April, 28^th 

08 am – 12 pm – Amusement park /working hours/

April, 29^th

08 am – 12 pm – Amusement park /working hours/

April, 30^th

08 am – 12 pm – Amusement park /working hours/

10 am International Sailing Regatta

May, 1^st

08 am – 12 pm – Amusement park /working hours/

08 am “Trimbi” race: from Subotica to Palić on foot, on bicycle or roller skating. Starting point: in front of the Childrens’ theatre

10 am International Sailing Regatta

12 am Brass Orchestra Concert at the Music Pavilion

01 pm – “Arija” Cultural Centre program

May, 2^nd – 6^th

08 am – 12 pm – Amusement park /working hours/

May, 3^rd

12 am SEEOOC-Elitte Palić – International Sailing Regatta

May, 4^th

09 am Tennis tournament for doubles at Palić Tennis Courts

10 am SEEOOC-Elitte Palić – International Sailing Regatta

May, 5^th  

09 am Tennis tournament for doubles at Palić Tennis Courts

10 am SEEOOC-Elitte Palić – International Sailing Regatta

From April 24-27 2013, Ms. Weinrecht, accompanied by an experienced cyclist and Mr. Jovan Eraković from the Ciklonaut association, will visit the Serbian cities on the Danube River: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci, Kladovo, and Donji Milanovac, the Golubac and Ram fortresses, “Lepenski Vir” archeological site, and National Park Đerdap.

Statistics for German tourists

Fifty thousand German tourists visited Serbia in 2012, an increase of 7% compared to 2011.

At the 10^th award ceremony, the NTO Serbia and NTO Montenegro, which have jointly presented their tourist offers at the fair, received the prestigious award.

The award recognizes the companies and countries that go the extra mile to accommodate Chinese tourists, and offer excellent products and services that meet their specific requirements when travelling abroad.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Serbia in 2012 has risen by 38% compared to the previous year. While during the first two months of 2013, the increase was 42% compared to the same period last year.

In 2013 it is planned that six tourist agencies from Shanghai start cooperation with Serbian tour operators, and to include Serbia in their offer.

The bilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Republic of Serbia and the National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China with the aim of strengthening cooperation and partner relations, has also contributed to the rise of Chinese tourists visiting Serbia.  Among other provisions, the agreement defines visa liberalization procedures for Chinese group visits to Serbia.

Last year, the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia organized the first official visit of Chinese tourists to Serbia from October 8-10 2012. The arrival of Chinese tourists is a result of the Memorandum.

According to the World Tourism Organisation statistics, the number of Chinese international tourists has risen from 10 million in the year 2000 to 83 million in 2012. Last year, Chinese travelers spent a record US $ 102 billion on tourism.

Travel experts estimate that Chinese tourists are looking for the new destinations in Europe.  That fact could make Serbia and the Balkans a new popular destination for even more Chinese nationals.

Serbia’s booth at the COTTM travel fair is among the most visited. A large number of media and tourism industry representatives have shown special interest for tours in Serbia and are enquiring about information on Serbian tourist products.

At the fair there will be representatives of NTO Serbia, TO Belgrade, TO Vojvodina, TO Novi Sad, and TO Veliko Gradište.

The offer will include: city breaks, nature of Serbia, rural tourism, youth tourism, wine tourism, most important tourist manifestations in Serbia, and the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013.

Statistics for Romanian tourists

In 2012 a total of 63.000 Romanian tourists visited Serbia, 5% more than in 2011. In January2013, the number of tourists from Romania has risen by 14% compared to the same month last year.

At the fair (Hall 11.1. Booth #106), Serbia will present its tourism offer, including: the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, active holidays, and festivals.

At the ITB in Berlin there will be representatives of: NTO Serbia, Vojvodina Provincial Secretariat for Economy, Employment, and Gender Equality, Tourist Organization of Vojvodina, tourist organizations of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Majdanpek, and Sremski Karlovci, Cluster Istar 21, National Park Đerdap; representatives of incoming tour operators: Omniturs, S.A.B. International, Glob Metropliten Tours, Panacomp Wonderland, Magelan, Bon Voyage, and Market tours; representatives of the following hotels: Premier Aqua, Hemel Resort , Garni Best Western President, Garni Premier President; and Promont distillery Rakija Premier, and DCC members: Wild Serbia and Lepenski Vir.

Young people in Niš, who love and know their city, will be able through The City Host Service to show the city in a specific and less formal way to all future guests and visitors.

