The Sarajevo Canton never ceases to fascinate tourists and visitors with its unique combination of rich history, cultural heritage and natural beauty. As an important part of its promotional activities, the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Association, together with co-exhibitors from the private tourism sector, recognizes the presence at prestigious tourism fairs around the world, with the aim of attracting an increasing number of tourists who want to experience the magic of the “best destination in the world”.
Readers’ Recognition
Tourism fairs represent a key opportunity for Sarajevo Canton to position itself as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the region and Europe, but also an important element for connecting with the global market and strengthening diplomatic relations.
-We started the fair promotion with an appearance at the prestigious Fitur Fair, which was held in Madrid in January and has a tradition of more than four decades. This year’s edition brought together a record 255,000 visitors and the most important players in the tourism industry from around the world. It was especially important for us to support the Ministry of Economy of Sarajevo Canton and Sarajevo International Airport in organizing important meetings with the aim of strengthening air traffic and establishing new connections between Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The new airlines co-financed by the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Association have proven to be an exceptionally good strategic move that has significantly contributed to the increase in tourist traffic. We are proud to have record results, as many as 20 percent more tourists than the previous year – says Haris Fazlagić, President of the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Association.
The significant recognition of the readers of National Geographic Travel Magazine, who chose Sarajevo as the most desirable destination to visit in 2025, is a key element of the branding of the exhibition spaces and stands of the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Association. This organization plans its marketing strategy in accordance with new trends in the tourism market and the development of specific forms of tourism. In addition to presentations at general tourism fairs, an important segment of fair promotion are appearances at specialized fairs that focus on a specific market.
Great potential
-Together with our partners from the hotel sector and tour operators who offer Sarajevo as a destination, we are promoting ourselves all over the world – from the region, Europe, the Gulf countries to distant markets such as China and India. In Jeddah, we were one of the partners of the Business Travel Roadshow event, where 17 of our agencies and hotels had the opportunity to directly connect with large travel organizers from this expanding market. At the Emitt Fair in Istanbul, we traditionally attracted a large number of visitors, which is not surprising considering that tourists from Turkey are the most numerous according to statistical indicators of realized tourist traffic in the Sarajevo Canton. However, there was also a huge interest in our destination at the OTM Fair held in Mumbai, where we presented ourselves for the first time. This is an excellent indicator of the direction we should go; intensify promotion in known markets and plan promotional activities in new markets where we have great potential. In the coming period, we will present the beauties of our destination at fairs in Milan, Belgrade, Munich, Berlin and Dubai, in Frankfurt we will appear for the first time at a specialized fair intended for the MICE industry and congress tourism, and we are particularly pleased that the Muslim Travel Show from London has chosen us as official partners of this fair focused on halal tourism. The halal industry is the fastest growing industry in the world, and it is estimated that by 2026, travelers looking for halal-friendly destinations will make up ten percent of world tourism with a consumption of more than BAM 600 billion. Sarajevo has natural and social conditions for the development of this tourism niche, but also the potential for strengthening congress tourism, as well as sports and outdoor tourism with a special emphasis on the Olympic heritage, which is our specificity that we must further valorize and promote -emphasizes Fazlagić.
