NEARLY HALF MILLION TOURIST ARRIVALS IN SRPSKA DURING 11 MONTHS

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 1 /SRNA/ – A total of 477,944 tourist arrivals and 1,125,259 overnight stays were recorded in Republika Srpska during the first 11 months of last year, the Republic Tourist Organization told SRNA, noting that with December data included, the total number of arrivals is expected to exceed half a million.

Compared to the same period of the previous year, Republika Srpska recorded an increase of 20,383 arrivals and 29,527 overnight stays during the 11-month period, representing a rise of 4.5 percent in arrivals and 2.7 percent in overnight stays.

Public relations associate at the Tourist Organization Sanela Šimun said that the number of overnight stays in mountain destinations increased by 5.9 percent, while spa destinations recorded a decline of 1.4 percent.

"Other tourist destinations recorded an increase of 3.5 percent. These include destinations with attractive features such as favorable climate, cultural and historical heritage, as well as river and lake tourism," Šimun said, adding that tourists stayed an average of 2.4 days during the 11-month period.

Šimun noted that, as in previous years, the largest number of visitors, besides domestic tourists, came from neighboring countries - Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, while among other countries the most notable were Turkey, Germany, Austria, China and Italy.

According to Šimun, domestic tourists recorded the highest number of overnight stays in spa destinations, followed by other tourist destinations with attractive features, then mountain resorts and other locations that cannot be classified into the mentioned categories but have accommodation facilities.

"Foreign tourists recorded the highest number of overnight stays in other tourist destinations, followed by spa destinations and then mountain resorts," Šimun said.