Volunteers will show the guests the hidden treasures and beauties of the town, give them the information about Niš and its residents, and will help them in making new friendships.

All greeters know Niš and its history very well and speak at least English language.

More info on Niš greeters: www.greeters.visitnis.com

The NTO Serbia, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Copenhagen and the PR agency Atlantic, will organize the “Serbian tourism night”. The event will take place on January 31, 2013, in the Cultural Club of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Copenhagen.

Participation at the event has been confirmed by 50 Danish journalists and tour operators.

At the fairs Serbia will present its tourism offer, including: the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, active holidays, festivals, Danube, and camping.

FITUR Madrid

At the FITUR travel fair in Madrid there will be representatives of NTO Serbia, Tourist Organisation of Belgrade, and the preventatives of two incoming tour operators, Magelan Corporation and Glob Metropoliten Tours.

During the fair, a degustation of Serbian beverages and gastronomic specialties will be organized.

The NTO Serbia will also organize the “Serbian night”, the dinner in a restaurant in Madrid for the media and tour operators’ representatives.

Destinations London

At the Destinations in London there will be representatives of NTO Serbia, Tourist Organisation of Novi Sad, and the outbound UK tour operators that provide packages to Serbia.

On Saturday, February 2, 2013, the NTO Serbia will organize the presentation on the following topics: “Serbian tourist offer in the UK market”, speaker: Mr. Russell Stenhouse, MPR Network, and “Cultural treasures of Serbia”, speaker: Valerie Singleton, English television and radio presenter.

Vakantiesalon/Salon des Vacances Brussels

During the fair in Brussels, the NTO Serbia, Mixer Festival, Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Brussels will organize the exhibition of Serbian contemporary art  “Serbia in redesign: Mixer and guests”. The exhibition will take place in Press Club Brussels Europe from January 28 to February 1.

The replicas of museum exhibits from Serbia will be displayed at the Serbia’s booth during the fair.

At the travel fair in Ljubljana there will be representatives of NTO Serbia, Tourist Organisation of Belgrade, Tourist organisation of Vojvodina, Tourist Organisations of Niš, Tourist Organisation of Smederevo, Tourist Organisation of Novi Sad, Tourist Organisation of Bačka Palanka, Tourist Organisation of Apatin, Tourist Organisation of Žabalj, Tourist Organisation of Šid, and Tourist Organisation of Vršac.

At the travel fair in İstanbul there will be representatives of NTO Serbia, Tourist Organisation of Belgrade, Belgrade Chamber of Commerce, and incoming tour operators: Glob Metropoliten Tours, Omnitours, and Fogg Travel Club.

At both fairs the offer will include: the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, active holidays, festivals, Danube, and camping.

During the fair in İstanbul, a special tourist offer that include: visiting Belgrade, Kopaonik ski center, Vrnjačka Banja Spa center, and Novi Pazar will be presented.

In Ljubljana, the visitors will have a chance to see how traditional Serbian peasant shoes “opanci” are being made.

NTO Serbia and Tourist Organisations of Niš will organize a presentation of the culture of Serbia-the main promotional theme for 2013, on Wednesday, January 2013 in the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Ljubljana.

At the NTO Serbia stand there will be presented the tourism offer of Serbia, including the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, active holiday, rural tourism and the most important tourist manifestations.

At the NTO Serbia stand there will be presented the tourism offer of Serbia, including the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, Danube in Serbia, camping, active holiday, rural tourism and the most important tourist manifestations.

With more than 200.000 visitors and 2.000 exhibitors from 96 countries, the CMT is the largest European fair.

The NTOS CEO Ms. Gordana Plamenac, Consul-general of the Republic of Serbia in Stuttgart Mr. Pero Jankovic and the Counselor for the Economic Affairs Mr. Jure Galic will be present at the CMT opening ceremony.

The participation at the fair and the other promotional activities in Germany are organized in cooperation with the Berlin-based PR agency Mascontour.

Statistics

In the period from January to November 2012, 48.458 tourists from Germany visited Serbia, which is 5.9% increase compared to the same period last year.

At the NTO Serbia stand there will be presented the tourism offer of Serbia, including the culture of Serbia as the main promotional theme for 2013, city breaks, active holidays in combination with rural tourism and the most important tourist manifestations in Serbia.

On January 8, the NTO Serbia, in coordination with the Dutch PR agency Europe Destinations Marketing, organized the presentation of the tourism offer in Serbia for tour operators and journalists at the fair in Utrecht.

