TOURISM

Project 21

Development of Tourism in Mountain Resorts, Spas, Transit and Hunting

Mountain Zlatibor

Natural beauties and potentials for tourism in the Republic of Serbia must be taken full advantage of in the existing tourist centers and new ones should be developed. Serbia poses over 100 000 beds of which 37% in spas, 21% in mountain resorts, 13% in Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia, and 22% in the country in the facilities for transit tourists and tourism linked with hunting, river, lake, culture and history.

Map of Spatial Organization for Tourism


In the development of mountain tourism a special place is ascribed to the mountains of Kopaonik, Vlasina, Golija, Tara, Zlatibor, Stara Planina, the region of Crni Vrh, national parks in Serbia, among which the Perucac excels with its untouched nature and the descriptive term of being "the last jungle in Europe" can be freely attributed to it.

Mountain Kopaonik



Environmental Protection and Protection of Natural Heritage




Until 2010 it is planned to expand the national parks and the natural preserves over 10% of Serbia.

Mountain Zlatibor

Protection of Cultural Heritage



With 140 thermal mineral spring and 40 spas among which are Josanicka Banja, Vranjska Banja, Mataruska Banja, Vrnjacka Banja, Sokobanja, Prolom Banja, Kursumlijska

Banja, Banja Kanjiza, Banja Melenci, Serbia ranks among the wealthiest countries in Europe.

Vrnjačka Banja Spa Resort

With regard to transit tourism it will be necessary to develop programs in the towns and along the European main road axis focusing on Belgrade, the capital of the country. It will also be necessary to multiple current services in hunting-related tourism which is one of the most profitable segments in tourism in the Republic of Serbia.

The RepublIc of Serbia is situated in the southern part of Europe, in the central part of Balkan Peninsula. It is a natural bridge between East and West and North and South. Serbia covers about 88,500 sq km, and consists of three large regions: the Vojvodina plains with about 21,500 sq. km, the central flatland-hill-mountain area with about 56,000 sq. km, and the hill-mountain-valley area of Kosovo and Metohija with about 11,000 sq. km.

Based on its advantageous geographic-communications position, the intensification of links with the countries of Central and Western Europe and the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe, and promoting and developing transit and mediator functions between Europe and Asia, Serbia has the possibility of rationally and efficiently developing its spatial - functional position. Serbia's potentials for the development of tourism are diversified and noteworthy, and only a small portion has been activated.

The basic goals in the development of tourism and the utilization of tourist areas are:

Rich hunting grounds of Serbia from the Panonian plain in the north, to the mountain massifs in the south, a true lover of nature, of wilderness and action, is offered numerous challengers.



The most important requirement is to make Serbia an attractive investment option and to encourage foreign investment. This initial material of some of the most interesting tourist programs in Serbia is prepared for those who would like to have some information about the possibilities of investments in Serbian tourism programs for further activities.

VLASINA

The region of Vlasina is situated at the southeast of Serbia and it spreads over the broad area of Vlasina Lake basin surrounded by medium height mountain areas with significant height differences and emphasized heights cut by river valleys.



This is a natural border with Bulgaria, and a central area of Vlasina Lake is in the vicinity (about 30 km) of international routes to the south and east of Europe. A favorable climatic conditions (cold and snowy winters and temperately warm summers) and an exceptional natural beauties (Vlasina Lake is on 1230 meters above the sea level, surface area about 16 sq. km with the floating islands as rare morphological and biotethocenoues phenomenon, surrounded by mountains exceeding 1800 meters of sea level) offer an enormous possibilities for the development of all kinds of tourist, sport and recreational activities in summer and winter period.

The plans for the development of first of all tourist facilities and activities in Vlasina, a special attention is paid to the preservation and improvement of natural values of environment:
• Rich water resources of high quality water
• Clean air
• Unpolluted soil
• Area abounding in flora and fauna with plants and animal kinds of rarest and endemic character.
• Extremely attractive esthetic characteristics of the region

Total planned tourist accommodation capacities are limited to about 6000 beds in the facilities of hotel-chalet type and with some smaller number of beds in private houses.

The first stage of development program covers northwest side of Vlasina Lake region with locations.

1. Tourist Center Novi Rid shall be situated at the height with the broad view to the lake. The following capacities are planned to be constructed on the area of about 21 ha providing the following facilities:
• About 600 beds in a few smaller hotels of total construction area of about 30000 m2
• About 400 beds in chalet type buildings of total construction area of about 8000 m2
• Catering-entertainment-shopping center with various facilities of total constriction area of about 7500 m2.

2. Tourist Center Krstinci with an area of about 9 ha is located at the slope above the lake and has an exceptional orientation and views to the lake. Central building is a hotel of high category with about 350 beds and all appurtenant facilities of total area of about 17 000 m2.

3. Sports Center Dzukelice with an area of about 26 ha covers the inshore area of the lake and it is used for sports and recreation only. Foreseen facilities (indoor and outdoor) provide a comfort for various sports activities in summer (at the ground and on the water) and winter sports activities. In contact zone of Sports Center and Vlasina Lake a marine for boats and ecological vessels driven by wind, electrical drive and similar is foreseen.

A number of ski runs with ski lifts connecting tourist's centers in lake zone with ski runs on the slopes at the surrounding mountain ranges shall be used in the winter. Entire Vlasina Lake region is an ideal area for development of Nordic disciplines.

Among the naturally preserved high range mountain massifs, Stara Planina in addition to the mountains Sara, Tara, Prokletije and Kopaonik, represents one of the most valuable tourist areas of Serbia and Yugoslavia.The highest and the most beautiful mountain in the eastern Serbia, a natural border to Bulgaria, mountain Stara Planina raises on 70 km from Nis and 50 km from Knjazevac and Pirot (belonging to their communities), besides highways Belgrade - Nis and Nis - Istanbul, 330 km far from Belgrade and 120 km from Sofia.

