On the date definitely proved to be good, 50th International Tourism Fair was held in Novi Sad (October 5 – 7, 2017). Better profiled, richer in features, more seriously oriented to the selected target groups, the Fair, having the Partner Country Montenegro also this year, managed to gather about 170 exhibitors, which is much more than in previous years.
The focus on The Danube Region through the connection of the local, regional and everything being the tourism addition through cooperation and culture, interesting side event programs, the exhibition On the Roman Emperors’ Routes, Wine Knights and Wine Street, gastronomy, but also the offer of travel packages at lower prices and with the Fair discount, provide hope the Fair went to find the right conception.
In the exhibiting section of the Fair, opened by Ivan Đoković, Vice-President of the Provincial Government and the Provincial Secretary for the Economy and Tourism, the tourism offer of Serbia and the Region was presented. The greatest Fair attraction was the exhibition On the Roman Emperors’ Routes. This year, the Novi SadTourism Fair had also several interesting side event programs: the Conference with the topic Destination Branding and Media in Tourism, the project promotion Tourism Development of the City of Novi Sad by the Creation of New Tourism Products – Family Tourism, presentation of the Tourism Offer of the Region, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina, B2B Platform within the international meetings The Career Days, accomplished under cooperation with the European Entrepreneurship Network, lectures within nautical tourism, executed by THE DANUBE PROPELLER Association, The Senior Professional Chefs Competition, the first Gastro Cup Serbia, the Wine Street was installed and within the Gastro Planet the representatives of the Embassies in Serbia cooked there.
Finally, the conclusion remains the Tourism Fair in Novi Sad, which had so far problems with the conception, makes a step forward. And if it will also pick up the pace, already the next year will show.
ISTN provides report from The 50h International Tourism Fair in the chapter EVENTS
Circular travels, those of visiting as many destinations as possible in 7 to 14 days with the staying of one or two days at each of them, become the absolut global trend, first of all among the overseas tourists from China, Korea, Japan, India, Canada, Australia and USA. Serbia, like other countries, also struggles for this part of the tourism cake. Earlier, in order to attract the tourists from China, who want to visit two or three countries or travel destinations during one travel, seven tourism programs were created with Montenegro. Cooperation was achieved also with Hungaryand Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since Serbia is connected with China also by the traditional friendship, Belgrade was the first and main station of the event Miss World Travel and, within it, the selection of MISS TOURISM OF CHINA AND SERBIA (October 19, 2017, Sava Center) was held, as well. The organizers of this event, at which two Miss girls, two first and two second runner-ups were selected, were Miss Tourism International Organizing Committee, China and Serbian Government.
Wishing to attract the tourists from Japan, the National Tourism Organizations of Serbia, Montenegro and Albania, along with the airlines company Turkish Airlines and support of Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), organized a travel for the most important tour operators from Japan. In Serbia, they visited Belgrade, Topola, Mokra Gora and Zlatibor, in Montenegro Kolašin, Podgorica, Kotor and Budva, and in Albania Berat and Tirana. Ms. Marija Labović, CEO of the National Tourism Organization of Serbia (NTOS), points out “The habits of Japanese tourists understand visit to several geographically close destinations during a travel. Under JICA support, we have been attending JATA Tourism Expo in Tokyo, visited by about 200,000 visitors, together with Montenegro and Albania for two consecutive years. This year, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina joined us. A workshop was organized along with the Japanese colleagues, as well”.
Beside China and Japan, India is becoming increasingly interesting. SOTC Travel Services, one of the leaders at Indian market. Both within tourism and business travels, active at all continents, included Serbia for the first time as tourism destination in its offer. Serbia, along with Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, was within the offer of eleven days long travel package called The Eastern Europe Pearls. The program includes three nights in Serbia and visits to Belgrade, Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. Since Government of the Republic of Serbia cancelled visas for the citizens of India (on September 2, 2017), they announce from NTOS strengthening of promotional and marketing activities in India, under cooperation with the tourism industry of India and Serbia and other interested organizations and institutions.
