Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a favourable tourist business investment environment with an increasingly active tourism promotional system.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a top performer in recent years in terms of tourism development; tourist arrivals have grown by an average of 24% annually from 1995 to 2000 (360,758 in 2002).
According to an estimation of the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020.
The major sending countries in 2002 have been Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, USA, Australia, Poland, Great Britain, Austria, China, and Spain.
In 2006, Lonely Planet named Sarajevo, the national capital, the 43rd Best City in the World, in its Best Cities Book.
With its #43 spot Sarajevo has come ahead of Dubrovnik, #59, Ljubljana at #84, Bled at #90, Zagreb at #125 and Belgrade at #143, making Sarajevo the best ranking city on the Balkan peninsula behind Athens, Greece.
Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, and cultural aspects. (see also: Sites of interest in Sarajevo)
Sarajevo, the national capital, hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, which, at the time, were the largest Winter Games ever (in terms of athletes and media).
The country lost its reputation as an excellent ski destination during the war-torn period between 1992 and 1995.
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Economy & Tourism
Presently, the economy and tourism are on the way back up, and the area provides some of the best-value ski vacations in Europe. [1]
More recently, the town of Visoko has experienced a staggering increase in tourist arrivals due to the alleged discovery of the Bosnian pyramids, attracting in excess of 10,000 tourists in the first weekend of June 2006.
Tourist Attractions
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In an interview with Hotel Vikas the tourist department of Bosnia and Herzegovina indicated that the most attractive benefits experienced by visitors are - 1) the spirit of the people. 2) Cities across the country are well connected with intercity busses and 3) major cities with the surrounding natural sites are easily reachable within a day.[1]
Some of the tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina include:
- city of Sarajevo; "Olympic City" a Science, Space City;
- city of Tuzla; "Salt city, the city of Love;
- city of Banja Luka, the "Green City";
- city of Jajce, the waterfall;
- the Neretva river with its endemic species and magnificent canyons in the Upper Neretva;
- the Sutjeska National Park with its river canyon and one of the three remaining ancient forest Perućica
- city of Mostar (site of Stari Most);
- the coastal city of Neum;
- city of Višegrad and the Old Bridge;
- the Una River and the city of Bihać;
- the town of Stolac; Begovina neighborhood and Radimlja tombstones
- the town of Visoko (site of the Bosnian pyramids);
- Bjelašnica Mountain and Jahorina (sites of the 1984 Winter Olympics)
- the Shrine of Međugorje (a place known by a famous marian apparition)
- Tešanj, one of the oldest cities in Bosnia with its old town;
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has included the following Bosnia and Herzegovina sites on its World Heritage List:
- The Old Mostar Bridge (Stari Most)
- Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad
References
External links
- BiH promotional site by the Tourism Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Tourism Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- BH Times - BiH Tourist hotspots photos and info
- Tourist Organisation of the Republika Srpska
- Tourist Organisation of the City of Banja Luka
- Međugorje Shrine Official Website
- Visit Mostar
Photographs
- Europe on the Matrix: Bosnia-Herzegovina — Photographs and information.
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