Intrepid has introduced a Bosnia and Herzegovina Expedition as part of a wider project to develop sustainable tourism to the country. The trip offers an insight into local life in the country 30 years on from the start of the devastating conflict of the 1990s. Visitors will learn how to make traditional dishes with a local couple in their kitchen overlooking Sarajevo, meet the city’s only female coppersmith and mingle with the locals in the historic bazaar. Travelers will also experience the beautiful nature and scenery that Bosnia has to offer, with white-water rafting down the Neretva river and searching for wild horses – a unique sight in Europe - in the foothills of Mount Cincar.
The new trip is part of a wider push to develop sustainable tourism in Bosnia. Intrepid is working with USAID and The Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council to support the sustainable growth of tourism to Bosnia and Herzegovina post-pandemic.
This five-year $20 million project aims to enhance the quality and diversity of tourism products, professionalize the tourism workforce and businesses, and creatively brand and promote the country to visitors.
The three partners believe tourism has the potential to address the social issues facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, including high unemployment and low participation of women in the workforce, and drive economic growth.
In 2019, the country had the third-highest tourism growth rate in the world, and tourism contributed more than $456 million to the economy. In 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic decreased tourism revenues by more than 85 percent and hampered the sector’s development.
