BANJA LUKA TOURISM RECORDS FURTHER GROWTH, WITH MORE ARRIVALS AND OVERNIGHT STAYS

Tourism in Banja Luka is continuing to record positive results, with the city welcoming more visitors and registering a significant increase in overnight stays compared with the same period last year.

According to data from the Tourist Organization of the City of Banja Luka, the first five months of this year saw a 3% increase in tourist arrivals and an 8.9% rise in overnight stays compared with the same period in the previous year.

In May alone, 13,985 tourist arrivals were recorded, four per cent more than in the same month last year. At the same time, tourists generated 23,396 overnight stays, representing an increase of around 15 per cent.

City of Banja Luka Project Manager Milada Šukalo said that the city has long been working towards positioning itself as a leading destination in the region.

She noted that significant efforts have been made in recent years to develop new attractions and tourism content capable of drawing visitors, with the latest figures showing that these investments are producing positive results.

"We are very satisfied with the data released by the Tourist Organization of the City, as it is proof that we are working together successfully on the development of tourism in our city. The record tourism results achieved by Banja Luka confirm that continuous investment in the tourism offer and the organization of high-quality events have been recognized by both domestic and international visitors," Šukalo said.

She also emphasized that the city works throughout the year to create new programmes and events that make Banja Luka a lively, attractive and recognizable destination.

Events such as "Banja Luka Spring", which includes the international street performers festival "TrotoArt", as well as the "Summer in Banja Luka" programme featuring the city's longest-running event, "Summer on the Vrbas", together with numerous concerts and sporting, gastronomic and cultural events, all contribute to making Banja Luka a destination to which visitors are happy to return, Šukalo said.

"Our goal is not only to increase the number of tourists, but also to ensure that everyone who visits our city leaves with beautiful memories and wants to come back again," she added.

Šukalo stressed that the city administration will continue developing new tourism attractions and supporting events that contribute to the growth of tourism, the local economy and the positive image of Banja Luka as the largest city in the Republic of Srpska.