Statistics for the Dutch tourists

In the period from January to November 2012, 13.500 tourists from the Netherlands visited Serbia, which is 10% increase compared to the same period last year.

The online survey which was completed by respondents aged from 25 to 59 has also shown the changes in Chinese tourists’ habits and needs.

According to the Lifestyle magazine analysis, the Chinese tourists prefer comfortable and relaxing tourist arrangements, and spend 6-10 days in average in their favorite tourist destinations. Patterns of booking have also changed recently, as the Chinese tourists now plan, book and, pay for their travel arrangements in advance.

The survey has also shown that the European continent is the favorite destinations for the Chinese tourists, while Australia/NZ, Japan, Republic of Korea and North America are on the second, third, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

From November 28-30 2012 the Turkish tour operators, guests of the NTO Serbia, will visit Belgrade, Sremski Karlovci, and Novi Sad, and will have a meeting with Serbian receptive travel agencies.

The visit is organized in cooperation with TURSAB and the Turkish Airlines.

http://bit.ly/RHMM7G

Statistics for Italian tourists

In the period from January to September 2012, the number of tourists from Italy has risen by 39% compared to the same period last year. Italian tourists who visited Serbia made more than 100 thousand overnights in total, and stayed 2.8 days in average.

With the aim to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Serbia, and to promote Serbia as a tourist destination, The Memorandum also defines a new liberalized visa regime for Chinese group visits.

Statistics for Chinese tourists

In the period from January to August 2012, the number of tourists from the People’s Republic of China has risen by 37% compared to the same period last year. Chinese tourists who visited Serbia made 8.574 overnights in total, and stayed 2.7 days in average.

http://wizzair.com/en-GB/Search

While the hotel exterior has not been changed, the interior is completely renovated. A stylish mixture of elegance, traditional architecture, and art combined with new trends and modern design makes this hostel unique not only in Serbia but worldwide as well.

Since 1957, when Metropol was originally opened, numerous statesmen, politicians, world famous artists and musicians such as Sophia Loren, Louis Armstrong, Elizabeth Taylor, and Robert de Niro were Metropol’s regular gests.

Hotel has the largest function hall in Belgrade suitable for organizing conferences and other events.

http://www.silafest.com/english/html/english.html

The film Soulfood Serbia had already won the prizes at Zagreb Tourfilm festival in Croatia, at the U.S. International Film & Video Festival in Los Angeles, at the FilmAT festival in Warsaw, and at the FORFEST festival in Montenegro.

http://wizzair.com/en-GB/Search

At the stand no 56, marque 4, there will be representatives of NTO Serbia and incoming tour operator Magelan (BirdwatchSerbia.rs). The offer will include weekend programmes and 7-10 programmes as well as autumn and spring programmes to visit Serbia together with “The Urban Birder” David Lindo who was astonished with Serbia and started promoting it.

On Saturday, August 18th, David will have a presentation about his birdwatching experiences in Serbia. With over 300 species that occur regularly and 260 breed, the country is continually becoming more and more popular to birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

In the past few years, more birdwatchers are coming from abroad to see the owls. Last year, the small town of Kikinda, at the north-east of the country, had been proclaimed for the world capital of owls. During the winter period at the center of the town you can count over 700 owls! In entire Serbia, Long-eared Owls are so common that no one thought that they can be interesting for birdwatchers!

http://www.serbia.travel/activities/fauna-of-serbia/bird-watching/

http://www.birdwatchserbia.rs/rutland2013.html

The film Soulfood Serbia had already won the first prize at the Film AT festival in Warsaw and the second prize at the Forest festival in Montenegro.

Serbia Convention Bureau developed the game with the main goal to promote Serbia as an attractive meeting and incentive destination.

Choose your destination, select a vehicle and start the game. During the race you can take a short break, learn more about the destination, and take a look at the pictures.

Each month the most successful player gets a surprise prize!

You are just a click away from a wonderful experience at  http://www.scb.travel/games/1/

Photo journalist Mr. Bárány Tibor, specialized in culinary related topics and chef Mr. Zoran Mišković

The restaurant’s owner Mr. Stamenko Kandić with his wife, and the Ambassador of Serbia in Sweden Mr. Dušan Crnogorčević

Well known TV person and conférencier of the event Mr. Slađan Osmanagić

From left to right: Representative of the National Tourism Organisation for Scandinavia Mr. Predrag Rolović, Serbia’s PR in Sweden Mr. Carl Magnus Hedin, actress Ms. Jelena Mila, well known TV person and conférencier of the event Mr. Slađan Osmanagić, and  chef Mr. Zoran Mišković

Some delicious Serbian culinary specialties served

Selected wines, honey wine, plum brandy, and beer from Serbia

This important prize was presented to Ms. Plamenac, who was representing Europe at the event, on Wednesday, 23 May 2012, at the gala dinner organised at the Frankfurt Opera House.

