Serbia, taking advantage of its friendly ties with India, has decided to attract more Indian tourists by organising various promotional events in the South Asian country.
Vladimir Maric, the Balkan country’s Ambassador to India, has said that the Serbian Embassy in New Delhi will organise a number of events in major Indian cities to inform people about his country’s culture and lifestyle. The envoy also said that embassy officials recently discussed the issue with the Serbian Tourist Board before finalising the plan. According to Maric, it is important for the embassy to promote Serbia as an interesting tourist destination for Indians as majority of the Indian people is not familiar with the cultural heritage of the Balkan nation. The seasoned diplomat believes that Indians, who love to travel foreign countries, can boost the Serbian tourism industry in the coming years.
Ambassador Maric also informed the Indian media that the embassy, in co-operation with the Tourist Board, would soon launch a campaign targeting the Indian travellers. He stressed: “Since the tourist arrivals from India is almost negligible at present, the Serbian Embassy will be focusing on creating awareness about the Serbian tourist destinations among the Indian people. The Serbian Tourist Board will also come up with concrete plans and campaigns specifically for the Indian market in 2016, apart from identifying the main fairs and trade travel marts for participation, to portray Serbia as a tourist destination across India.”
Citing a report prepared by the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, the envoy said that more than one million foreigners visited the country in 2014 and Serbia could receive 10-14% more foreign tourists in 2015. Advising Indian youths to visit the Balkan country, Maric said: “Serbia is a special destination for the younger generation due to its vibrant nightlife. Pubs, bars and cafes remain open throughout the night.” He added: “Besides, there are numerous cultural entertainment activities and a lot of sporting events happening throughout the year in Serbia. Thus, our target audience for promoting tourism would be the high-end younger generation travellers in the age group starting from early 20s, looking forward to explore newer destinations.”
Meanwhile, the ambassador assured Indians that Serbia, compared to other European countries, would be a more affordable destination and Indian nationals – with a valid Schengen, British or American visa – could enjoy a visa-free entry into Serbia and stay there for up to 90 days.
The embassy further plans to encourage joint promotional campaigns with other neighbouring Balkan countries for regional packages for Indian visitors.
Source; in Serbia
