Yesterday, street cameras in Sarajevo captured numerous tourists from Hungary, Indonesia, China, and Germany. A successful tourist season is predicted this year, with the relevant federal ministry boasting extremely successful data for the first three months of this year.
Sarajevo, a place where the East meets the West, creates a unique harmony of diversity. The vibrant streets, colorful variety of shops, and food aromas are attractions that tourists from various countries eagerly visit.
“I like everything, it’s a very beautiful city, everything is organized, so you know where the old part of the city is and the other part of the city, and it blends the picture of different cultures,” says Carita, a tourist from Germany.
“I love the view, there is a very nice view and the food is also very tasty, and I really love it,” adds Amalia, a tourist from Indonesia.
Bascarsija, the central spot of Sarajevo, is not just a tourist attraction but also home to numerous skilled artisans who have been preserving Bosnian traditions for years.
“Well, to tell you, there are indeed plenty of tourists, they like it here. First, it’s cheap for them, and secondly, they have a great experience, from cultural-historical heritage to these crafts and other gastronomy, so it’s relatively cheap for them,” says Nasir Jabucar, an artisan.
As they say, although their work depends on the tourist season, tourists still eagerly buy their handicrafts.
“Usually, dzezva’s (coffee pots), souvenirs for coffee, coffee sets because Sarajevo is known for that, and some small magnets. Something small because economic power has weakened everywhere, so people buy some small souvenir, but even that is appreciated,” Jabucar adds.
The Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism announced that data from the Federal Institute of Statistics for the first three months of 2024 confirm a record number of tourists in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH).
During March this year, the total number of tourist arrivals was 67.315, which is 2.1 percent more than in March 2023. The total number of tourist nights in March was 129.408, which is 3.1 percent more than in the same month last year. The share of domestic tourists is about 30 percent, and foreign tourists are about 70 percent. The Federal Ministry of Tourism said that most visitors were from the region, with significant numbers also coming from Turkey, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Austria.
