Palm trees, sun and clear water: probably only a few people have the coastal town of Neum on their radar as a holiday destination. The picturesque town on the Adriatic is becoming increasingly popular.
Neum – Along with Italy, Croatia is one of the most popular holiday destinations on the Adriatic coast. Year after year, numerous tourists travel by car or plane to spend their vacation there, especially in summer. At least they have neighboring countries in the Balkans in mind - such as Albania, the “Maldives of Europe”. But Bosnia-Herzegovina is also becoming increasingly popular.
“Best tourist season in 20 years”: Bosnian coastal town is experiencing an upswing
A few years ago, hardly anyone would have considered Neum in Bosnia-Herzegovina as a summer holiday destination. Today, however, the city on the Adriatic coast, which was recently hit by earthquakes, is a real tourist magnet. The hotel operators are expecting a real rush of visitors this summer.
Dragan Jurković, the mayor of Neum, told the Bosnian web portal
klix.ba:
“Based on the interest of guests and the reservations recorded since the beginning of the year, we assume that this season will be very good, both in terms of the number of guest overnight stays and everything else concerns.”
Jurković even predicts that this year could be the “best tourist season in 20 years.” With each passing year, Neum becomes an increasingly attractive travel destination. Even experienced hoteliers cannot remember the volume of bookings at this point in the year that we have this year. There are already so many reservations that most hotels could be largely fully booked not only in the high and low season, but also in the low season.
Tourist upswing in city on the Adriatic coast – Corona crisis and price levels as key factors?
The mayor suspects that many holidaymakers from neighboring Croatia come to Neum, as prices in Bosnia-Herzegovina's only coastal town are sometimes 30 to 50 percent lower than in their neighbors. “For many it is one of the key factors when choosing a vacation spot,” says Jurković. This year, too, the mayor is advertising significantly cheaper prices than in Croatia. Experts have already made price forecasts for holidays in Croatia in 2024.
According to
kosmo.at,
the tourist boom in Neum is not only due to the low prices but also to the Corona crisis. Local and Serbian tourists in particular discovered the coastal town due to travel restrictions.
In addition, the infrastructure has improved significantly in recent years. A new highway now enables quick car journeys to places such as Mostar, the Kravica Waterfalls, the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, the tourist town of Dubrovnik and the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo. The airport in Mostar, which, according to the mayor, has added new routes after its closure, allows international tourists quicker access to the city.