Large number of flights from Saudi Arabia to Bosnia and Herzegovina could be redirected to other countries

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina should today reconsider the introduction of a visa-free regime for citizens of Saudi Arabia during the tourist season. This was opposed by ministers from the HDZ, although all indicators suggest that Bosnia and Herzegovina would thus open an opportunity for tourism workers and the hospitality sector to recover from the consequences of the pandemic. The interest of tourists from Saudi Arabia in visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina is also shown by data from airlines, which announce the cancellation of planned flights if the BiH authorities continue to treat this issue as they have so far.

The airline Flynas earlier asked Bosnia and Herzegovina to regulate the entry of tourists during the summer in a way that tourists from Saudi Arabia would be exempt from visas. They also guaranteed 10 weekly flights full of "safe tourists" from this country, but state ministers decided there was no need for that.

Due to the unclear situation and complexity regarding visa issuance, they are now reviewing plans for new flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We are even planning to reduce flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina and redirect capacities to alternative destinations that do not require visas for Saudi citizens, such as Albania, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine," they said.

Saudia Airlines also wants to launch direct flights from Saudi Arabia, but fears that mandatory visa requirements for citizens of this country could be a problem when filling flights.

At the same time, our embassy in Riyadh points out that they are at the limit of their capacity given the great need for processing visa applications and travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina.