This year, Neum should surpass the record, pre-pandemic year 2019 in terms of earnings from tourism. Currently, almost all capacities are filled, and the prices are about 15 percent higher compared to last year, which is the only BH city by the sea still makes it more affordable than other tourist destinations on the Adriatic.
The tourist season in Neum this year shows excellent results, even though summer vacations in Bosnia and Herzegovina the pearl on the Adriatic is more expensive for this year by some 15 percent, said the senior expert associate of the Tourist Board of Herzegovina-Neretva County Ramiz Bašić, adding that the tourism workers are satisfied with the pre-season and the current occupancy of tourist capacities (95 percent), and plans are being made for the post-season as well.
The majority of Neum guests come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a part of guests are from France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, and from this year the number of guests from the Republic of Croatia has also increased.
In Neum, they hope that the numbers from 2019 will be reached for this season.
“It is certain that it will be skipped in the financial part, but it remains to be seen whether it will be realized in terms of the number of arrivals and the number of overnight stays,” Bašić points out.
Excellent tourist results are recorded in Međugorje, which was visited by around 50 thousand pilgrims from all over the world on the 42nd anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions alone.
“Of course, this also represents an exceptional financial gain for traders, restaurateurs, tourist workers and businessmen in that region of Herzegovina,” notes the senior expert associate of TZ HNŽ.
Prices for overnight stays and services
Speaking of price increases, that is by how much the prices of services and overnight stays in HNŽ are higher compared to last year, he said that they are 10 to 15 percent higher due to the increase in the prices of input components (costs of fuel, energy, etc.).
“However, our destinations remain very affordable and competitive, especially compared to the neighboring destinations on the Croatian and Montenegrin coast where the prices of certain services and products are much higher,” Bašić assesses.
Asked how much a family has to allocate for a summer vacation in Neum this year, Bašić replied that the prices of accommodation and services are about 15 percent higher compared to last year, so according to some statements of tourism workers from Neum, a family of four should spend 150 to 200 euros per day.
Of course, that amount largely depends on whether the accommodation is booked in private rooms, apartments or in hotels, where it is the most expensive, he adds.
When asked how many arrivals and overnight stays were made in HNŽ in the first six months, he points out that they do not yet have official data and exact figures, but by all accounts it can be said that this year’s successful season continues and that this period will probably be 10-15 percent more successful than last year.
“We are in the heart of the tourist season and after a successful pre-season, and taking into account the current tourist trends in HNŽ, we have reason to believe that all our destinations will achieve results that will be more successful than last year’s,” said Bašić.
He also said that tourism in HNŽ has achieved positive trends in the form of growth in tourist traffic so far this year.
“The peak season has just begun and we have intense days ahead of us during which we must maintain the quality of service and guest satisfaction, because this is the only way we can build the long-term image of the county, and in the wider context of Herzegovina, as a quality and sustainable tourist region,” asserted Bašić.
The Tourist Board of HNŽ is currently preparing several projects for the further improvement of the tourism sector and the diversification of the tourist offer in the County, all within the framework of the cross-border cooperation program Croatia-BiH-Montenegro for the period 2021-2027.
The Tourist Board will apply with projects that mostly relate to the reconstruction and valorization of cultural and historical heritage in HNŽ and its promotion.
