In Kosovo, there was a 50 percent increase in the number of visitors in January of this year, compared to last year. This was said during the marking of the four-year anniversary of the establishment of the Tourism Union of Kosovo, where the need for the promotion of the country was emphasized. Also, institutions have been requested to support and subsidize businesses and eliminate barriers.

The President of the Tourism Union of Kosovo, Baki Hoti, said that its establishment was a request of the community. Hoti added that during four years more than 50 businesses have been certified with the “Safe Travels” stamp.

“We certified over 54 businesses with the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, which was something extremely good for the time. Because the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp was one of the most famous stamps during that time of the pandemic. Over 13 cooperation memoranda with institutional actors, with local actors, with municipalities that have developed tourism, but at the same time with institutions where the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Entrepreneurship was a part, where we are the only ones who have a cooperation memorandum. The creation and launch of the application ‘Think Kosova’, which so far has over 11 thousand users, which application is the property of the Tourism Union of Kosovo and we try to inform through this application and be a kind of guide to give information to all visitors who come to visit Kosovo”, said Hoti.

In marking the four-year anniversary of the establishment of the Tourism Union of Kosovo, Hoti added that the objective is to increase cooperation with the institutions of Kosovo.

“Advocacy towards the facilities and subsidies of the state authorities for foreign tourists. Eliminating barriers and increasing the tourist offer in Kosovo. We know and have emphasized it several times that it is necessary to support Kosovo’s businesses, support for the visitors. We can get the model no further than in North Macedonia that subsidizes from 14 euros from the second night onwards. This policy is extremely successful and we should take the best models from other countries in order to increase and develop the tourism of Kosovo”, he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister Emilia Rexhepi stated that the Tourism Union of Kosovo is working on the promotion of tourist sites.

“It is a great honor and pleasure to be here today, and to address your board of directors of the Tourism Union of Kosovo and our dear friend Baki Hoti who is doing everything possible, that this institution which is of priority importance for our economy, to raise it to a higher level, since it is an internal part of the country, it is a promotion of our country not only in the Balkans but also in the world, and it is doing everything, is facing various challenges all these years, but does not give up in this process. The Government of the Republic of Kosovo and the cabinet at the head of which I am, supports all such initiatives and ideas that are of general interest for the economic development of our country and above all for the development of tourism, which gives Kosovo a very positive destination at the world level and preserves all those natural resources from our assets”, she said.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Resul Makreshi, said that tourism is one of the most important sectors of the country’s economic development, for which he added that Kosovo is competitive for tourist destinations.

“Every contribution made in the tourism sector, either by the Tourism Union of Kosovo, or by other actors, is an extremely valuable contribution for all of us. Because only with cooperation we can achieve the final goal of transforming Kosovo into one of the most attractive and competitive destinations in the region. I am happy that during the last three years Kosovo has become more and more popular as a tourist destination. The trend of the number of tourists has increased from year to year, especially the number of stays. The impressive increase of 50 percent in the number of visitors to Kosovo in January of this year, in particular the increase of foreign visitors by 61 percent compared to the number in January of 2023, as well as the increase that has continued throughout other months is very good news for the tourism industry in Kosovo”, he said.

He emphasized that they are working on strengthening this sector, where during the governing mandate they approved the Law on Tourism.