The completed summer season on Serbian mountains – Kopaonik, Zlatibor (Tornik) andStara Planina showed the selection of these destinations is increasingly new fashioned. At a meeting with journalists, Mr. Dejan Ćika, CEO of the Public Company Ski Resortsof Serbia, highlighted the fact that “This season is the most successful one so far, since the 50% higher turnoverwas achieved than last year, 83,000 ski passes were sold, there were many innovations – the Adrenalin Park and Outdoor Gym were opened on Kopaonik, Zlatibor (Tornik) got the Artificial Rock and Stara Planina got Children’s Town with a toboggan and Outdoor Gym“.
The preparations for the winter season 2017 / 2018 began. The popular Ski Opening on Kopaonik is scheduled for December 7 – 10, on Stara Planina on December 14 to 17 and on Zlatibor (Tornik) on December 21 – 24, 2017. Ski passes pre-sale at the same prices as last year, through Web Shop, lasts from November 1 – 15, 2017, with the 15% discount. The PROMOTIONAL WEEKENDS have been announced also for the forthcoming winter season and everything is ready for the ski runs artificial snowing.
The Ski Resorts of Serbia showed its offer also at the Tourism Fair in Novi Sad (October 5 – 7, 2017) and participate also in the Fair Expozim in Belgrade (December 7 -10, 2017), where the ski pass prices will be 10% lower. Since Internet Serbia Travel News Team assured in the previous winter season on Kopaonik everything operated perfectly, even without natural snow, owing to the Ski Resorts of Serbia, to the general satisfaction of the skiers and boarders, it is quite easy to believe in Dejan Ćika’s words „In front of us is the new skiing season, we are preparing dilligently. We expect many local and international skiers and better results accordingly“.
Winter tourism positioned Serbia high, not only at the local market, but the one of the whole region and Europe. Thus, National Tourism Organization of Serbia (NTOS) starts the campaign of the winter offer promotion, under the motto SEE SERBIA – WINTER HOLIDAY IS NEARBY, first of all of the mountain and spa resorts and then also other parts of the country. The focus on the active outdoor holiday in the winter period, has got the objective to get the mountain and spa resorts of Serbia, which had the growth of the number of guests higher than 20% only in the first three months of this year, compared with the last one, even closer to the local and international guests, to point out the offer diversity, but also Serbian creativity, innovativeness, entertainment and gastronomy. The campaign, mostly carried out at social networks, in innovative formats, includes also the New Year’s Eve offer of Belgrade and other cities in Serbia.
Positioning at the tourism market the destination advantages of Serbia, NTOS promotes very much by global campaigns at BBC and EUROSPORT. Online campaign SERBIA THE PLACE TO BE (http://serbia-the-place-to-be.serbia.travel/ ) is still under progress and as declared by Ms. Olga Baletić, NTOS PR, „The visits to the Internet sites and social networks were increased for 596% and the responses for 165%“.Guardian, New York Times, Travel Channel and Discovery wrote about Serbia. The campaign on Travel Chanell was announced for 2018.
Organized by the Tourist Prism magazine from Novi Sad, the WESTM 2017 – 4th Winter & Spa Travel Market was held in Belgrade (October 16 – 17, 2017, Crowne Plaza Hotel), a business meeting intended for congress, seminar and other event organizers, hotels and other accommodation facilities, convention centers, Tourism Organizations, travel organizers, the related services providers, the companies dealing within the convention tourism (MICE). As declared by Mr. Nikola Mihajlović, Project Manager of WESTM 2017, “Our objective is establishing of better cooperation among tourism industries of the Southeast and Central Europe countries, as well the companies outside Europe, interested in the cooperation with this region. In addition to B2B meetings, the WESTM basis, the related conferences attendees get to know the latest trends within the information technologies implementation in MICE industry and tourism”.
