The Minister of Trade and Tourism of the Government of Republika Srpska, Denis Šulić, welcomed the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy Atiya, this evening on Jahorina, marking the start of his official visit to BiH.
Šulić emphasized that tonight’s meeting sends an important message that Republika Srpska is open.
“We know how important Egypt is in tourism and that it is a key sector for economic development. Egypt is a country with great potential and a huge number of tourists who should come to Republika Srpska,” Šulić said to the press.
He added that this meeting is just one in a series of planned events related to cooperation with Egypt.
“The Egyptian market is huge, and we are pleased with the establishment of direct flights, which will make it easier for tourists to visit Republika Srpska and BiH. I am confident that tourists from Egypt will discover all the potentials of Republika Srpska,” Šulić noted.
The Egyptian minister expressed his admiration for Jahorina and what has been built on the mountain.
“There is a great potential for the development of winter and summer tourism,” Atiya said.
In addition to Šulić, the Egyptian delegation was welcomed by children in traditional Serbian attire, with bread and salt, and a formal dinner was held at the “Olympic Bar” at the top of Jahorina.
Dejan Ljevnaić, Director of the Olympic Center “Jahorina,” expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to present the Olympic beauty of Jahorina to the Egyptian delegation.
“Jahorina is one of the rare mountains, perhaps the only one in Europe, that has 26 attractions during the summer. The summer potential is huge, and I believe we have utilized it,” Ljevnaić said.
He mentioned that seven years ago, Jahorina had a turnover of only 4,000 KM during the summer, while last season it reached 2.7 million KM.
“This season, we expect an even better season. The mountain is full. By today, we have had more than 50,000 guests,” Ljevnaić added.
The Ambassador of BiH to Egypt, Sabit Subašić, said that the visit of the Egyptian delegation is very significant.
“This is the first minister from the Egyptian government to visit BiH, and I am pleased that it is the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, as this is indeed a broad sector and a huge ministry in Egypt,” Subašić stated.
He noted that preparations for the development of tourism exchange have been underway for about a year and a half.
“We have had influencers and tour operators here. We have a much larger number of tourists from BiH coming to Egypt, and we want to balance that a little,” Subašić said, adding that this meeting will be a good basis for continuing cooperation.
Source: RTRS