The received award would help Serbia’s efforts to improve its tourism visibility and to reattain the image of reliable and competitive congress destination.

The National Tourism Organisation of Serbia has been awarded the first prize for the promotional film about Serbian gastronomy-Soulfood, at the FilmAT Festival in Warsaw. The film Soulfood has won the prestigious award in completion with 142 other films from various countries around the world, in the category of “Best Tourist Movie”.

The participants include local TO representatives and other interested in the development of mapping in Serbia, who will have the possibility of following the lectures via video presentations in several meeting rooms.

The seminar will be held in hotel “Petrus”, in Paracin, April 6th and 7th, 2012.

National Tourism Organisation of Serbia has given financial support by providing tickets for this event, as well as support in promotional material, contributing in this way to the idea that the Danube is not only natural resource of enormous value, but also a direct link with Europe, and as such a unique Pan-European product.

The Art Tour is a modern version of the Grand Tour which provides an opportunity for a direct contact between artworks and passers-by on Belgrade streets. From the 17th until the 20th century, the Grand Tour was part of classical education aimed at learning about other cultures and expanding one’s own views.

Owing to cooperation of the National Museum, the Municipality of Stari grad and Hewlett-Packard and Telenor, under the auspices of Princess Jelisaveta Karađorđević, a collection which has for long not been available to the public will be exhibited. The reproductions have been designed using the latest printing technology in the area of large print formats of Hewlett-Packard which provides an opportunity for highest-quality reproduction of masterpieces.

Night of Museum in the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, Čika Ljubina 8/I, Belgrade.
May 14 between  6 P.M. and 2 A.M.

“The Danube Adventure” exhibition will take you to an amusing cruise and educate you about the natural, cultural and historical wealth on the Danube in Serbia. The exhibition gives you the opportunity to ride a bicycle on “Eurovelo 6” route which goes from the Atlantic to the Black Sea, to make a traditional breakfast in a country yard and take a photo of yourself as a Roman, a knight, or a lady from the Middle Ages. You will find rest in natural surroundings of a national park, and you can take part in a quiz and win one of many awards which will lead you to the Danube.

Creative team: Nina Trifunović, Dina Vuković, Marijana Markoska, Nina Todorović, Dejan Crnomarković, Kristina Kujundžić, Svetlana Volic and Andrej Vojković.

Partners: Danube Competence Center (DCC) and Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society of Republic of Serbia. Financial support: Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).  Friends:  „Aquastar Danube“ Hotel, Kladovo; Restaurant “Stara Koliba” Belgrade; Sidro Inn, Beška;  „Kod Braše“ Inn, Begeč, Yachting Club „Kej“; Danuvije – ships, Sport Association „Freestyler“; Serbian Association for Recreation and Fitness;  Zdravo Živo d.o.o. and  Singidunum University.

Wizz Air, the largest low fare – low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe is establishing 13th operating base in Belgrade, Serbia starting in April 2011. Initially the airline will deploy one brand new Airbus A320 aircraft.

Concurrently, Wizz Air will launch five new routes to Belgrade from Brussels Charleroi, Stockholm-Skvasta,  Munich-Memmingen, Gothenburg and  Eindhoven in addition to the already served London, Dortmund, Rome and Malmo.

Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com with fares starting from as low as EUR 22,49 (one way, all inclusive).

Comprehensive programme will present Serbia’s offer and that of the DCC’s member states: Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine).

Serbia will present itself with the following programme:
1 February -  press conference at the Serbian Embassy in Brussels at which Ms. Gordana Plamenac, CEO/Managing Director of the NTOS and Dejan Veselinov acting director of Tourism Organisation of Belgrade will speak.
2 February – ceremony of dressing up the Manneken Pis, the symbol of Brussels, in Serbian traditional folk costume from Sumadija region. In the evening Serbian National ensemble „Kolo“ and the Dejan Petrovic Big Band (winner of Guca Festival) will perform in the central square – Grand Place.
3 February – at the fair opening, officials of Belgiian Government, Ms. Gordana Plamenac and a representative of DCC will have a speech. After the opening, a cocktail/reception will be organized at the stand of Serbia and the DCC.
On the same day the DCC is organising “The Danube Dialogue Forum” in which representatives of European institutions, the Danube region and Serbia will participate. One of the panelists is Dr. Goran Petkovic, State Secretary for Tourism in the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development.
In the evening, organizers will host a reception for officials from Belgium, journalists and other guests, to whom dishes of Serbian cuisine and Serbian wines will be served, with the music of trumpets and „Stup“ Jazz orchestra from Niš.

