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This year’s budget for tourism development at RSD 4.08bn
Belgrade,
20 June 2007
Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic stated today that the total tourism budget for 2007 stands at RSD 4.08 billion, which is 3.5 times more than last year and is also the highest budget ever for tourism purposes in Serbia.
At a press conference held at the Serbian government, Dinkic said tourism is an important sector in his Ministry, which is why the implementation of the National Strategy for Tourism Development before 2015 will be continued.
He stated that in the first quarter of 2007, income from this sector in foreign currency is by 23% higher than in the same period last year. He also recalled that by the end of April, 614,000 tourists visited Serbia and made over two million stays in hotels.
The Minister also said that 2006 foreign currency income from tourism exceeded $409 million, which was by 34% higher than in 2005. He voiced hope that by end-2007, the income will be more than $500 million.
Our goal is to make this income exceed $1 billion by the end of this government’s term, stressed Dinkic and said that in the upcoming period the state will continue investing in the development of tourist infrastructure, whereas it is expected that the private sector invests in accommodation facilities.
According to Dinkic, investments in the development of mountain, river, lake and spa tourism will be prioritised and around RSD 3 billion will be invested there, adding that national and local projects will be equally well taken into account.
Dinkic said that the public ski resort company Skijalista Srbije will invest €15 million in the modernisation and construction of new ski infrastructure on mountains Zlatibor, Kopaonik, Divcibare and Stara Planina.
The Master plan for Stara Planina is the most important and it will be completed in the first week of July, said the Minister. Total investments in the next five years will be over €600 million and foreign investors will be sought to construct on the mountain, he added.
He said that €7.5 million will be allocated for modernisation and construction of infrastructure on the Danube, while nearly €9 million is intended for giving micro loans to improve the quality of tourism facilities, and funds will be allocated from the budget for developing congress tourism.
Commenting on the privatisation of hotels, he said that the strategy for privatisation of Genex and Genex hotels will be completed by July 1, and separate tenders will be announced.
Dinkic said he expects that by the end of the year an auction be held for the Genex Hotel in Belgrade and the Genex Hotel in Kopaonik. He added that the method of privatisation will be the sale of property, implying that property will be sold without debts, and debts will be later settled through the proceeds.
It is also planned that with the Serbian Property Directorate a tender should be announced for building the first wellness hotel on Kopaonik, on the location of the former Baciste Hotel since the land is now not in use, said Dinkic.
He said that Slavija Hotel will also be privatised and stressed that it will be verified through the company Dunav Osiguranje, which sold the Jugoslavija Hotel, if the buyer of the hotel has fulfilled all obligations and in case it is not so, all efforts will be made to terminate the contract.
He stated that in the first quarter of 2007, income from this sector in foreign currency is by 23% higher than in the same period last year. He also recalled that by the end of April, 614,000 tourists visited Serbia and made over two million stays in hotels.
The Minister also said that 2006 foreign currency income from tourism exceeded $409 million, which was by 34% higher than in 2005. He voiced hope that by end-2007, the income will be more than $500 million.
Our goal is to make this income exceed $1 billion by the end of this government’s term, stressed Dinkic and said that in the upcoming period the state will continue investing in the development of tourist infrastructure, whereas it is expected that the private sector invests in accommodation facilities.
According to Dinkic, investments in the development of mountain, river, lake and spa tourism will be prioritised and around RSD 3 billion will be invested there, adding that national and local projects will be equally well taken into account.
Dinkic said that the public ski resort company Skijalista Srbije will invest €15 million in the modernisation and construction of new ski infrastructure on mountains Zlatibor, Kopaonik, Divcibare and Stara Planina.
The Master plan for Stara Planina is the most important and it will be completed in the first week of July, said the Minister. Total investments in the next five years will be over €600 million and foreign investors will be sought to construct on the mountain, he added.
He said that €7.5 million will be allocated for modernisation and construction of infrastructure on the Danube, while nearly €9 million is intended for giving micro loans to improve the quality of tourism facilities, and funds will be allocated from the budget for developing congress tourism.
Commenting on the privatisation of hotels, he said that the strategy for privatisation of Genex and Genex hotels will be completed by July 1, and separate tenders will be announced.
Dinkic said he expects that by the end of the year an auction be held for the Genex Hotel in Belgrade and the Genex Hotel in Kopaonik. He added that the method of privatisation will be the sale of property, implying that property will be sold without debts, and debts will be later settled through the proceeds.
It is also planned that with the Serbian Property Directorate a tender should be announced for building the first wellness hotel on Kopaonik, on the location of the former Baciste Hotel since the land is now not in use, said Dinkic.
He said that Slavija Hotel will also be privatised and stressed that it will be verified through the company Dunav Osiguranje, which sold the Jugoslavija Hotel, if the buyer of the hotel has fulfilled all obligations and in case it is not so, all efforts will be made to terminate the contract.
Serbian State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development Goran Petkovic said that 11 master plans have been designed which will be realised by the end of September, and internationally renowned marketing agencies will work on their promotion.
Petkovic stressed that work is underway on amendments to the Law on tourism and on drafting the law on resorts. He said that work by tourism inspection will be intensified which last year resulted in action in a 143 cases, where RSD 4 million was returned to citizens from tourist agencies.
He added that work will also be done on regulating the property-legal relations since that presented problems to foreign investors.
Petkovic stressed that work is underway on amendments to the Law on tourism and on drafting the law on resorts. He said that work by tourism inspection will be intensified which last year resulted in action in a 143 cases, where RSD 4 million was returned to citizens from tourist agencies.
He added that work will also be done on regulating the property-legal relations since that presented problems to foreign investors.
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