Office for Kosovo and Metohija opens its stand at the International Tourism Fair: Tourism is not just a destination, but a way of survival

The Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Veselin Kocanovic, stated that tourism is not merely a destination, but a way of survival, as he officially opened the Office’s stand at the 47th International Tourism Fair held at the Belgrade Fair.

Kocanovic emphasized that Kosovo and Metohija are not simply a geographical area, but that their essence lies in the people, their flavors, and their scents.
“Our people are the most important. Kosovo and Metohija are far more than a destination. They are the cradle of our spirituality and a space where what is most valuable is preserved,” Kocanovic said.
He underlined that the aim of everyone at the Office’s stand is to bring visitors closer to the spirit of the region through tastings and presentations.
“Today, as we stand here in Belgrade, I wish to convey the following message – we are not only hosts, but also a support to our people in Kosovo and Metohija. They safeguard their holy sites, customs, and way of life. We remain together and build the future together. Tourism is about people, not just destinations. I hereby declare the stand of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija open. Long live Serbia,” Kocanovic stressed.

A rich cultural and artistic program was performed at the opening ceremony.
The group “Kosovke devojke” from Ranilug performed the national anthem “Bože pravde,” Mila Jankovic, a pupil of the “Veljko Dugosevic” Primary School in Ranilug, performed the song “O poreklu,” and the ensemble of the Cultural and Artistic Society “Kriva reka” from the village of Berivojce, municipality of Kosovska Kamenica, performed the traditional dance “Bostan sadiv mome krivorecke.”

During the four-day event, the Office’s stand will host tourism organizations from almost all Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija. Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Leposavic, Pristina, Strpce, and Kosovo Pomoravlje (Novo Brdo, Kosovska Kamenica, Gnjilane, and Vitina) will present their cultural heritage, tourism offerings, and gastronomic specialties in Hall 4 of the Belgrade Fair, showcasing their capacities through presentations, tastings, and demonstrations of local culture, customs, traditions, and cuisine.
In addition to tourism-related content, high-quality wines from family wineries in Orahovac (Velika Hoca) and Leposavic will also be presented.
Each day of the Fair, from 4 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to taste renowned wines from vintners in Velika Hoca. Among the participating producers will be the Antic, Brkic, Djuricic, Manitasevic, Lukic, Petrovic, and Micic wineries, as well as the Jevremovic winery from Leposavic.