Interesting programme will await the visitors of the Serbian stand. Serbian National ensemble „Kolo“and „Stup“ Jazz orchestra will perform music program. There will be presentations of traditional crafts: pottery, peasant shoes, flutes, painting pots and naive paintings. The various presentations of tourist destinations in Serbia and DCC members will be held, as well as gastronomy and wine tasting.

Every day of the fair tombola will be organized for visitors, the prize being a long weekend in Serbia.

During the days of the Fair, the week of Serbian cuisine will be held. Chef from „Šešir moj“ restaurant in Belgrade’s bohemian Skadarlija quarter will prepare Serbian specialties at the restaurant L’Altro Mondo. This restaurant is located in the district Libre de l’Ilot Sacré, which is twinned with Skadarlija.

At the stand of Serbia in Brussels the following organisations will present their offer: Tourist Organizations of Belgrade, Vojvodina, Western Serbia, Nis and Cacak, Serbian Ministry of Culture, Camping Association of Serbia, the Association of National Parks of Serbia, as well as tour operators from Serbia Magellan, Panoramic, Serbia 4U, Panacomp , Glob Metropolitan, Time to travel from the Netherlands and the Balkan Traffik from Brussels who have put Serbia in their programs.

During the process of preparation for Serbia’s appearance in Brussels, valuable help was provided by Mr. Radomir Diklic, Serbian Ambassador in Brussels and Srdjan Cvijic, economic adviser. Generous support was also provided by the Ministry of Culture, Regional Development Agency Zlatibor, TO Western Serbia, Zlatiborac, Sirogojno company as well as the tourist organizations of Belgrade, Vojvodina, Nis and Cacak.

Here you can download daily progamme in PDF

National Tourism Organisation of Serbia (NTOS) will in January 2011 through numerous activities present the tourism offer of Serbia at the market in Germany.

NTOS will organize a Roadshow – a presentation of Serbian tourism in several cities for representatives of the
tourism industry in Germany.

In a series of workshops on January 11 in Berlin, January 12 in Dusseldorf and January 13 in Stuttgart, NTOS will present the tourism offer of Serbia. It is expected that about 200 German tour operators will attend these workshops.

NTOS Director Gordana Plamenac will address a press conference on January 10 in Berlin. Serbia will be presented at the Tourism Fair in Stuttgart from January 15 to 23, at which NTOS will have its their own stand for the first time.

The German market is recognized as one of the key markets for the promotion of Serbia. NTOS has for years participated in tourism fairs in Germany, with special attention given to each year’s largest business tourism fair in Berlin.

Website of NTOS won the first prize in the category of non-profit websites. Presentation of tourist offer of Serbia is located at http://www.serbia.travel/ and contains over 1000 pages in Serbian, English, French and Chinese.

Congratulations to our team!

The event “Christmas in Zemun” is organized in the old town, along one of the most beautiful pedestrian street in Belgrade – Gospodska street, where You can find the New Year stalls for souvenirs, Christmas decorations, jewelry, everyday objects of pottery, glass, wood, mosaic and small gifts. Along the street, at the beautiful Square, visitors can taste excellent wine, cakes and specialties from Zemuns bakery, restaurants and fishermen. The event will be followed by good music and street performers.

The exibition of art objects, gifts and souvenirs is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, starting from 18^th of December.
The best attraction for tourists are beautifully decorated store windows and counters, as the Municipality of Zemun  will award the”Best Christmas showcase 2011″ and “The Greatest New Year’s counter.

www.hobby-art.rs

In October Belgrade Jazz Festival that lasted for 4 days had one of its best editions so far. Lots of people have visited this festival with great programme and had the chance to listen really famous performers such as Wayne Shorter Quartet (USA), Charlie Haden Quartet West (USA), Orchestre National De Jazz: „Around Robert Wyatt“ (France), Alice Russell (UK)… Around 10.000 people visited the Festival this year.

In November Serbia will have two more Jazz Festivals:

Pancevo Jazz Festival will take place on 5 and 6 November. Performers like Blue Lotus (Denmark), Hubert Tubbs & Sweet (USA), Roy Hargrove Quintet (USA) will perform for people from Pancevo and surroundings.

