Kandic: Serbia only country in Europe to increase number of Chinese tourists compared to pre-pandemic period

Serbia is the only country in Europe that is recording an increase in the number of Chinese guests in 2024 compared to 2019, said the state secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, Uros Kandic.

He told the Beta news agency that the most recent report of the European Travel Commission for the third quarter of 2024 said that, in 2024, Serbia had realized an increase in the arrivals of Chinese guests by 8% and overnight stays by 53% compared to 2019, unlike all other European countries, which were recording a drop of tourism activity from China.

– We expect Serbia to additionally accelerate the growth of the tourism traffic with China by the end of the year, which has indeed been happening since October, when a third direct airline from Belgrade to Guangzhou was introduced – said Kandic.

He estimated that, at that pace, Chinese guests could, in the foreseeable future, become the most numerous foreign tourists in Serbia and that China was re-positioning itself as the primary market the it had been in 2019.

In the report of the European Travel Commission, according to Kandic, it is said that, in 2024 as well, Serbia is the fastest growing European destination with an increase in international arrivals by 33% and overnight stays by 58% compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Ministarstvo turizma i omladine Republike Srbije

Ministry of Tourism and Youth of Serbia

European Travel Commission

Uros Kandic

number of Chinese guests in Serbia

Chinese tourists in Serbia

tourism traffic of Serbia with China

Belgrade Guangzhou flight