In this respect, a form part of the 4th Winter & Spa Travel Market were expert consulting and presentations (lecturers: Rob Davidson (MICE Knowledge, United Kingdom), Handan Boyce (Halic Congress Centre / MPI Turkey) and Clara Fernandez Lopez (Union of International Associations, Belgium), as well as panel discussions with the topics: "Technology for Events – Additional Value or the Need ?“, "The Role of International Hotel Chains in the New MICE Industry“ and "Women in MICE industry“.
During the 4th Winter & Spa Travel Market, which understands also informal meetings and friendly relations, the TOURIST PRISM awards were awarded, as well, initiated 20 years ago by the Editorial Board of the magazine under the same name, with the idea to raise the tourism service level and stimulate the innovative projects in this branch. The awards within the action For the New Quality in Tourism were selected by the International Jury of Travel Journalists.
This year TOURIST PRISMwinners:
Serbia:
Lukovska banja, Lukovka spa, and hotel „Olimp“, Zlatibor
Slovenia:
Ekološka kmetija turizem in umetnost Špiler, Kostanjek, Krško, and Terme Vivat, Hotel&Resorts, Moravske Toplice
Croatia:
Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera hotel, Srebreno, and Obrt Kaštil Slanica, Omiš
Montenegro:
Hotel Palata Venezia, Ulcinj
Macedonia:
Makedonsko selo, Gorno Nererzi – Skoplje
BiH:
Hotel Holiday, Sarajevo, and Tourist organization Banja Luka, Banja Luka
Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia, supported by Central European Initiative (CEI),organized the 8th CEI REGIONAL FORUM WELLNESS & SPA INDUSTRY, at the locality DOMUS SCIENTIARIUM VIMINACIUM in Kostolac(October 19, 2017). The Forum gathered prominent experts and professionals from the health, Wellness and Spa tourism from Serbia and the region, among them Mr. Joachim Lieber (Germany, European Spas Association ESPA), Mr. Tobias Bielenstein (Germany, EuropeSpa Med & Wellness GmbH, Roman Thermal Spas of Europe ), Mr. Michael Wallace (Hungary, Danubius Health Spa Resorts), Prof.Dr. Milisav Čutović (Serbija, Faculty of Medicine), and many others.
The Forum main topic was „Spa Culture and Tradition and Contemporary Wellness and Spa Concepts”. The panel discussions, which would be more effective if they were shorter, were dealing in the local and regional branding, quality, guest motivation and good practice examples.
Conclusing this encouraging Forum, Ms. Nataša Ranitović, President of the Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia, pointed out “The Forum is a venue where skills and experiences are transferred. This is the day for learning. We learned how to connect the Roman Spa culture, the Roman 2,000 years long tradition and how to apply it to make contemporary Wellness concepts, how to create the authentic Spa product in our regions and turn it into the brand which attracts local and international guests”.
The Forum, which was included by CEI in 2014 into its five best projects, was followed also by the visit to the locality Viminacium and the best preserved Roman thermal spas in Serbia, as well as food tasting made by the recipes of the Roman legionaries.
ISTN provides complete Forum review in the MEDICAL TOURISM chapter
Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia
Kanjiža Spa, one of the leaders of medical tourism of Serbia, won at the recently held Tourism Fair in Novi Sad (October 5 – 7, 2017) two great Golden Medals for SERVICE HIGH QUALITY IN MEDICAL TOURISM and the AMBIENT UNIT AND QUALITY OF ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES. This Spa, having the curing mud and thermal mineral water with the temperature of 51 - 72°C, as well as the medical complex consisting of the hotels Abela and Aquamarin, featured to the market its total medical/tourism offer, as well as Wellness, weekend programs and the programs created for retired persons
Kanjiža Spa offer is featured also at the Autumn Health Festival in Belgrade (Army Hall, November 2 – 3, 2017). The offer includes the programs MY WEEKEND, ULTRA LAST MINUTE, SHOPPING AND SPA WEEKEND and the TEN DAYS PROGRAM: OSTEOPOROSIS, DETOX package and AI CHI program of the body harmonizing. Special attraction, in addition to the renewed swimming pool, is the SALT SAUNA, in which bricks are used from salt rocks from the Himalaya, combined with wood. Complete staying provides its guests with the opportunity, in addition to the rest and recreation, to get insight into their medical condition. And to fill in also the leisure, under cooperation with DMO Kanjiža, the excursions “Meeting Kanjiža“, „Shopping Tour to Szeged“ and „Visitto the Consumer Goods Market in Subotica” are organized, as well.