Pancevo Jazz Festival was introduced in 1998, and since then it has maintained a high standard when it comes to performances of the most respected jazz artists on the local scene, and renowned world class jazz musicians. The chance to perform at the festival is also being given to the musicians who started their careers in Pancevo, a town which for decades has its own jazz audience and performers.

The second one, Novi Sad Jazz Festival will be held at the Serbian National Theatre from 18 to 20 November. Audience will have the chance to see performers like David Friedman Tambour Trio (Germany), Wallace Roney Group (USA), Scott Hamilton Quartet (USA), Abraham Burton/Eric McPherson Quartet (USA), Chris Potter Underground (USA), Giovanni Guidi Quartet (Italy), Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band…

Novi Sad Jazz Festival was founded in 1999 under the auspices of the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad establishing right away its international character. The main concert program includes performances of musicians and ensembles from all over the world. The uniqueness of the Novi Sad Festival lies in its desire to cherish authorial and jazz music of the highest quality, both by our contemporaries and world renowned authors. Beside concerts, the festival consists of workshops and exhibitions.

The theme this year is “New Technologies and Emerging Markets”. The rise of New Technologies such as mobile and geo-location services present exciting opportunities for Destination Marketing Organisations and NTOs. This week in Belgrade, marketing experts from across the industry will meet to discuss how to take advantage of these opportunities with a particular focus on how they can be used in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and China.

The conference is ETC’s annual e-Business Academy, the only event of its kind to be organised specifically for NTOs, opening for the first time this year to their regional and city partners. It has become an important date in ETC’s calendar, giving delegates a valuable forum in which they can share practical experience and professional insights. The Academy is organised by one of ETC’s strategic advisory groups, the Marketing and Technology Network (MTN).

Andrew Daines, chairman of the MTN, says: “The value of the Academy is now widely recognised, not only by marketing and technology professionals from NTOs throughout Europe, but also by the event’s commercial sponsors – and I’m particularly pleased that Wilken will be supporting the Academy for the fifth successive year, and that a new company, GeoGuides, will be the premium sponsor at our event.”

This year’s Academy, marking the tenth anniversary, is attracting an impressive line-up of speakers, with Amy Scarth from Informed Tourism, Cees Bosselaar of PhocuWright, Jean-Marie Hullot CEO and founder of Fotopedia and Martin Schöbert from Tourismusdesign and Marvin Liao, Yahoo!.

There will also be presentations from the event’s six commercial sponsors: GeoGuides, MovieAsset, New Vision (sponsoring us for the second successive year), SDL, Trip Advisor (sponsoring us for the second successive year) and Wilken. All companies are leaders in their field, offering services of direct relevance and value to the online marketing programmes run by NTOs.

The European Travel Commission is an international, non-profit making organization, with its headquarters in Brussels. Its members are the 39 national tourism organisations of Europe, whose role is to market and promote tourism to Europe in general, and to their individual countries in particular. The President of the ETC is from Germany, and besides Serbia the deputies are also from Belgium and Switzerland.

National Tourism Organisation of Serbia officially became a member of the ETC in Malta on 3 September 2006. Membership of the NTOS in the ETC together with other European countries opens the possibility for better marketing promotion, not only in Europe but also in other continents.

Selection of the representative of Serbia as one of the ETC’s Vice Presidents is a result of previous efforts of the NTOS and Gordana Plamenac personally in the activities of this organization.

The National Tourism Organisation of Serbia held a traditional ceremony for the “Tourist Flower” Award on 27 September – the World Tourism Day. The prize is being awarded to organizations and individuals for improvement of the quality of services and promotion of Serbian tourism. It was the fourteenth time that the Award has been given, this year in 14 categories.

Theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is “Tourism and Biodiversity”. National Tourism Organisation of Serbia earlier this year printed a brochure, “Nature of Serbia”, which shows rare plant and animal species, some of which represent an exquisite national treasure.

