With strategic assistance and support provided by Turizam, the Republika Srpska (RS) has adopted its tourism development strategy for the period 2021 – 2027. The strategy mirrors Turizam’s four-pillar approach to enhancing industry competitiveness and development
Republika Srpska (RS), one of BiH’s two constitutive entities, has adopted its tourism development strategy for the period 2021 – 2027. The strategy is based on a four-pillar approach which mirrors Turizam’s value chain approach to enhancing in-dustry competitiveness and development, encompassing (1) creatively branding and promoting BiH to higher-yielding visi-tors; (2) enhancing quality and diversity of products and experi-ences; (3) developing superior and innovative human capital and (4) sustainable and enabling environment for growth.
To best ensure that the needs of the destination will be met, the tourism development strategy was produced under the leader-ship of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism in RS (MTTRS) with support from Turizam project and in partnership with the private sector. Collaboration with the private sector was spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce in RS and contributions were made by the RS Association of Tourism and Hospitality Employers (HORECA) as well as engaged academics. The shared goal was to develop a forward-looking strategy for the development of tourism in RS.
Tourism development in RS will be conservation-led and people-centric with the aim of magnifying its assets for the benefit of the local population. It will capitalize on local, regional, and international market trends while building on its most competitive advantages: a welcoming and hospitable population, a pristine natural environment, and a geostrategic location close to some of Europe’s most important outbound tourism markets. The strategy will serve as a guide to local and international stakeholders (including tourism trade and donors) for tourism planning, management, and investment.
By 2027, the strategy seeks to increase tourism contribution to nominal GDP by 20 percent; increase overnight arrivals by 20 percent over 2019 baseline; raise average length of stay to 3 nights; increase domestic and foreign investment by 15% annually; expand protected areas to 15 percent of RS territory and increase employment through the creation of new, full-time jobs by 6,010.
