In January, most tourists from Croatia, Turkey, and Serbia despite a poor winter season

Statistics for January 2016 show an increase in tourist arrivals compared to January 2015 by about 5%, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, January recorded 29,812 tourist arrivals, with domestic tourists accounting for 39.7% and foreign tourists 60.3%. 

There was also an increase in tourist overnight stays compared to January 2015, with the largest number of tourists accommodated in hotels.

The largest number of overnight stays were achieved by tourists from Croatia (25.6%), followed by guests from Turkey (11.0%), Serbia (5.7%), Slovenia (4.9%), and Germany (4.7%).

In January, there were 4,968 guests from Croatia, 1,801 from Turkey, and 1,136 from Serbia. They were followed by Slovenes with 992, Germans with 924, Italians with 767, Austrians with 751, and Montenegrins with 514.

There were slightly fewer guests from the United Arab Emirates with 375, and Kuwait with 378.

The number of guests was also affected by unfavorable weather conditions, as there was no snow, and for days Sarajevo, Zenica, Tuzla, and some other cities were choked by smog and fog, resulting in a large number of cancellations of arrangements before and after New Year's. (av)