The following officials addressed at the ceremony:

· Mrs. Gordana Plamenac, CEO/Managing Director of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia

· Mr. Zoltán Somogyi, Executive Director for Member Relations and Services at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

· Mr. Goran Petković, State Secretary for tourism in the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development

· Mr. Ivica Radović, State Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning

Winners of the “Tourist Flower” Award for the period from July 2009 to July 2010:

1. Category – Tourist Organisation

TOURIST ORGANISATION OF ZLATIBOR

2. Category – Special events in promotion of tourism (events, fair, conference, exhibition)

“VELIKOGOSPOJINSKI DANI”

3. Category – Accommodation Facility

HOTEL “ZLATIBOR MONA”

4. Category – Catering facility for providing food and drink

“RAKIA BAR” BELGRADE

5. Category – Rural tourist household

“RAJSKI KONACI”, LEUŠIĆI VILLAGE

6. Category – Vine cellar

The prize hasn’t been awarded this year

7. Category – Tourist agency

„GLOB METROPOLITEN TOURS“

8. Category – Representation of Serbia as a tourist destination, through electronic and printed media (film, publication, website, Internet page, TV show, a report or magazine)

ASSOCIATION “RURAL TOURISM SERBIA” FOR THE PROJECT SELO.RS

9. Category – Small value souvenir

ZVONČIĆI – FIGURINES IN NATIONAL COSTUME (LALA AND SOSA, SRBIJANAC)

10. Category – Big value souvenir

DOILY PATTERN FROM THE PIROT RUG, CALLED “SOVRA”

11. Category – Innovation in tourism

BELGRADE GREETERS

12. Category – Tidiness of the tourist complex

· SPECIAL NATURE RESERVE “ZASAVICA”

· MUNICIPALITY OF SURČIN

13. Category – Tourist guide

The prize hasn’t been awarded this year

14. Category – organization or an individual for contribution to the advancement of tourism of the Republic of Serbia

DEJAN VESELINOV

National Tourism Organisation of Serbia awarded this year two special “Tourist Flowers“ outside of competition:

· ĐERDAP NATIONAL PARK

· “BIG CLEANING OF SERBIA” CAMPAIGN

Friday 10.09.2010.

10:00-12:00   Mamut Art, creative workshop for preschool children

12:00-13:00   What is scientific literacy? PhD Sofija Stefanović, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, lecture for teachers

13:00-15:00   Jurassic quiz , competition for primary school children

17:00-18:00   Quiz final, final competition of best school tims

18:00-19:00   Opening ceremony of Mamutfest 2010:

Welcoming speech of the organizors, sponsors, participants and special guests of the festival

Exibition openings:

Art and recycling, 27th Children May Salon, National museum Čačak

Archaeologist as a detective, Museum of Vojvodina

Darvin now, British Council

Music programme:

Song for Kika, concert of childrens choir „Čuperak“

19:00-20:00   Life on a desert island, interactive performance for children

Saturday 11.09.2010.

10:00-13:00  Thousand and one greeting card for Kika, decoration of town square

Animal Kingdom – childrens market-place

Archaeology for beginners, educational workshop, Laboratory for bioarchaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

13:00-15:00   Clown Smehuljko, animation program (balloon animals,

magic tricks …)

15:00-17:00   Sustainable art, creative workshop of EkoFON from Belgrade

Eco Robots, presentation of the symbols of Delta City (Green city)

Calligraphy and arranging, creative workshops of Drvo art, High School in Belgrade

16:00-18:00   Forensic experts in action, educational workshop, Criminal department of Police station in Novi Sad

17:00-19:00   Exciting evolution, an educational program in the exhibition Darwin now

19:00-20:00   Disney arias, songs from the most beautiful cartoons, Theatre Džep,

Novi Sad

Following programme:

Mammoth crossword puzzle, enigma of Kikinda mammoth

Mammoth adventure, a new social game designed for future researchers and prehistoric animals fans

In the company of kites, presentation of macking paper dragons and kiteflying,

Aero Club Kikinda

Discover the secret half a million years old – 3D movie about Kikinda mammoth

Kladovo

In order to raise awareness about the need for protection of natural resources, NTO Serbia has conducted a campaign called “Active for the Danube” which shows the Danube as it is today – unfortunately dirty, but we have also shown how we would like to see it in the future, engaging at the same time in the action “Big cleaning of Serbia”. Through this campaign we wanted to send a good message not only about the need for awareness, but also about concrete actions concerning the conservation of our natural beauties, especially emphasizing the importance of water, i.e. the Danube River, its tributaries and other rivers, as an important resource in many segments.

In the cities along the Danube banners have been set up that accompany this activity, showing images of clean and dirty Danube, seen through the eyes of various photographers, and decorative paper fans have been made with the Danube motives and messages towards the preservation of this natural treasure.

