Serbia recorded a significant increase in tourist arrivals during the New Year holidays, with over 140,000 guests staying in the country, marking an 18% rise compared to the previous year. Uroš Kandić, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, shared these statistics, highlighting the growing popularity of Serbia as a tourist destination.
From December 28 to January 6, foreign tourists dominated, with 80,000 international visitors registered in the e-Tourist system—an increase of nearly 13% from last year’s New Year period. Among these foreign tourists, the majority came from neighboring countries, particularly Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Romania.
Notably, this year saw a shift in visitor demographics at leading spa centers like Vrnjačka Banja and Sokobanja, where foreign tourists outnumbered domestic ones for the first time. Accommodation facilities in these areas were fully booked, further demonstrating the growing appeal of Serbia’s wellness tourism.
Kandić pointed out that a strong start to the year is a promising indicator for the overall tourism performance in 2025. He also announced that 2024 marked a record 4.4 million tourist arrivals in Serbia, representing a 5.2% increase from 2023. Among these, about 2.4 million were foreign tourists, reflecting an 11% annual growth.
