“Tourists discover “hidden material” among Balkan mountains

For years the Polish now living in Ireland had explored Alps, Dolomites, and other mountains of Western Europe. But mountain tourism there began to look increasingly commercial.

When he first heard of the Balkans as the destination for mountain walks, he was at first skeptical.

The former Yugoslavia made me think about poverty, war and a grim Soviet atmosphere. My first impression was based on ignorance and stereotype”, he says about Radio Free Europe, broadcast Periscope.

At the time, Zaremba recalls, many guides and trail articles recommended that Kosovo be overlooked. But that was what moved him and his friends to become even more curious about the land.

They began their trip to Montenegro, where they found beautiful landscapes and relatively well-marked paths, but with few contact with local residents.

In Albania, it said, nature was perhaps the most impressive along the entire path, but gradually the presence of massive tourism began to feel, with villas being built along the entire path.

And, at last, Kosovo came. More tender mountains, more forests, flowers and greens, and most importantly: total calm and peace”, Zaremba recalls.

But what singled out Kosovo, according to him, was not just nature.

“People were friendly everywhere... We felt that we were visiting family and not just as tourists.

He says that in many known European destinations, he has just felt “as another client”, while in Kosovo he has found genuine warmth and hospitality.

It was this experience that made him return a year later and plan another visit this year this time only to Kosovo.

Kosovo is a hidden pearl”, Zaremba says. “ande relatively untouched and not broken by human hand”

According to him, Kosovo's potential has not yet been fully exploited.

He says that paths are not always well marked and that the telephone signal is often weak, while in some parts road asphalt has also dulled the feeling of intact nature.

Kosovo, according to him, should be careful not to follow the mistakes of some countries in the region, especially excessive commercialisation, in order to preserve and make better use of its tourist potential.

In the Kosovo mountains, Safet Behram sees this potential closely.

Licensed as a mountain guide and active for years on the trails of “Oaks of the Balkans” and “High Scardus Trail”, he says tourists' interest has steadily increased.

Behram says that in recent years tourists from the United States, Canada, Israel, and other distant countries have accompanied them.

In addition to mountain trails, Kosovo draws visitors to its cultural and historical heritage.

Prizren is widely considered the country's top cultural centre and one of the most visited destinations by foreign tourists, like the Newborn monument in Pristina that has become a symbol of the country's independence.

While Rugova's Grip, Bjeshca and Nemuna, the Sharr Mountains and Brezovica are among the main natural attractions.

However, according to Behram, Kosovo continues to remain in shadow compared to Albania and Montenegro.

Unfortunately, tourists often avoid Kosovo's “part, he says, adding that one of the main reasons is the lack of international promotion.

When I asked tourists how they decided to come to Albania or Montenegro, many of them have shown me that they have seen these destinations on national televisions of their countries”, says Behram.

He says that in online groups dedicated to “Paxes of the Balkans” often you see routes bypassing Kosovo, even though visitors who include the country usually leave with a positive impression.

“Each calls for the Kosovo part not to be avoided. They say it's very beautiful”.

In the government formed this year, which is currently Government in office, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has for the first time separated from the Youth and Sports Ministry, creating a separate institution with mandates dedicated to tourism development.

In response to Radio Free Europe, the ministry says this institutional division shows the Government's greatest commitment to treating tourism as its own sector and strengthening its development.

However, it acknowledges that the challenges remain numerous, ranging from infrastructure and accommodation capacities to the workforce, international promotion and duration of the tourist season throughout the year.

“In collaboration with international partners and local government, the expansion of the network of trails linking top tourist destinations and the creation of higher standards for security and services for visitors” is aimed, said in response.

The ministry adds that the planning of destinations and the inclusion of local communities remain key to the long-term success of the tourism sector.

On the ground, however, the challenge of accommodation capacities often emerges as a tangible obstacle to the development of mountain tourism.

There are “tourists canceling travel because they find no room to sleep”, Behram says.

According to him, this also shows the untapped economic potential of mountainous areas, where tourism development can bring direct benefits to local communities.

For tourists like Mariusz Zaremba, this very authenticity remains one of Kosovo's largest assets.

In Kosovo, find what I sometimes miss: mountains, forests, real domestic food and a welcome that makes you feel almost like part of the family. This is probably the biggest compliment you can give a foreign country and its” people, he concludes. /Periscope/