Around 30 percent of foreign tourists have canceled their reservations in Serbia, which can be explained by the unstable political situation in the country, said the director of the National Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia, Aleksandar Senicic.
Senicic emphasized that this is a high percentage of cancellations and that the latest information indicates a 30 percent cancellation rate for group visits and 40 percent for congresses and international events.
“We can predict that the damage will be significant. First and foremost, it will affect the personal incomes of those employed in this sector. On the other hand, we do not see a way out of this crisis in the long term or even in the short term. At this moment, the forecasts are not good,” Senicic said.
He stated that the entire tourism sector is suffering, starting with car rental agencies, where revenue has dropped by around 40 percent, and that a large number of school excursions are being canceled due to school closures. He stressed that major cities are the most affected.
According to him, congresses, now that the Sava Center has been renovated, are mostly held in Belgrade, but a large number of them are being canceled due to the unstable political situation.
Senicic noted that the decline in tourist visits from the region is smaller – around ten percent – because visitors from neighboring countries better understand the political situation in Serbia.
He added that there have been no cancellations of family trips for Easter and May 1st and that the number of guests is expected to be approximately the same as last year.