In Kanjiža Spa, the 20% discount for retired persons is still valid.
ISTN provides attached current programs of Kanjiža Spa.
For Junaković Spa the 50th International Tourism Fair in Novi Sad (October 5 – 7, 2017) was the opportunity for promotion of the SPECIAL OFFER – SENIOR 55+. Describing the new program, Mr. Dragan Ignjatov, Marketing Manager of Junaković Spa, says „In the period from October 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018, we organize for all persons at the age of 55 and older, special offers for weekend staying, the staying based upon healthy days and full board, with the possibility of payment in installments”. Junaković Spa, where the guests have at their disposal swimming pools with thermal mineral water, diverse Wellness & Spa programs, sauna, practices in the swimming pool, Wellness treatments and various massages, as well as various sport grounds, offered to the market also the program LIVE IN JUNAKOVIĆ SPA, related to the staying based upon 30 and more full boards. The price includes the swimming pools use, medical examinations and 24 hour monitoring and many other facilitations. The 10% additional discount is approved for married couples.
ISTN provides attached the current packages and programs of Junaković Spa
The sixth edition of Balkan Cheese Festival (October 14 – 15, 2017, Youth Hall), where about 300 cheese types from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro were presented, was held in Belgrade. The Guest Country was France. As declared by Mr. Srba Jovanović, organizer of this economic-gastronomic-tourism event, at which the cheese types like Caciocavallo, Trappist or Emmentaler are not attraction anymore, “The festival idea was to connect manufacturers of autochtonous cheese types with the consumers, to contribute to the market competitiveness and thereby enable the production preservation and sustainability”.
Visiting the Festival, we got the impression it has definitely got its permanent audience, which expects the specialties, such as goat cheese smoked by the natural aroma of liquid smoke, the cheese types with the taste of Rosemary plant, lavander, salvia, anise, blueberry, Black Tartuffe, dill, Sremush, green popper and various other ingredients. Special attraction is the cheese with chocolate, most of the visitors wanted to try.
At this Festival with one of the main slogans “Cheese, wine and friends have to be old, in order to be good”, the cheese types are tasted with wine sorts, mangalitsa products and other meat products, but ‘the sweet product range’ was not missing, either. The destinations, from which the cheese types arrive, say such as Pirot, are followed also by presentations of tourism, first of all gastronomic special characteristics.
The next, seventh edition of the Balkan Cheese Festival, where the visitors really enjoy by all senses, will be held on the first weekend in March 2018, at the Youth Hall in Belgrade.
Under the title FAIRY TALE IN THE SANTA CLAUS’S VILLAGE, Celebrina Travel agency from Belgrade promoted (October 16, 2017, Culture Institution Parobrod, Belgrade), along with the Finnish – Serbian Friendship Association SEURA and Embassy of Finland to Serbia, tourism potentials of Finland, but first of all the 2018 New Year’s Eve Party in Helsinki and Rovaniemi – the Santa Claus’s Village in Finland.
The promotion featured the beauties of Helsinki, the largest city and capital of Finland, established in 1550 by the Swedish King Gustav Vasa and at present one of the most developed European and global cities and one of the most desirable places to live in. Beside lakes, forests, Aurora Borealis, midnight sun, nature, arts and saunas, Finland is famous also as the place of birth of Santa Claus, who lives just here, 170 km from Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, in a small village, with his wife Muori.
