Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) records a fantastic tourist season. Examples that speak in favor of this are the record number of visits to the capital Sarajevo and the only coastal BiH city –Neum. In an interview, the mayor of Neum, Dragan Jurkovic, said that the course of the season so far is promising and that maximum occupancy is expected by the end of the season.
Large crowds were recorded at the entrance to Neum and the city beaches. According to the first man of Neum, capacity occupancy is 95 percent.
“And what makes us happy is that the course of the season so far has exceeded expectations. A record season is expected and good weather is great benefit for us. Through the eighth month, we expect maximum hotel capacity,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction, especially from the economic aspect, that the prices of neighboring towns are much higher than in Neum, which, according to Jurkovic, is an advantage.
Exactly what attracts guests to Neum is the difference in prices compared to neighboring Croatia and its coast.
“The prices have increased by some 10-15 percent, and compared to Croatia they are up to 30 percent lower, and this is something that attracts guests to spend time in Neum,” adds Jurkovic.
In addition to the traditional guests from BiH Neum also records an increase in the number of guests from foreign countries.
“We are happy that we have a lot of guests from the European Union (EU) countries, Western Europe – France, Germany, Austria, England, and traditionally the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. We are also pleased with the increase in the number of overnight stays by foreign guests, 35-40 percent of tourists are foreign guests. And one positive piece of information is that for the past few years we have been recording an increase in the number of guests from the Republic of Serbia, until 2020 we practically did not have that market,” Jurkovic stressed.
In order to give all guests a reason to stay and come again, representatives of the authorities are trying to enrich the cultural offer, and during the past years they have managed to organize many events including concerts, performances of ”klapa”, traditional folklore societies, etc.
And is, as is the case in many coastal cities, the lack of seasonal workers the main “pain” of Neum?
“The situation is still bearable. We have no pressure from foreign workers, but we will probably have to go in that direction in the coming years. The lack of labor force is also present in the entire territory of BiH because young people find similar and better-paid jobs in EU countries. I am of the opinion that if the awareness of the employers themselves does not change, and the conditions improve we will be forced to use labor from outside – from Asia and those parts”, said Jurkovic, expressing the hope that this will not happen, N1 writes.
E.Dz.
