prijava
MOSTAR, September 19 (FENA) - At the second panel titled "Role of Media in Promoting Tourist Offers'', held on Thursday in Mostar as part of the conference "Media and Tourism," it was emphasized that media communication plays a significant role in the tourist offer. It was noted that in today's modern era and with the advent of new media, all resources and types of media must be utilized to improve the tourism image and attract more tourists to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Gorčin Dizdar, Communications Manager at USAID Tourism, opened the panel with a presentation on the USAID Tourism project, highlighting that it is a five-year initiative focused on developing tourism and related services, with a significant emphasis on marketing and media engagement.
"Traditional media has long been the only means of collaboration, but with the advent of the internet, this has changed. Today, we have direct participation in content creation in tourism, leading us to the phase of social media and content generation by a large number of people. Social media is on the verge of becoming more significant than traditional media, and the next phase will be artificial intelligence, where today tools like ChatGPT can help plan a day at a location. AI can provide high-quality responses, yet traditional media remains relevant because AI pulls information from available sources, which are primarily traditional media," said Dizdar.
Aida Terzić, CEO of Pino Nature Hotel and Relax Tours travel agency, emphasized that the synergy between media and tourism professionals can create a shift "so that tourism doesn’t just happen, but is organized around the end users."
"This can help position Bosnia and Herzegovina on the global tourism map, where it belongs. As an agency, we foster special relationships with the media, and we are here to provide them with all the information they need. It is a two-way communication, and I believe we need more conferences like this. Tourism should be a driver; it fuels 67 other sectors, as we saw during the coronavirus pandemic. We acted quickly with the media to ensure that many hotels and other tourist facilities did not close and that jobs were not lost," Terzić stressed.
She noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a transit zone for many tourists in the Balkans, but that has changed.
Marko Šantić, Vice President of the Federation of BiH Chamber of Commerce, agreed that tourism is very important for driving all economic sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Chamber is proactively involved in various strategies related to the tourism sector.
"Most key stakeholders have yet to read the tourism strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which concerns me, and this is why tourism is 'just happening.' We have what we have, but we need to listen and explore what kinds of tourists exist in the tourism market," suggested the Vice President, adding that tourists are a heterogeneous group that requires a variety of different offerings.
He also mentioned that the Chamber has adapted its marketing communication strategy for tourism and has collaborated with TripAdvisor on a campaign to promote primary tourism offers in the Federation of BiH while linking additional content.
Amra Jaganjac, Director of the Tuzla City Tourism Board, spoke about efforts to create an image of "a different tourist destination" for Tuzla, which is considered an industrial city.
"We are on the right path to present Tuzla as a tourist destination. What’s unique for us in Tuzla is that we have worked to present 'what Tuzla is not'; it is not a boring industrial city, but a city that has much to offer and is different. There is a lot of work ahead of us, just as there is for all other tourist destinations, because this work never ends. Today, tourism is not just a privilege of popular destinations; it is a right and a privilege for any local community. Modern travelers seek authentic experiences, and I believe this is an opportunity for areas that are not traditional tourist destinations to transform into interesting ones," Jaganjac shared.
She reflected on the role of media in shaping the tourism image, emphasizing that traditional media still plays a significant role in promoting tourism.
Marko Đuzel, Director of Mostar Airport, stated that Mostar Airport bases a large part of its operations on the tourism sector.
"As for Mostar Airport, we are primarily reliant on tourism, as Herzegovina is a tourist region. This year, we have six permanent flight lines for the first time, and we hope we will have at least ten next year. A smaller portion is adjusted for our people working abroad, but everything else is tourism. Previously, our airport's operations were mainly linked to Međugorje, but now Mostar Airport relies on numerous tourists coming to the entire Herzegovina region. Tourism is our primary business," confirmed Đuzel.
The conference "Media and Tourism" was organized by the Federal News Agency (FENA) and the Tourism Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC), in partnership with the City of Mostar and under the patronage of the FBiH Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
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