Excellent tourist season for Tuzla Canton

(Patria) - In Tuzla Canton from January to June this year, compared to the first half of last year, an increase in the number of tourists by 12.6 percent was recorded, while the number of overnight stays increased by 17 percent. Tourism workers believe that this year will be even better than the reference year 2019. Tourism workers warn that more must be done on tourism infrastructure and improving the quality of services if they are to adequately respond to this increase in the number of tourists, writes BHRT.

The Pannonian Lakes complex in Tuzla is the main magnet for tourists from other parts of our country, the region, as well as a large number of countries around the world. The importance of Panonika for the development of tourism in this city is best illustrated by the fact that since 2003, when the first lake was opened, the number of accommodation facilities in Tuzla has increased tenfold. This season will, quite certainly, surpass the reference year 2019 in terms of tourist numbers.

The director of the Tuzla Canton Tourist Board, Miralem Mešković, says: "We have experienced an expansion in this regard in the city of Tuzla, more and more accommodation facilities are being built, and this shows good results, high occupancy, a larger number of arrivals, but however, in these other selective forms of tourism, which should be strategically focused on our canton, I think we are lagging behind.“

If more is not done in the coming years to improve tourism infrastructure and raise the quality of tourist services, tourism workers warn, it will not be possible to adequately respond to this growth in the number of tourists. The cantonal government recently helped nine tourism companies with 300,000 KM to improve their infrastructure. For the expansion of capacities at the Gračanica Hotel "Etna", the cantonal government allocated 30,000 KM.

The Minister of Tourism, Trade, and Transport of TK, Denis Bećirović, emphasizes: “Every year we have an increase in tourism activity in TK, and we expect the same next year. Money is therefore spent on tourism infrastructure, on the development of tourist potentials in TK, i.e., new facilities and the expansion of existing ones.“

Tourism workers emphasize that Tuzla Canton has great potential for tourism development, primarily in the segments of rural tourism, mountaineering, cycling, and adventure tourism. What is missing, along with more developed tourism infrastructure, is greater investment in marketing and the education of tourism workers.