Serbia expects tourism boost after visa-free scheme with China but still faces challenges

World
Europe

By CGTN’s Luo Yu

As spring starts and people start planning their summer vacations Serbia is expecting a surge of Chinese tourists. Serbia became the first country in central and eastern Europe to waive the visa requirement for Chinese tourists, since the bilateral visa-free deal came into force in January. Serbia is targeting Chinese tourists putting on events in Beijing to promote its tourism industry to coincide with their president's visit to China on Friday.

However, Chinese travel agencies haven’t recorded a remarkable growth in package tours to Serbia. “Mainly it’s because that the peak season for tourism hasn't started yet. Apart from the seasonal factor, there are no direct flights from China to Serbia, and Serbia's tourist sector lacks cross-promotion with other Balkan countries,” said Chen Binchao, Eastern Europe manager with Beijing Utour International Travel Services.

Chinese tourist agencies and organizations attended a workshop held in Beijing by the Serbian tourist authority on Mar 28, 2017./CGTN Photo

The economic imperative to attract Chinese tourists is compelling. Head of external relations, Fan Jingyan told CGTN that Chinese tourists in Serbia spend on average 230 dollars per night on a hotel room, and spend 3-thousand-two-hundred dollars in the country. “They are high-end customers who want the best travel experience,” said Fan.

Despite the anticipated mass wave of Chinese tourists not appearing yet, there is some good news from the Serbian tourist authority. Marija Labovic, CEO of Serbia’s National Tourism Organization told CGTN that Serbia has witnessed a 102 percent growth year on year in number of tourists coming from China since the launch of visa-free deal.

CGTN’s Luo Yu interviewed Marija Labovic, CEO of Serbia’s National Tourism Organization in Beijing on Mar 28, 2017./CGTN Photo

That means the number of individual travelers from China to Serbia is on the rise. Labovic also told CGTN that direct flights between Beijing and Belgrade can be expected later this year, signposting more Chinese tourists can go on spontaneous trips and fly to Belgrade without a transit. And Serbia is more than ready to play host.

Labovic said Serbia now has more tourist guides who are speaking Chinese. The tourist authority is improving the tourism infrastructure, for example, tourist board information cards will be translated into Chinese firstly in Belgrade, and expand to other areas in rest of Serbia. And an ongoing training session is taking place to let the hospitality industry be aware of Chinese customs and traditions in order to render better service.

Serbia’s National Tourism Organization held a workshop in Beijing to attract more Chinese tourists to Serbia on Mar 28, 2017./CGTN Photo

Besides, Serbia has a lot to offer. While its history might not be familiar to a lot of younger Chinese, its predecessor, Yugoslavia, is well-remembered among older generations in China.

One tourist named Han Baozhang said “Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula as a whole is unique. It experienced a baptism of war and it boasts ethnic diversity”.

Yugoslavian soldiers fighting against Nazism, the classic 1969 war film The Bridge, the 1999 bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade...these are all strong images in the minds of China's older generation. But whether younger people from China will take advantage of visa free travel and create memories of their own in modern day Serbia, remains to be seen.

Serbia’s National Tourism Organization held a workshop in Beijing to attract more Chinese tourists to Serbia on Mar 28, 2017./CGTN

But all three travel agencies interviewed by CGTN said that they are optimistic about the potential increase of Chinese tourists going to Serbia as a tourist destination, given that Chinese travelers only reached 1,400, accounting for only a mere fraction of Serbia’s three million visitors last year. With the visa-free scheme readily available and direct flights to be offered in the foreseeable future, growth of Chinese tourists is guaranteed.

Note: Data provided by Ctrip.com only shows the number of visitors going to Serbia who purchased flight tickets though Ctrip, while Serbian embassy in China did not provide data to CGTN regarding Chinese tourist numbers.