On the occasion of the 44th edition of the Belgrade International Tourism Fair, representatives of Serbia’s tourism industry said they “eagerly anticipate” the return of visitors from China following the country’s post-COVID-19 reopening.
China, the country that has sent the largest number of foreign visitors to Serbia in recent years, is the guest of honor at the fair, which takes place between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26.
In 2017, the mutual visa exemption agreement took effect and non-stop direct flights were launched between the two countries last year. In 2019, 145,000 Chinese tourists visited Serbia.
Opening the fair on Wednesday, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said that “I want to invite Chinese citizens to come to our country. We have a lot of beautiful and valuable things that they can see.”
“I can guarantee them that nowhere in any other country in Europe will they be welcomed as cordially, with open arms and an open heart, as they will be welcomed in Serbia,” he said, welcoming Chinese tourists as “closest and dearest friends.”
“This year, Chinese tourists should be returning to Serbia and the Balkans,” said Aleksandar Valok, a Chinese-speaking tour guide and representative of the Sai Hua Travel Agency. “The programs need to be adjusted to the needs of Chinese tourists.”
Marija Labovic, director of the National Tourism Organization of Serbia, told Xinhua that “last year we broke new records in tourism as foreign tourists returned, but we wish to see the return of the Chinese tourists, because we remember how satisfied they were, and we await the day when they will come again.”
“I would like to visit Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. I would also like to visit Great Wall,” he told Xinhua.
China’s booth at the fair features the traditional and modern tourist attractions of Beijing and Ningbo, a major port city in eastern China, and displays items of cultural heritage, such as Beijing’s traditionally made silk dolls, “moon rabbit” and porcelain sculptures, and woodcarvings.
This year’s Belgrade International Tourism Fair presents over 350 exhibitors and highlights 100 travel destinations in Serbia.
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