TTC exploring Bosnia and Herzegovina
With the support of the U.S. Government through the USAID Turizam project, the renowned UK’s company specialized in sustainable tourism, The Travel Corporation (TTC), gathered 44 tour operators from different parts of the world with the aim of promoting the destinations and tourist attractions of Bosnia and Herzegovina more broadly.
Representatives of numerous world tour operators visited Bosnia and Herzegovina aiming to include BiH BiH tourist attractions and experiences in the travel packages they offer to their clients from North America, the UK, South Africa, Central European countries, and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand). Their journey began in Sarajevo, continued in Mostar, Blagaj, and Stolac, and ended in Trebinje.
During a stay in Sarajevo, tasting traditional Bosnian coffee is a must.
“Food, people, landscape, there’s just so much to see and experience. I don’t feel like I’m in a tourist trap because it’s peaceful and quiet, so I can genuinely experience all the beauty. It’s like a country off the beaten path of everyday hustle, so you can experience something special before everyone else. It’s truly unique.”
One of the participants joined in making the traditional Herzegovinian cake – smokvara. The experience of preparing smokvara takes place in the national monument, Mehmedbašića’s House, in Stolac. During the famtrip, participants visited several BiH cities. In the photos, a segment of the five-day journey is depicted, including a tour of Baščaršija and familiarization with the famous Sarajevo crafts and handiworks. Also, there was a visit to the Woodcarving Museum in Konjic, and some of the participants expressed a desire to join in the making of authentic products.
The Travel Corporation (TTC) is a prominent company in the travel and tourism industry, with an impressive portfolio of 40 award-winning travel brands. Covering different niches in the tourism sector and catering to the needs of various traveler profiles, TTC offers a diverse range of travel experiences for individuals looking for authentic journeys. With a presence in many countries around the world, TTC provides a unique approach to some of the most fascinating destinations, welcoming thousands of tourists worldwide.
On this five-day adventure, the collaboration between the USAID’s project Turizam and TTC was designed to showcase the diverse tourist offerings in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From visiting rural sites and households, city tours, meeting families who have created authentic tourist experiences like woodcarving, making a traditional fig cake called “smokvara”, to sharing untold stories along the Herzegovina Wine Route, visitors were thrilled with the diversity, rich heritage, and local people, whose hospitality left a special impression, making them feel at home.
“Such resilient people. At every corner, people are smiling at you. Very polite people and special warmth,” concludes Amy Clement from New Zealand.
TTC’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina indicates that our country has a new perspective on tourism development and that tourists perceive it as an undiscovered gem in the heart of Europe, where history, culture, people, and traditions live in synergy, united in efforts to make hospitality and a sense of local the primary synonym for Bosnia and Herzegovina and additional reason for every visitor to come back. Just as confirmed by our interlocutors Emina Hiko and Casandra Costley, who come from Australia and North America:
“Working with local people – I love that experience with the locals more than anything. It gives you such a different perspective when you are somewhere far from home. And one thing I really love is food, and it is prepared and served in a way that is presented in a local home, which is really, really important. Being able to connect with that culture, in that way – unreal!”
In a conversation with Emina and Casandra, we talked about the experience of making a traditional fig cake – smokvara and visiting the Woodcarving Museum in Konjic. They concluded that in the age of high automation and digitalization, it is invaluable to have stories that take us back to simplicity and the art of craftsmanship. It’s a special sustainability factor in tourism, which, without any machinery, creates wonders with human hands, leaving an impression of how authentic things are actually “perfectly imperfect”.
Listen to their conversation below and discover how the national monument Mehmedbašića’s House,, combined with the experience of preparing smokvara, took our tour operators on a time journey through the lives of local people in Stolac. Also, you will have the opportunity to hear more about the craft of woodcarving in Konjic, which is listed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, and how the entire woodcarving story, from a family tradition, evolved into a modern journey and the Konjic Woodcarving Museum.
