There is no doubt that new accommodation vouchers are one of the most profitable subsidies, because all the money allocated by the state stays in the country. Citizens’ Association „My Serbia“ says that it is important to continue with this incentive, but also that it is necessary to change the logistics a little and organize the distribution of vouchers differently.
Our estimate is that there are about 270,000 citizens interested in vouchers in Serbia. Every year, the division starts on January 1, which seems to us to be an inconvenient date. We believe that it would be better to move the distribution to February 1 and to allocate the planned number of vouchers immediately. People would have time to organize themselves better, this is how they are forced to book what is offered, without a clear vacation date – says Milan Ristic, president of this association. Vouchers, he explains, are not Intended as a social program, but as a help to restaurateurs, which also means help to the entire economy, because tourists spend the most money outside of boarding. In this association, they believe that in the future we should also think about increasing the value of vouchers, because unlike previous years, when one voucher could be used to stay for five days without extra charge in Gornja Trepča, for example, this is not the case now. Vouchers have lost their value and now most have to pay extra for accommodation in most destinations.
The biggest benefit of this program so far is that it has increased traffic in tourism. Something that used to be an extra income for people is now a major business. Our association suggested that, in addition to these, vouchers for the purchase of domestic products should be introduced, which would provide additional income. Now that we have done a lot on the development of destinations, we have to think about how to provide new contents and attract new tourists – says Ristić.
How the Hungarians developed tourism on Lake Balaton
The idea of this voucher model is similar to the one implemented in Hungary. With them, subsidies have no limits, but funds are paid monthly to the account of citizens who have special cards and who can use these funds only to pay for services in registered tourist facilities. It is not surprising then that tourism on Lake Balaton records better results than smaller countries that have a sea.
Increase the value of the subsidy
Kristina Milenović, vice-president of the Rural Tourism Group at PKS, says that these subsidies have helped a lot in the “elevation” of destinations and the development of rural tourism in general.
At this moment, it might be good if, due to inflation and the growth of other costs, the value of vouchers increases so that restaurateurs can earn and invest in their accommodation and improve it – says Milenović. She cites the example of owners of accommodation in smaller communities, where the season lasts only three months, which is the case in most villages.
You have an owner of accommodation with 18 beds, in Gornja Trepča, for example. Its season lasts from June to September. For each bed, he pays a flat tax of 5,000 per year, the residence tax with tax and plus the costs of advertising the accommodation. A voucher of 5,000 cannot cover that for sure – says our interlocutor from PKS.
A third of the voucher Is used in Sokobanja
A third of all vouchers approved by the state are used in Sokobanja. This natural health resort has 12,000 beds in private and two thousand in hotel accommodation, nature and a complete tourist offer, and this is the reason why it is a favorite among domestic tourists.
Accommodation prices depend on the category and location, but tourists who opt for a double room can cover a five-day stay with one voucher. Families rent apartments, but they also have more vouchers. Vouchers generally contributed a lot to the development of the spa and even extended the season until the end of October – says Aleksandra Krstić, analyst for the promotion of the tourist offer at TO Sokobanja. She reminds that the state also invests a lot in infrastructure and that every year they receive support for the promotion of this place, which is mostly visited by families with children, young people, and only then by guests over 50 years old. The structure of the guests, they say, has also changed, and Sokobanja has gorgeous nature, is a natural health resort, and has an aqua park, a river…
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