Promoting the program of the 2018 New Year’s Eve Party in Finland – Lapland, Ms. Svetlana Jočić, Celebrina Travel CEO, says “If you want, you can believe in the story that Santa Claus comes to Rovaniemi by sleigh drawn by reindeer to collect letters with wishes and brings the first New Year’s presents just to the capital of his country. Of course, when you are already here, Santa Claus (or Joulupukki, as the Finns call him) and his men protected by the fairy are willing to meet you and your family. Rovaniemi reality is this is the best known winter resort at the Northern Finland, an idyllic town with countless events and plentiful cultural life, where one can enjoy, among others, also the drive in a sleigh drawn by huskies.”.
ISTN provides attached the travel program FINLAND – LAPLAND, organized both for groups and individuals, depending upon the travelers’ wishes.
One of the oldest tourism radio shows – Tourist Prism celebrated at the Palić (October 21, 2017) its thousandth edition. This one hour show, which started its broadcasting twenty years ago at Pan Radio, left behind more than 1,000 hours of program and more than 6,000 reports related to travel destinations of Serbia and the world. As declared by Mr. Đorđe Mihajlović, the Author and Editor of the Show, “More than 1,000 guests passed through the Tourist Prism show, followed also by the magazine under the same name and the tourism stock exchange and about 2,000 listeners travelled all over Serbia through the prize games of this show“.
The celebration edition of the Tourist Prism was recorded in public in Mala Gostiona (Elitte Palić) at the Palić. Among the show guests were Mr. Dalibor Sekulić, Elitte Palić CEO, the owner, beside Mala Gostiona, also of Riblja Čarda, as well as the hotels Park and Jezero, Mr. Dejan Pejčinović, Zira Hotel Manager in Belgrade, Mr. Novak Bojanić, Mediteran Hotel Manager in Ulcinj, Mr. Oliver Branković, Head of the Branch Office of Radio television Macedonia in Serbia, Mr. Georgi Genov, HORES CEO, who pointed out an interesting fact that in this 2007, when the Tourist Prism was starting, there were 223 hotels and at present, there are 532 of them and others. The Tourist Prism guests were also tourism journalists, among them also the Internet Serbia Travel News team.
Since the Tourist Prism show is devoted to tourism, a visit to the Palić was organized, the visit to Majka Farm and wine tasting in the Wine Court, in Hajdukovo. ISTN CONGRATULATES THE ANNIVERSARY to the colleagues from the Tourist Prism, reminding the show is on the Website www.turistickaprizmans.com from which the radio stations with the signed contract take it free of charge and broadcast it according to their timing.
According to the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, in the period January/August 2017, Serbia was visited by 13% more tourists, compared with the same period last year, 10% more nights were achieved and the most visited destinations are Belgrade, Novi Sad, Vrnjačka Spa and Sokobanja, Kopaonik and Zlatibor. This shows, just like in the world, tourism in Serbia is one of the fastest growing activities and the inducing developing power.
Pace with such growth has to be kept by everyone in the chain of tourism demand and supply, they have to show they have got skills within sustainable tourism, behavior toward the clients and the rules of hospitality. For all those wishing to enhance their skills,DOBA Fakulty organizes online studies enabling full flexibility in this engagement field. As declared by the DOBA Faculty Management “We are the leading performer of the complete online studies, the only 100% online faculty in Serbia and the only Faculty with international accrediting of online studies UNIQUE in the Southeast Europe.
We were the first one to start the online studies and at present we have got the highest quality, the most contemporary and the biggest online studies constantly advanced and updated by us. Our students are extremely satisfied and 3,596 graduates prove how much we are successful in this branch. Our accredited online study program within tourism in Serbian language - BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT IN TOURISM is conceived to process contemporary, practical, internationally oriented features. The students are taught during the studies by the expert from the practice, they are followed by excellent online mentors, preparing them for the work in tourism, in order to provide as good results as possible and be most respected”.
