A joint regional tourism offer brings benefits – is there room for Pristina?

The rich cultural and historical heritage, diversity of traditions and religions, unique culinary specialties, wines from indigenous grape varieties, and natural treasures are just some of the tourism potentials of the Western Balkans region, increasingly attracting tourists from Europe, as well as distant destinations like China and the Middle East. Experts say that this growing interest naturally leads to a need for collaboration and expansion of a joint regional tourism offer. However, they emphasize that while some countries have been successfully collaborating for years, Kosovo, perceived as an unsafe territory due to its political situation and decisions from Pristina, does not fit into this concept.

Written by: Bojana Urosevic

The idea of creating a joint regional tourism market emerged as a driver for deeper regional economic integration and a significant step towards the unified EU market.

With regional development initiatives such as Open Balkan and the Berlin Process, the first official agreements have been signed. Tourism experts told Kosovo Online that the benefits of a joint regional offer are already evident in practice, as countries strive to overcome challenges and differences.

For instance, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed yesterday at the International Wine, Gastronomy, and Tourism Fair "Wine Vision" held in Belgrade, between the National Tourism Agency of Albania and the Serbian Tourism Organization. This collaboration highlights the awareness among tourism stakeholders of the advantages of joint representation. Similarly, today saw a Memorandum of Cooperation signed between Albania and North Macedonia in the field of tourism.

During the signing, it was emphasized that tourism is a vital tool for strengthening mutual understanding, cultural and social life, and deepening cooperation among countries, which will work on developing and promoting their tourism potentials to attract more tourists.

However, despite having comparable tourism potential, Kosovo has been excluded from the joint regional tourism offer due to Pristina’s political actions.

Sandra Djokic, director of the Gracanica Tourism Organization, highlights that Pristina's decisions and the security situation negatively affect not only Kosovo's tourism but also the entire region. She recalls past attempts and initiatives to form a joint regional tourism offer, noting that although the idea promised benefits, it was never fully realized.

“We have worked on initiatives for a joint regional offer in the past. It would undoubtedly be a good move, as it would boost economic profitability and have a positive impact on citizens. Unfortunately, the current situation on the ground, marked by frequent political events from Pristina, affects political security and creates instability, making tourism, as a key economic sector, a focus of challenges. However, I hope we will soon make concrete progress on this topic, as the possibilities are significant,” Djokic told Kosovo Online.

She added that despite the challenges and the stifling effect of political issues on tourism development, Gracanica Municipality is highly popular on the global tourism map, partly thanks to its UNESCO World Heritage Site – Gracanica Monastery.

She believes connecting such cultural assets regionally and presenting them jointly could attract numerous tourists and history enthusiasts. Additionally, she suggested that a joint regional tourism offer could be based on natural resources, contributing to the growth of active tourism.

“The possibilities are vast, including linking UNESCO cultural heritage sites in the region, organizing tours based on ancient heritage, cultural and religious assets, and natural riches. This approach could help develop active tourism, leveraging the many cultural and historical attractions within our municipality and surrounding areas,” Djokic concluded.

Professor Sasko Gramatnikovski, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at the "University of Skopje," highlighted that despite efforts to connect countries through tourism, political disagreements and differences—particularly concerning the situation in Kosovo—continue to hinder tourism development across the region.

Speaking to Kosovo Online, Gramatnikovski noted that the ongoing Wine, Gastronomy, and Tourism Fair, "Wine Vision," held in Belgrade, exemplifies how an integrated region could be represented—through joint appearances, promotion, and offerings.

Gramatnikovski emphasized that international tourists, particularly those traveling from distant regions, prefer itineraries that allow them to visit multiple countries in one trip.

"When we talk about 'Wine Vision' in Belgrade, we're not just discussing a wine fair or a tourism event. It’s a vision of how the entire region should look and be presented to the world—a vision of social integration and Balkan integration. Tourism knows no borders; you can't prevent any tourist from visiting and exploring various destinations.

We are a very small region, and for tourists from afar, such as those from Malaysia, China, or Indonesia, none of them want to visit just one place. They don't travel such a long distance to stop only in Belgrade, Pristina, Prizren, Kosovska Mitrovica, Skopje, or Tirana. Everyone wants to see as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and, of course, at a reasonable price," Gramatnikovski explained.

The region should leverage both its similarities and differences to offer tourists a diverse and exciting "story," suggests Professor Sasko Gramatnikovski. He believes that the cultural, religious, political, and historical differences in the region could be fascinating and appealing to tourists.

