42nd Belgrade Int'l Tourism Fair kicks off with Egypt as special guest

Thousands of travel lovers and tourism professionals gathered here on Thursday for the opening of the 42nd edition of the Belgrade International Tourism Fair.

The focus this year is on Serbia's attractions, but the event also offers visitors an overview of partner country Egypt's cultural heritage and summer resorts.

The fair, open until Feb. 23, brings together 900 exhibitors from 44 countries. Kenya, Sri Lanka and Slovakia are first-time participants.

The tourism fair -- held together with an international wine fair (BeoWine), an international hotel and hospitality industry fair (Horeca Equipment) and the "Visit Serbia" Souvenir Fair -- gathers tour operators, airlines, hoteliers and other stakeholders in order to promote new travel opportunities, trends and tastes.

At the opening ceremony, Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic recalled that in 2019 his country broke all tourism records, adding that 2020 will see reforms and new investments in the sector.

This year, Serbia expects to host four million tourists and projects tourism income to reach 1.5 billion euros (1.62 billion U.S. dollars).

According to the Statistical Office of the Government of Serbia, last year the country was visited by 1.84 million foreign tourists, an eight percent increase year-on-year. The largest number of foreign tourists came from China -- 145,000, a 41 percent rise.

Ljajic said that the growing interest of foreigners in Serbia necessitates further investments in tourist establishments. He announced 45 new tourism-related projects worth a total of 200 million euros, which will receive financing from the state between 2020 and 2025.

"I hope that a new tourist boom will occur as a result and that these projects will be followed by more private investments in the field," he said.

Belgrade Mayor Zoran Radojicic said that thanks to its vivid nightlife, natural sites and cultural heritage, the Serbian capital registered a seven percent rise in tourist arrivals in 2019 and hosted around 1.25 million tourists.

"We believe that by further investing in our infrastructure, we will contribute to the development of tourism in Belgrade," he said, adding that 13 new hotels opened in the capital city in 2019.

The stalls of partner country Egypt offer a glimpse into Red Sea destinations and local culinary delights, and introduce the country's new Grand Egyptian Museum in the vicinity of the pyramids of Giza.