Bosnia and Herzegovina records a steady year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals, yet it remains one of the most difficult destinations to reach in the region. While neighboring countries are modernizing their airports through concessions and attracting new airlines, this idea has been teased in BiH for years, without concrete results. At the same time, recent interest from U.S. companies in concession models has raised the question of whether things might finally move off a dead point.
Why is it often easier to fly into Tirana or Pristina than Sarajevo or Mostar? Part of the answer lies in airport management models and a question BiH persistently avoids: concessions.
When Zagreb placed its airport under a concession, passenger numbers began to grow, and infrastructure was rapidly modernized. A similar model was implemented in Belgrade and Pristina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, airports continue to operate without major investment breakthroughs, even as the tourism sector demands more.
The recent interest of American investors in managing airportsin Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reported by the media, should be viewed in this exact context. Although specific details remain unknown, such signals raise the question of whether Bosnia and Herzegovina is missing the chance to attract serious operators already present in the rest of the region.
According to available regional data, airports in Zagreb and Belgrade now serve several times more passengers than Sarajevo, offering a much broader network of direct flights. This directly impacts the accessibility and competitiveness of the destination.
Tourism is Growing, but Without Direct Flights, It’s Losing Momentum
Tourism is one of the few sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina that records continuous growth, yet its full potential remains underutilized due to limited air connectivity. Foreign tourists, especially those from Western Europe and more distant markets, largely depend on direct and affordable flights, which Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks.
“Tourists simply want direct flights to reach their destination faster. We clearly recognized this while promoting abroad, where this is one of the key factors for visiting,” Haris Fazlagić, President of the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Board, told N1.
In practice, this means that some potential guests choose more accessible regional destinations where flights are more frequent, cheaper, and more diverse. This raises the question of whether airport concessions could be the model to accelerate development and better connect Bosnia and Herzegovina with the rest of Europe and the world.
Sarajevo’s experience in recent years shows how directly air connectivity affects tourism results.
“2019 was a record year, and we also saw records during the post-pandemic recovery. However, it was only after subsidiesand the introduction of direct flights that growth became significantly faster. Direct lines have led to stronger and more dynamic growth,” he said.
Concessions, Investors, and Competition
Similar effects are visible in regional countries that have placed their airports under concessions: a higher number of flights, more airlines, and doors opened to new markets. This indirectly increases competition, affecting flight availability and ticket prices.
“It doesn’t always have to be about low-cost lines. In segments such as MICE (congress), sports, or outdoor tourism, connectivity is what matters most to people, being able to arrive and return quickly,” Fazlagić explained.
He also added that infrastructure plays a vital role:
“Airports in the region are physically larger. They have longer runways, more parking, and greater capacity. That is also a crucial segment of development.”
For these reasons, he sees the interest of major foreign investors as a positive signal.
“I was pleased to hear U.S. companies being mentioned. If concessions are to happen, it is good that they involve large, serious corporations. This is good for BiH and Sarajevo, even for our image: it shows we are an interesting and desirable destination for both investment and travel,” he emphasized.
The Fight for a Year-Round Season
This is particularly evident in MICE tourism, which has become one of the most profitable segments in recent years, generating significant revenue.
“Sarajevo has positioned itself well. We have high-quality hotels, even more five-star hotels than some other cities in the region. What we lack is a large congress center and a concert hall… In terms of MICE, people usually come for a weekend or an extended weekend, doctors, engineers, they want to arrive, stay overnight, and attend the congress. Previously, this was often impossible; they would give up on Sarajevo because the connectivity wasn’t there for them to reach the destination quickly, finish their work, and return,” Fazlagić explained.
On the other hand, tourism professionals are trying to mitigate seasonality and further extend guest stays through various contents.
“A year-round Sarajevo tourist season, summer is always the peak with nice weather, and it’s natural that the best six months are ahead of us: concerts, festivals, Merlin’s three stadium shows at Koševo, The Prodigy at Grbavica, the Sarajevo Film Festival. As a Tourist Board, we are working to reduce seasonality between the summer and winter peaks. Through public tenders and incentives for associations and companies, we are encouraging events in October, November, March, and April, when arrival percentages are at their lowest. That is our mission,” he noted.
“We are working on remaining attractive so that tourists stay one night longer and spend more money. Over the last three years, this has proven successful, we’ve organized New Year’s Eve concerts with Zdravko Čolić and Jose Carreras. We’ve seen a record number of overnight stays. This number has literally doubled. The goal is for people to stay longer at the destination.”
The Key Question: Will BiH Seize the Opportunity?
Tourism is one of the few sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina that continuously records growth, however its full potential remains underutilized, with limited air connectivity as a major factor.
Foreign tourists, especially those from Western Europe and more distant markets, largely depend on direct and affordable flights, which Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks. In practice, this means many potential guests choose more accessible regional destinations where flights are more frequent, cheaper, and more diverse.
Data from the region shows that airport modernization and the entry of private operators through concessions often lead to passenger growth, more airlines, and more competitive ticket prices. This is precisely why the issue of concessions in BiH is shifting from a technical matter to a strategic developmental one.
Whether the interest of foreign investors will finally lead to concrete action or remain just another announcement remains uncertain, while competing destinations in the region continue to build their advantage through better connectivity and accessibility.
