By Nathan Morley
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) recorded over 182,000 tourist arrivals in October, a 9.6 percent increase year-on-year, the country’s Statistics Agency said this week.
Meanwhile, overnight stays reached over 353,000, up 7.7 percent from the same period last year.
Foreign tourists accounted for a 12.1 percent rise in overnight stays. Visitors from Croatia were top of the list at 12.6 percent, followed by those from Serbia (11.0 percent), Türkiye (10.5 percent), and Slovenia (8.4 percent). Chinese tourists accounted for 6.3 percent, ranking fifth.
In the first ten months of 2024, over 65,800 Chinese tourists visited Bosnia, marking a significant 53.5 percent increase year-on-year. 2024 marks the sixth year since BiH implemented a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports in 2018.
Andrej Agacevic, a representative of the BiH-China Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the vast potential of the Chinese market. Chinese language education should be prioritized, he said, emphasizing its role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and enhancing Bosnia’s global engagement. ■