Republika Srpska and Serbia are planning to create joint reserves of food and fuel, and they are also working on allowing tourism vouchers from Srpska to be used in Serbia and vice versa.
These initiatives were announced by Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska.
“We have agreed, which is very important for us and thanks to Serbia’s goodwill, that the tourism vouchers they issue for Serb citizens will be valid in Republika Srpska, and our vouchers will be valid in Serbia. We have also agreed and are continuing discussions on creating joint reserves of oil, food, and everything necessary,” Dodik said to the media.
Consumer protection advocates in Srpska emphasize the importance of having food reserves for “just in case” scenarios.
They remind that Srpska has not had a goods reserve institution for years, and they believe it is good to restart this initiative.
Nedeljka Neška Ilijić, Executive Director of the “Oaza” Citizens’ Association in Trebinje, supports the idea of joint food and fuel reserves.
“Let it start, and it will be good. If it moves forward, it’s good to have our reserves,” Ilijić told “Nezavisne novine.”
Tourism workers are also excited about the idea of mutual recognition of tourism vouchers between Srpska and Serbia. They are confident that this will improve their visitor statistics.
Branka Branković, spokesperson for the Banjaluka Tourism Organization (TOBL), states that in overall figures, when it comes to arrivals and overnight stays, guests from Serbia rank first in both Banjaluka and Srpska.
“Therefore, we have the most guests from Serbia. If cooperation regarding tourism vouchers were to happen, it would significantly increase the number of arrivals and overnight stays and positively impact the airline routes between Belgrade and Banjaluka,” Branković emphasized.
The initiative for mutual recognition of tourism vouchers is also welcomed in the southernmost city of Srpska. Serbian citizens currently account for more than 50% of all visits to Trebinje.
Bojan Vučurević, Head of the Department for Tourism, Environmental Protection, and Entrepreneurship in the Trebinje City Administration, says that the ability to use vouchers from Serbia in Srpska and vice versa would bring benefits not only for Trebinje’s tourism but also for Trebinje citizens, encouraging them to visit Serbia more often.
“It would be great if vouchers were usable on both sides of the Drina. It would certainly benefit us as hosts and also allow people from Trebinje to visit Serbia, which is our homeland. It would be absolutely useful for people here to travel to Serbia,” Vučurević stated in an interview with “Nezavisne novine.”
Source: BanjaLuka.net