INFANT (Cultural Centre of Novi Sad and theatrical spaces in Novi Sad, 25^th June – 03^rd July)
ORGANIZER: Cultural Centre of Novi Sad

International Festival of Alternative and New Theatre – INFANT became the meeting point of artists who perceive the theater in a new and different way. This is the only festival of its kind in the country, authentic and highly respected in other European countries among artists and critics who follow the latest trends in the stage production.

DAYS OF THE DANUBE – LIVING WITH THE DANUBE (Sunčani kej, Novi Sad, 25^th – 30^th June)
ORGANIZER: Epicenter

This exhibition-like event aims to emphasize the significance that the Danube River has for different segments of social life and economic development of the city and the region.
The festival includes a series of program activities starting from exhibition, cultural and sports as well as the civic, entertainment, musical and educational. The main bearers of the content and participants are the citizens of Novi Sad, and their guests from other cities, in particular the ones on the Danube.
An important part of this event will be the economic program focused on the development of tourism and business potential of the Danube. The Danube as an important transport route, tourist destination, a place of various recreational contents, hospitality facilities and cultural contents, holds currently the greatest potential for economic development of Novi Sad and connection with Europe.

DANUBE DAY – IX FESTIVAL OF TAMBOURITZA ORCHESTRAS ” PERICA MIRKOVIĆ” (Begeč, 26^th June)
ORGANIZER: Cultural Center “Begeč”

The tambouritza orchestras from Vojvodina take part in the Festival. With the authentic tambouritza performance they contribute to preserving the traditional tambouritza sound in the region.

NOVI SAD – The Life in Easy Rhythm

Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, is city of nearly half a million inhabitants and is the second largest city in Serbia. Novi Sad is 75km north of Belgrade, which is a one-hour drive on highway E 75. Known as Serbia’s Athens, the city is also accessible via boat along the Danube or by train.

Though Novi Sad is a vital economic and administrative center, life is specifically relaxed here. Unlike most metropolises in Europe, the pace here is slow and stress free. This relaxed atmosphere gives the city an intimate, elegant feel. Read more about Novi Sad and nearest tourist deastinations

Two Dutch artists and a dog undertake at this moment a very special endeavour; musician Tjerk Ridder, writer Peter Bijl and dog Dachs hitchhike this year from Utrecht, Holland to Istanbul, Turkey. With a caravan, without a car!

Standing besides the road with a cardboard ‘Auto Kuka?’ they want to manifest that you need others to keep you going. Forty drivers in eight weeks took them from Holland to Serbia. Right now they are in Belgrade. The upcoming weeks, Tjerk and Peter will be heading to Istanbul., where they hope to arrive at July 1^st.

Symbolic journey

With this symbolic journey, Tjerk and Peter want to show that every one needs others to come further. While the drivers take them and their caravan further on their journey,  Tjerk and Peter help out their chauffeurs by inspiring and coaching them to live their dreams. Tjerk and Peter report on their trip in daily blogs and visual publications on their website www..caravanproject.eu as well as on social media (twitter, facebook, youtube),. For musician Tjerk Ridder the journey is the source of inspiration for a music album and a theatre programme.

International success

The Caravan Hitchhiking Project got lots of media attention with, until now, national television items in six countries. German national television followed them the last few days in their search for ‘kuka’ from Novi Sad to Belgrade. Two Serbian truckers gave them and their caravan eventually a ride to Belgrade.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia suggested that the citizens of the EU countries, as well as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, should be enabled to enter Serbia with valid ID cards and to stay up to 90 days.

Serbia team had more than 180 appointments made during the 3 day show, and it is noticed that quality of the buyers has been improved. Serbia is looking forward to IMEX 2011.

The representatives of local tourism organizations, tourism industry, hoteliers, and receptive tourism agencies actively participated at the Forum.

During the forum, cleaning action of the National Park Kopaonik was organized, so workers in tourism joined the action of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning for a cleaner and greener Serbia.

The organizers of the Forum were the National Tourist Organization of Serbia, in cooperation with the Tourist Organization of Raška and the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Sector for Tourism.

The aim of the exhibition is the presentation of tourist potential of Timisoara, as a multicultural and modern destination that has preserved the memory of the past, a fascinating history and cultural heritage.

The Belgrade exhibition follows the exhibition, organized in Timisoara last year, and which presented the tourist potentials of Serbia and promoted brochure “52 Weekends in Serbia” in Romanian language.

Organizer of the exhibition “Visit Timisoara” is the National Tourist Organization of Serbia, in cooperation with the General Consulate of Serbia in Timisoara and Municipality of the city of Timisoara.