WHAT THE STATISTICS SAY: HOW THE YEAR STARTED IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

The tourism sector in Republika Srpska has recorded a strong start to the year, with official data showing a steady increase in both arrivals and overnight stays.

PHOTO: Banjaluka / Tomas Damjanović

In January alone, Republika Srpska was visited by 30,253 tourists, who generated a total of 94,092 overnight stays. This represents a 7.4 percent increase in tourist arrivals and an 11.1 percent rise in overnight stays compared to the same period last year.

Sanela Šimun, Public Relations Associate at the Tourist Organization of Republika Srpska, stated that, as in previous years, the highest number of visits — in addition to domestic tourists — came from regional markets. The majority of foreign guests arrived from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro. Among other international markets, notable growth was recorded from Turkey, Germany, Austria, China and Italy.

According to Šimun, domestic tourists generated the highest number of overnight stays in spa destinations, confirming the continued popularity of health and wellness tourism.

“Among the most visited destinations are also places offering attractive features such as favorable climate conditions, rich cultural and historical heritage, as well as river and lake resorts. Mountain destinations and other locations that cannot be classified into the above categories but offer accommodation facilities were also among the popular choices,” Šimun explained.

When it comes to foreign visitors, the largest number of overnight stays was recorded in other tourist destinations, followed by spa resorts and mountain areas.

The latest figures indicate that Republika Srpska continues to strengthen its tourism performance, building on positive trends from previous years and maintaining steady growth at the beginning of the new year.