggests that:
Joint action is essential for further development and growth of the region.
There is limited connection and cooperation between the countries in the field of tourism.
Institutions (both public and private) lack the political will or the capacity to develop and implement a model of integrated tourism development.
There is insufficient utilization of the available funds of the EU and other international and bilateral development institutions. This can be seen on a national level in some of the countries, and on travel industry level in others. The most common reason for this is lack of knowledge on the part of final beneficiaries and lack of utilization system and experience within the industry.
Inadequate education of tourism professionals operating in the field, across the region.
The region is mostly unknown and under-promoted to the general public on the world market. This can be used positively to make the region stand out as an exotic and unexplored destination which is a popular tourist market and is already the way the region is depicted by services like Lonely Planet, National Geographic, and other media like The Guardian, Wanderlust, Huffington Post and others.
Some of the underexploited potentials that we recommend future development on and possible further activities to be focused on are:
Supporting family businesses in tourism, especially in rural areas and places that struggle with high levels of unemployment among youth and women.
Raising awareness of the importance of ecology and eco-sustainability in pace with the development of tourism
Encouraging local entrepreneurs for opening side businesses with complementary offers in under-populated places.
Exploring the potential for cross-border connecting and cross border itineraries and business networking
Promoting opportunities for unified approach of Balkan countries to distant markets instead of the popular “competitors” approach.
Most important of all is the education of the population – local people who may participate in creating the offer are not currently confident with inventions mainly because they are the opposite type of traveler than the tourists they are about to offer to. This gap can only be overcome with non-formal education and showing positive experiences first-hand.
Tourism, food, energy and financial markets are vital areas which require a higher degree of association between the countries of the region, in order to compete in the European and global marketplace. The formation of a joint stock exchange and the integrated promotion of regional tourism and food brands would have direct added value for the individual economies.
With respect to the tourism in the region, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts: Although relatively small in area and population, individual countries provide spectacular experiences on their own. Promoting the region, beyond the country-specific promotional activities that are typically undertaken by tourism programmes, further enhances the attractiveness of Balkan countries for tourists all over the world. Such regional integration broadens and deepens the economic development impact of individual countries and associated communities and revives cross-border relationships that suffered or were severed following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
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