In the first six months this year, a total of 713,745 tourists visited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), an 11.6 percent increase year-on-year, the country's agency for statistics said in a report on Monday. 1,454,904 overnight stays were recorded in H1 this year, an 11.8 percent increase year-on-year.

A total of 23,008 Chinese tourists visited BiH in the first six months of 2018. China and BiH signing an agreement on a mutual visa-free regime on May 29, 2018, hugely contributed to the massive growth of the number of Chinese tourists, as the number almost doubled this year, with a total of 45,781 Chinese tourists visiting BiH, recording a 99.0 percent increase.

When it comes to overnight stays, in the same period last year, Chinese tourists spent a total of 25,857 nights. From January to June this year, it is recorded that a total of 53,305 overnight stays were made, a 106.2 percent year-on-year increase.

Tourism is a fast-growing sector and an important part of BiH's economy. BiH has seen stable growth in the number of foreign tourists during recent years. 

(Cover image: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. /VCG Photo )