Sabit Subašić, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Egypt, has initiated a broad diplomatic and promotional campaign aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and boosting economic cooperation between the two countries. His goal is to position BiH as an attractive destination for Egyptian tourists and investors.
In an interview with FENA, Ambassador Subašić emphasized Egypt’s size—home to 120 million people—and its significant economic potential. He pointed out that, despite current economic challenges, a large portion of Egypt’s affluent population, estimated at around 20 million, frequently travels abroad as tourists.
“Egyptians have great affection for BiH, but many know very little about us. The reason Egyptians haven’t been visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina is that we, as a country, have shown little interest in promoting our tourism sector. Unlike us, other countries in the region have been successfully attracting Egyptian tourists for years, reaping considerable economic benefits from their visits,” said Subašić.
In response, the BiH Embassy in Cairo began a wide-reaching tourism promotion campaign two years ago, recognizing tourism as a key tool for bringing people together and enhancing bilateral relations. Subašić noted that while BiH sees many visitors from Arab countries, Egyptian tourists have been notably absent—a gap he sought to address through this campaign, which is now yielding visible results.
“Tourism represents a huge opportunity for us, thanks to our natural beauty, unmatched hospitality, unique cuisine, and rich cultural and historical heritage. We need to start leveraging these strengths in a coordinated and strategic way,” he added, referencing global examples where tourism has served as a major driver of national development.
Motivated by this vision, Ambassador Subašić launched a strategic tourism and economic promotion of BiH in Egypt. As part of this effort, he brought representatives of Egypt’s leading travel agencies to visit BiH’s most attractive destinations. Their impressions were overwhelmingly positive.
Following that success, Subašić also organized visits for some of Egypt’s most influential social media influencers. They toured the entire country and shared a wealth of content on their platforms. As a result, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a trending topic on Egyptian social media, celebrated as a destination of rare beauty, generous hospitality, excellent cuisine, and kind people.
These efforts have led to a historic milestone: for the first time, organized group tours from Egypt to BiH are taking place. Furthermore, the first charter flights between Cairo and Sarajevo are scheduled to begin soon and will operate throughout the tourist season.
The ultimate goal is to establish a regular direct flight route between Cairo and Sarajevo, an initiative that was discussed with Egypt’s Minister of Tourism, who is expected to visit BiH in the near future.
Ambassador Subašić also highlighted broader goals for strengthening BiH’s global image, which he believes will bring substantial financial and diplomatic benefits. These ambitions align with the conclusions of a recent meeting between BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
However, Subašić identified the visa regime as a major obstacle. Due to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s current visa policy, Egypt is on a list of countries requiring heightened security checks, making it harder for Egyptian citizens to obtain visas. He stated that Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković has expressed willingness to help resolve this issue, and security agencies have also pledged their cooperation.
Subašić believes that a temporary visa exemption for Egyptian citizens during the summer months—similar to the approach taken with Saudi Arabia and Oman—could significantly boost tourism numbers.
He also praised the cooperation with Federal Minister of Tourism Nasiha Pozder and RS Minister of Trade and Tourism Denis Šulić.
In conclusion, Subašić expressed optimism, noting that despite challenges, there is a strong and clear will, as well as concrete steps being taken to make BiH a well-known destination for Egyptian travelers. He stressed that tourism is one of the most effective tools for promoting a country’s image—and once a positive image is established, both tourists and investors are sure to follow.
Importantly, he noted that all of these promotional activities have been carried out without any financial support, calling this a major limitation. “Investing in a country’s image is one of the most profitable investments in our shared future,” he concluded.
