Kosovo can't hold foreign tourists more than two days

Owners of hotel facilities in Kosovo blame government institutions, who have not done enough in promoting Kosovo as a tourist destination. Others say Kosovo is more expensive than other countries in the region, viewed by tourist pocket.

Citeros say tourists are on the move, and short stays are in trouble even in the region.

Pristina easy to explore

Although the Tourism Division, within the framework of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has listed some of the cultural and natural aspects on their official site why Kosovo should be visited, this is not stopping tourists long.

“Rallae stands more than two days”, said Grejqevci, manager of one of the hotels in Pristina.

He says that during conversation with tourists, he has learned, that for them, Pristina is easy to explore, in just two days. And especially when they don't have a guide to show you the distinctions of the capital.

But Grejqevci does not give up even the prices, claiming that Kosovo is more expensive than all countries in the region.

He even says that on certain occasions, tourists pay hotels in countries of the region like Albania and Macedonia, and come to visit Kosovo one day. “This is enough for them”, he says.

The same view of prices was not shared by a hostel's owner in Pristina, Latifi lives. He says tourists cost much less stay in Kosovo than in the countries of the region.

He throws it at the Government, saying it has never been done enough in promoting Kosovo as a tourist destination.

But even Latifi, says tourists are easily walking Pristina for less than two days and then, according to him, there is no other reason to stay.

The “rarely comes in groups of tourists who stay longer, he said.

He says that during conversations with tourists he is often likely to hear how they are mistreated at the Kosovo-Serbia border, facing trouble to move to European countries from Kosovo via the border with Serbia.

He considers it lynching on Serbia's part, sharply criticising the Government of Kosovo that has yet to do anything to prevent such a practice.

I know they keep saying there's an agreement, but it's not being respected, and we know it exists, but what they did to prevent such a practice. Kosovo loses many tourists, because we know that the easiest way to penetrate European countries is through Serbia, and when it got so much trouble, then why should they return to Kosovo once again and go through such situations”, he says.

The potential that isn't being exploited

Meanwhile, guide Muhamet Hasani tells Koha.net that Kosovo has tourist potential for longer than a day's stay if all tourism points are introduced.

He says things that attract tourists to Kosovo are numerous, ranging from history, tradition, food, city vitality, youth to night life, where in most cases tourists are more satisfied than they have expected.

But according to him, the practice of staying two days of tourists also follows Balkan countries, not only Kosovo.

The majority of visitors to Kosovo last one or two days (a rare night two nights) but this is not only for Kosovo but almost for the entire Balkan region, where all countries in the region are usually visited by one or two days. The standard course they follow is Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, etc.”, he has said. “In most of my personal experience tourists stay two days in Kosovo. Usually Pristina is visited with the district and then continued for Prizren and Peja”, Hasani has concluded.

Time.net has tried several times to get statements regarding the topic from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Tourism Division, respectively, but this has not been possible.

However, on its official page, the main tourist offers with which they present Kosovo are described.

The main segments this division has presented are cultural tourism, mountain tourism and alpine tourism, rural tourism, eco tourism and alternative tourism, cross-border visits, as well as meetings and conferences.

The latter from the Tourism Division is seen as one of the most profitable segments of the current bid.

According to them, in particular, seminars, conferences and trainings are currently the result of the presence of a large number of international organisations and different companies operating within the country.

Otherwise, Kosovo has a diverse cultural heritage, with many cultural monuments dating back to the neolitti.

There are various types of monuments dating from the Ilirean period, continuing with the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Late Antique, and the Middle Ages, the Ottoman Empire.

Some of the historical monuments are stationed in the cities of Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Gjakova, etc. Most monuments in Kosovo are ancient cities, including castles, monasteries, mosques and churches.