Armin Osmancevic, who was forced to leave BiH with 17 years in 1993, today is doing his best in order to change the image of BiH and attract guests to visit it.
Osmancevic went to Sweden where he graduated a digital marketing, and as he said, he understood that what others see as a challenge, to him it is actually an opportunity if it is approached it on a right was and with right people.
He launched a website HelloBosnia.com where all interested could see natural treasures and beauties of B&H.
Four years ago, Osmancevic went to Dubai where he met his business partner, who is also from B&H, and they decided to make something together and give their contribution to the country where they were born.
He explained that HelloBosnia was launched in March, but that its greatest success is with guests from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because they do not need visas for BiH.
“My mind has never settled in thinking about various opportunities to make a difference to the people back in Bosnia,” he says.
Various packages can be found on this website, and also visits according to the own desire of a visitor can be created.
HelloBosnia.com is an integrated portal that offers a service that includes reservation and payment. All interested could find information about attractions and all interesting things they can do and see in BiH.
“I want to make B&H closer to all. The tourism sector is still undeveloped, but it is slowly expanding. The annual income of the country from the tourism increased for 17% in the last year compared to the previous year, according to the statistics from the Central Bank of BiH. The number of visits doubled compared to the period of 10 years ago, and BiH was visited by 845.000 people in the last year.“
There are a variety of packages, ranging from three-day excursions for €285 (Dh1,175) up to €2,055 for 14 days. In addition to the variety of packages available online, clients may request to have a tour designed specifically to suit their needs. “Schedules are created based on specific preferences of prospective clients in target markets,” says Mr. Osmancevic.
He says that demand has increased for those bespoke packages. “This probably reflects the family orientation and specific needs of the GCC and Mena clientele,” Mr. Osmancevic says.
The company is planning to organize a family trip from the UAE for late-September/early-October. The trip will include media and social bloggers as well as travel agents. He says that Bonify has also been in discussions with the Bosnian government to create content that captures the region’s interest. “We have already made arrangements with a couple of major global airlines that see value in supporting our efforts to propel Bosnian tourism to a new level,” he says.
In addition to the personal connection that the owners have with Bosnia, what makes the company different than other tour groups is the integrated portal that HelloBosnia.com offers its customers. The site offers a service that includes bookings and payments. Mr. Osmancevic says it is the only site that offers comprehensive information about attractions and activities in Bosnia and allows users to instantly book and make online payments.
