Vodeća svjetska online tvrtka za turistička putovanja Booking.com proglasila je Osječko-baranjsku županiju najsrdačnijom turističkom regijom u Hrvatskoj, izvijestili su u srijedu u županijskoj upravi.

Booking već tradicionalno početkom godine dijeli nagrade Traveller Review Awards, a iako se među prestižnim destinacijama nalazi prvi put otkako postoji dodjela te nagrade, korisnici online platforme su Osječko-baranjsku županiju proglasili najsrdačnijom regijom u Hrvatskoj, priopćeno je iz ureda župana Ivana Anušića.

Ističe se kako je to potvrda slavonske i baranjske gostoljubivosti, a da županija svoj doprinos razvoju kontinentalne turističke destinacije daje nizom potpora za razvoj te organizacijom brojnih manifestacija, koje podižu razinu ponude.

Direktorica županijske turističke zajednice Ivana Jurić izjavila je kako priznanje jedne od najvećih platformi za rezervaciju turističkih usluga Booking.com doživljava kao pohvalu dosadašnjim naporima u razvoju kontinentalnog turizma.

"Najvažniji u turizmu su ljudi, a turizam čine oni koji stvaraju proizvode i pružaju usluge i tako svjedoče o autentičnosti prostora u kojem žive i svojih proizvoda", ocijenila je Jurić.

Istok Hrvatske postaje turistički mamac

Podsjeća kako je županija prošle godine ostvarila 2.6 posto više noćenja u odnosu na dosad rekordnu 2019. godinu, što je pokazatelj da je turistička ponuda hrvatskoga istoka sve prepoznatljivija.

Izvijestila je kako je na nedavnom turističkom sajmu Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, koji se od 2. do 5. veljače 2023. održao u Londonu, zajednički predstavljena ponuda destinacija turističkih zajednica pet slavonskih županija.

"Predstavili smo ponudu Slavonije britanskom tržištu, a uz kulturu i enogastronomiju kao glavne motive putovanja tražile su se informacije o ponudi vezanoj uz prirodnu baštinu, hodanje, biciklizam i smještaj", rekla je Jurić.

Dožupan Mato Lukić izjavio je kako je poznato je da turisti koji dođu u Slavoniju i Baranju često ističu srdačnost i gostoljubivost, a da je priznanje još jedna potvrda da lokalni turistički djelatnici rade dobar posao.(Hina)

Citizens of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have almost always travelled haggle-free to their neighbouring country, Croatia, the three of which were once part of the same federated country – Yugoslavia.

While the first two are neither part of the European Union bloc nor the Schengen Area, Croatia has been an EU member since 2013, and only recently, on January 1, 2023, became a full Schengen Area member.

Up until now, travellers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, only needed to show their valid passports at the Croatian borders, in order to enter the country.

However, starting from November 2023, every Bosnian and every Serb will need to apply for an online travel authorization called ETIAS – which stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System – in order to be able to enter Croatia, and the other 26 Schengen Area Member States.

The ETIAS is a system on which the EU has been working on since 2016, and was supposed to start operating in 2021, but due to technical issues has been postponed several times. The current date for its launch is November 2023.

The reason behind the creation of such a scheme is that the EU wants to enhance security in the bloc by knowing who is coming even before the travellers start their trip.

Bosnians and Serbs will need to apply online for an ETIAS, by going to the ETIAS website, which hasn’t been created yet, and completing the application form. The form will ask simple questions like the traveller’s name and surname, date and place of birth, passport data, and some background security questions.

Travellers will also have to upload their photo in the system and a scan of their passport.

Once the application is approved, the ETIAS will be granted and will be valid for either three years, or until the passport expires, whichever happens first.

Bosnian and Serbian travellers will be able to use the same ETIAS to travel to Croatia, and the other Schengen Area countries.

Around 1.4 billon people from over 60 different world countries, will have to apply for an ETIAS before any trip to the Member States, starting from November 1, 2023. Travellers from other Western Balkan countries that have a visa-free agreement with the EU will also need an ETIAS – which area Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

Citizens of Kosovo for now still need to apply for visas, but after the ETIAS becomes effective, the EU is going through the necessary procedures to grant Kosovo with visa liberalization on January 1, 2024, the latest, which means that Kosovo citizens will also need an ETIAS, though at a later point.(SchengenVisaInfo)