ISTN provides attached the Conditions for the Program Admission BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT IN TOURISM, as well as the Information of the Program itself.
After it was decided in Ingolstadt (Germany) in 2015 that Serbia satisfied all conditions for 24th LIMES CONGRESS holding, the preparations at the archaeological locality VIMINACIUM began for this prestigious scientific get together, held every three years, including the most important researchers of Roman Empire Frontiers, archaeologists and historians from the whole world. Prof. Dr. Miomir Korać, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Viminacium Project Manager, says “Except the Congress festive opening in Belgrade, all other events will be organized just at the archaeological locality Viminacium.
Since the scientific approach to this subject does not understand only writing about it, but also the experience of this type of mutual living, a part of participants will be accommodated in the reconstructed Legion Campus, in the rooms with 6 beds, like in the Roman time, but with the comfort the legionaries did not have. After the Congress closing, the Legion Campus will be turned into VIMINACIUM ADVENTURE, the educational camp for children (10 – 17 years old) in the summer period, and in other months in the year it will be the Center for conferences, team building for companies, but also for the accommodation of archaeologists from the whole world”.
The VIMINACIUM ADVENTURE Project was presented also at the 8th CEIREGIONAL FORUM OF WELLNESS & SPA INDUSTRY and on this occasion, Mr. Vladimir Đumić, Project Manager, explained „This camp will be by its characteristics unique in Serbia and Europe. It will consist of four sections: Roman Military Campus (the accommodation facilities), Polygon with obstacles, Adventure Park in the ‘Roman’ ambient and Sport grounds and all this within the installation ADVENTURE – EDUCATION – ENTERTAINMENT -RECREATION.
This project directly enables intensifying of archaeological excavations at the whole locality. In this respect we offer any interested parties to join this project, support the construction of the infrastructure and thereby include in the VIMINACIUM ADVENTURE”.
24th LIMES CONGRESS, held in Serbia/Viminacium from August 31 to September 9, 2018, will gather 1,000 most prominent participants from the whole world.
ISTN provides attached the project VIMINACIUM ADVENTURE
Contributing to the development of cultural tourism in the region, the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collectionin Novi Sad and the Heritage House from Belgrade organized the Exhibition “Petar Lubarda 1907 – 1974 – 2017”, first in Montenegro and then this Exhibition, created on the occasion of the celebration of 110th Anniversary of the artist’s birth, lasts in the expanded form also in Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection (September 7 – November 5, 2017), in which also the First Regional Scientific Meeting about this painter was held (October 19, 2017). Different approaches of prominent experts from Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia highlighted the life and works of Petar Lubarda, one of the key figures in the development of the modernist conception of the national art history. It was discussed about Lubarda’s visits and exhibitions in France, Italy, Brazil and India, his inspiration by the Mediterran, the Heritages in Belgrade, Skopje and Kragujevac. As declared by Ms. Jasna Jovanov, CEO of Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection, “Lubarda’s early successes at Paris and Rome art scene at the end of the third decade of the 20th century, which will get global scope in the period after the Second World War, were confirmed by the awards in Sao Paulo, Tokyo, New York, Calcutta, Vienna, etc. It was the period of Lubarda’s equal position on top of the global art, unique in our modern painting”.
The Exhibition “Petar Lubarda 1907 – 1974 – 2017” moves from Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection to Belgrade, to the Heritage House (November 9, 2017 –January 10, 2018), where Lubarda’s paintings from the Museum of the City of Belgrade, Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church, Government of the Republic of Serbia, Matica Srpska Gallery and Milan Konjović Gallery from Sombor will be exhibited, as well. After this, the Exhibition goes to the Andrić Institute Gallery „Petar Lubarda“ in Andrićgrad.
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