On December 5 and 6, the inaugural “Tourism Connects” tourism stakeholder network event was held in Sarajevo and Banja Luka!
Tourism Connects is a brand-new initiative of the USAID Turizam project, within which professional networking events will be organized for tourism partners from across the country, including leaders in government and municipal institutions, businesses, and the NGO sector from the niches of tourism, culture, natural heritage, and social activism. The purpose of the event “Tourism Connects” is straightforward: to bring together leaders in the tourism industry for the purpose of sharing ideas, exploring collaboration opportunities, and forming new partnerships.
Each subsequent event will have a different theme and one or more featured speakers. At this inaugural event held in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, USAID Turizam unveiled its 2023 plans. Other partners from the tourism sector were given the opportunity to share their experiences, goals, and ideas on how to capitalize on and improve upon this year’s success in the upcoming year.
This event aims to bring together major tourist industry stakeholders to exchange ideas, discuss experiences, and explore the possibility of new partnerships. Tourism industry leaders, representatives of academic communities, and other industry leaders attended the event for the purpose of professional networking.
Photo Credit: Jasmin Agović
Turizam Connects – An Opportunity for Professionalization of Relations among Private and Public Sector
As part of the event, USAID Turizam Chief of Party Ibrahim Osta gave a presentation in which he highlighted some of the key successes and challenges of the project . USAID Turizam recognized the lack of international marketing representation and resources aimed at promoting the destination. In the post-pandemic year, a lack of destination brand awareness and a quite established negative perception was recognized. This is certainly one of the reasons for the limited international market sales and distribution network. In light of such challenges, USAID Turizam is seeking to resolve the problem with key institutional mechanisms, including the shortage of qualified workforce and training for tourism workers and workers from related sectors. The year 2022 indicated the need for a more rapid shift towards sustainable experience-based travel and better integrated digital and marketing channels.
In Sarajevo and Banja Luka, governmental and private sector representatives gathered and exchanged opinions.
“It is a real pleasure and honor for me to attend the Tourism Connects event. On this occasion, I would like to thank the USAID Turizam project for all of its work and recent partnership on behalf of the RS Chamber of Commerce. Together, we coordinated a variety of activities, among which I would highlight the development of a tourism strategy and the organization of focus groups with the private sector in Republika Srpska. We were able to preserve the tourism sector thanks to the successful cooperation and understanding of the RS Government and, of course, the support of the USAID Turizam project, which has enabled the RS Chamber of Commerce to engage in numerous activities aimed at the education and promotion of the tourism sector. We are committed to enhancing the workforce in the tourism sector and fostering a more favorable business climate for our employers. Again, many thanks to the USAID Turizam project for these and other activities aimed at enhancing the tourism sector in the RS and BiH “, stated Dragana Šobot, the RS Chamber of Commerce Secretary of trade, tourism and hospitality associations and financial and insurance organizations (RS).
Powerful messages sent from Sarajevo and Banja Luka about tourism recovery
Close cooperation and synergy are needed in the work between the private and public sectors. Moreover, persistence in hard work is needed to make BiH destinations recognizable to all. On these occasions, the opportunity for the professionalization of relations between the private and public sectors arises.
“Events like Tourism Connects, organized by the USAID Turizam project, provide a fantastic opportunity for tourism service providers in Banja Luka and Bosnia and Herzegovina to succeed in creating new connections and fulfilling their offerings. It would be great to have more events like this one because, in the midst of daily obligations, we do not manage to gather. So, these events gather all of us in one place and give full support in our future work”, stated the ‘Good Host’ Travel Agency owner, Aleksa Bojić.
Photo Credit: Svjetlana Panić
We anticipate a great year for tourism!
“Finally, we gathered in one place and marked a successful year for us, after extremely challenging pandemic period, when destiny of tourism was completely uncertain. Now, we are seeing that we have returned to old glow and I think we deserved to jointly celebrate.”, concluded Hotel Courtyard General Manager Edina Zagora.
USAID Turizam project has already defined a series of project activities for the upcoming 2023, keeping in focus the promotion of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the most exciting destination in the world. Soon, in our new texts you will be able to find out more about the continuation of project activities.
Follow our activities on digital platforms and connect yourself with the BiH sustainable tourism ideas.
Click HERE to see the presentation about this year’s project accomplishments and planned activities for 2023!
Photo Credit: Svjetlana Panić
