A survey on the attitudes and behavior of domestic tourists who spent their holidays in Serbia in 2020 and their holiday plans this year, conducted by the Tourist Organization of Serbia (TOS), confirmed that they fell into the background due to the travel pandemic, but also revealed some facts which are encouraging. The director of TOS, Marija Labović, points out that almost a quarter of citizens travelled during 2020, and in the largest number, their destination was our country. "We are encouraged by the fact that as many as 62.5 percent of tourists plan to repeat their vacation in Serbia. In addition, 14.8 percent of respondents stated that they plan to visit destinations in Serbia and abroad in 2021, "says the director of TOS.

Did any new destinations emerge among the traditional most-popular places in Serbia?

- Having in mind the data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, the biggest increase in overnight stays when it comes to domestic tourists compared to 2019, was in Mokra Gora by 40 percent, Palić by 30, Stara planina by 29, and Sokobanja by 19 percent. The highest number of overnight stays in 2020 was recorded in Vrnjačka Banja, followed by Sokobanja, Zlatibor, Kopaonik, Divčibare, Tara, and Vrdnik.

According to NTOS research, 95,8 percent of tourists were satisfied with their vacation in Serbia. What were the downsides?

- We are extremely satisfied with these numbers given that they implicate the service quality constancy, regardless of the situation our colleagues encountered on the field. The downsides those 4,2 percent of applicants mentioned are – that employees were rude, which puts a certain pressure on the HORES management to do more; and that destinations were crowded, which was difficult to control. Still, we plan to continue insisting on safety, nature preservation, keeping the distance, wearing masks, and respecting pandemic restrictions during our promotional activities.

More about holidays in Serbia: https://www.srbija.travel/