Marija Labovic, Director of the Serbian Tourism Organization, highlighted that tourists from distant destinations, such as China and Japan, are particularly interested in visiting as many countries as possible during their trip. This demand, she noted, provides a strong foundation for further development of a joint regional tourism offering.

However, Labovic pointed out that the regional tourism market faces several challenges in joint tour planning. One significant obstacle is the lack of a uniform visa regime across Western Balkan countries, which limits the scope of offerings.

Despite these hurdles, Labovic emphasized that a joint tourism offering is not only possible but is already being implemented in practice.

"The Serbian Tourism Organization has been collaborating with colleagues from other national tourism organizations for many years, particularly in distant markets. Primarily, we have worked on the Chinese market, and we’ve also had some experiences with the Japanese market. Tourists from these distant destinations typically prefer to visit more than one country during a single trip. That’s why we have been engaging in joint promotions for these markets," Labovic told Kosovo Online.

She stressed that while political and economic differences present challenges, regional collaboration in tourism continues to grow and offers significant potential for the future.

Marija Labovic, Director of the Serbian Tourism Organization (TOS), emphasized that when it comes to the number of tourists, the countries of the Western Balkans largely rely on each other.

“We are each other’s most numerous tourists. So, while we present ourselves jointly on distant markets, within the region itself, we primarily depend on one another in terms of the number of tourists coming from neighboring countries,” Labovic explained.

When discussing distant markets, Labovic highlighted that countries in the region usually present themselves collectively, as this approach aligns with the preferences of those markets. However, she noted that a lack of uniformity in visa regimes across the region can sometimes pose a challenge.

“When someone travels from afar, inconsistent visa policies can become an issue in organizing trips. What’s important to mention is that when we represent ourselves in distant markets, we primarily do so alongside other countries in the region. This is because those markets demand offerings based on the number of days tourists will spend and the variety of tourism products available,” Labovic stressed.

Regarding the effect of political tensions in the region on the development of a unified regional tourism market, Labovic explained that any crisis—political or economic—affects tourism first. However, she highlighted tourism’s resilience and ability to recover quickly from such challenges.

“Every political crisis in the world, regardless of its cause, impacts tourism. Any economic or political crisis, or any other kind of crisis, always affects tourism first. But what we’ve seen in practice is that tourism is also the first sector to recover. Even if a crisis temporarily halts tourist flows, they tend to bounce back very quickly,” Labovic stated.

She concluded by reaffirming the importance of regional collaboration, despite the challenges, as a way to strengthen tourism and meet the growing demand from both regional and distant markets.

Discussing foreign tourists' interest in regional destinations, Marija Labovic, Director of the Serbian Tourism Organization, emphasized that visitors from distant countries generally prefer to visit multiple nations during their trips.

“Regional tourism offerings depend on demand and the market tourists are coming from. For example, we’ve seen over several years that tourists from China often visit Serbia, then continue to Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia, and Croatia. This is a typical example of a circular tour,” Labovic explained.

Enis Gjeta, a winery and restaurant owner from the Albanian city of Librazda, believes that Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia could create a joint regional tourism offering. He highlights that such collaboration, leveraging their shared assets like fine wine, gastronomic specialties, and natural resources, could significantly boost economic and industrial growth.

Gjeta, one of the exhibitors at the International Wine, Gastronomy, and Tourism Fair “Wine Vision of the Open Balkan” in Belgrade, shared his family’s long-standing tradition in winemaking and hospitality with Kosovo Online. His family winery, established in 1916 and owned by his family since 1993, produces wine from indigenous grape varieties, as well as cognac and rakija. They also operate a small restaurant and collaborate with local travel agencies.

“Our winery in Librazda, a small town in central Albania, is one of the largest in Albania. We produce several types of wine from indigenous grape varieties, as well as cognac and rakija. We have a small restaurant on-site and work closely with a local travel agency,” said Gjeta.

Gjeta mentioned that his business attracts numerous tourists, primarily from Ukraine, North Macedonia, Spain, and Italy. While he has established strong cooperation with North Macedonia, he noted that there is no similar collaboration with Serbia.

He believes that a joint effort among the three countries—Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia—could result in a compelling regional tourism offering.

“By combining our strengths, we could create a unified regional tourism package that would attract more visitors and promote development in all three countries,” Gjeta concluded.

As he observes, the potential is there—beautiful nature, fine wines, delicious food, and tradition.

"We have the capacity to create a joint tourism offer with the quality of our products. It’s possible and achievable. Our wine is wonderful, and our town is beautiful. I think it’s doable," the winemaker believes.

He adds that he would like to see cooperation with regional countries elevated to a higher level, but from his perspective, the main issue lies in economic and financial challenges.