Mountain Stara Planina represents natural property of an extraordinary importance and is classified in the first category of nature preservation and is promoted in Park of Nature. An exceptional natural potential of this area (preserved nature, Zavojsko Lake and similar) is supplemented by historical monuments (archaic villages, monastery Temska, Gamzigrad and similar) as well as spa facilities in Niska Spa, Sokobanja Spa and others.

Stara planina is almost 5 months under the snow cover in the area with the altitude ranges from 1100 to 1900 meters. That is a good potential for the development of big Alpine ski runs having suitable grounds for the construction of accommodation facilities at the foothill. In addition to great comfort for Nordic skiing, hunting, fishing and summer recreation tourist potential of this mountain is complemented by foothill mountain villages, healthy food resources and ecological energy that enable development of complementary activities such as agriculture, folk art and crafts and similar.

Alpine ski runs of limited capacity to 14.000 skiers of different categories with 40 km of ski lifts and of about 100 km of ski runs are planned to be developed in the area of Babin Zub. Mountain skiing complex shall be interconnected and supplemented with an accommodation centers and facilities of the following capacities: 9.000 beds, 12.000 skiers, 6.500 daily visitors and 3.100 employees.

The first stage of development of Tourist Center "Babin Zub" covers construction of tourist and ski area Konjarnik spreading over the area ranges from altitude of 1140 meters and range to Babin Zub area at the altitude of 1750 meters representing one of the entries to the unique alpine ski area.

Investment studies have justified the investment of
US$ 2 million for ski the center "Konjarnik", as an initial realization of development of Stara Planina complex. Valuation of whole investment are US$ 400 million.

ZLATIBOR

Vast area of mountain Zlatibor situated in the west of Serbia forms a disjoin of Drina and Morava river basins. The important routes are located in their valleys. Main roads of regional significance are inter-crossing at this mountain - main road route M21 and highway E76 route Belgrade- South of Adriatic Sea (Belgrade 235 km and Montenegro Coast 250 km) and route west-east towards the Republic Srpska and highway Belgrade - Nis.

An exceptional natural properties of this area (height of an average altitude of about 1000 meters of specific particularly favorable microcli- matic characteristics, preserved nature, natural beauties) enable development of various kinds of tourism: winter, summer, medical, congress, hunting, transit and similar.

Tourist settlement Zlatibor developed on the rolling hillsides around the lake in the middle of the settlement with endless pastures, forests and skiing runs at the back has a hundred years long tourist tradition. It possesses more than 3000 beds in tourist facilities having around 75.000 m2 (hotels of different categories and facilities) and about 1.500 bed in private boardinghouses.

The construction of about 3.500 beds in tourist facilities having surface area of around 105.000 m2 is planned on about 50 ha of free, prepared and furnished locations within tourist settlement Zlatibor.

One of planned tourist complexes having surface area of about 17 ha (thereof about 5 ha under the forest) is situated on the most favorable location in the settlement on the sunny hillsides southwest from the center of the settlement.

Functionally, the complex is foreseen to facilitate 1500 users with construction area of about 28.000 m2 and covers the following sub-entities:
• About 300 suite units - 1200 beds - about 18.500 m2.
• Apartment-type hotel with suites - 300 beds - about 5.500 m2.
• Center with a various facilities - about 4.000 m2.

JOSANICKA BANJA


Josanicka Banja is located in the central part of capital tourist zone of Serbia and it is considered as part of Tourist Region KopaoniK. This is an area within the protected area called National Park of Kopaonik. Its position is valued with its links to Ibar valley, integrating traffic and tourist transit, value and potentials of tourist regions and areas of natural values of Kopaonik and Golija mountains as well as cultural inheritance of Ibar and Raska area (monasteries Studenica and Sopocani with Ras and monastery Gradac and others). All this makes this area to be a spine of Central Tourist Zone of Serbia.

Main potentials for the development of Josanicka Banja are its natural resources, in the first place mineral and cold waters resources, air, vegetation and natural environment. It already possesses the social resources, physical structures like: hammam, spa bath and old mill.

All those natural resources and favorable location and of Josanicka Banja are the basis for future development of tourism and spa recreation including the development of nomenclature activities (primarily agriculture, handicraft and small private business). At the same time this area with its essential properties represent an important integrating factor for covering of tourist offer for sports-recreational and spa-recreational activities for spa guests, visitors from Kopaonik and surrounding area and transit guests going to and leaving Kopaonik. It is important to emphasize that National Park of Kopaonik with its highest peak at 2017 meters above sea level (Pancicev Vrh) represents the most developed tourist center in Serbia in light of its abounding winter and summer tourist offer. Main attraction in winter time is Alpine and Nordic skiing (currently 21 ski lift link 44 km of Alpine and 24 km of Nordic runs out of 155 km provided for ski runs). During the summer Kopaonik offers facilities for recreation for lesser number of visitors, but of much broader variety and attractions than in winter.

The existing capacities of Tourist Center are about 9000 beds.

Josanicka Banja may satisfy all those requirements which could not be met by Tourist Center and National Park of Kopaonik primarily considering all-year-round thermal-water activities combined with balneological and climate disease treating functions.

Tourist settlement Josanicka Banja within the protected area of National Park of Kopaonik is populated with 1300 inhabitants at the area of 320, 00 ha. The Josanicka Banja area spreads over the area with the height ranging from 525m to 675 meters. The most ample values of the relief are large open terraces of Gornje and Donje Cumage in contrast to the narrow non-visible river valleys, small gorges of Josanica and Samokovka and wooded heights around Josanicka Banja. Clean air with vertical stream airflow from near by mountains is a natural resource, which makes Josanicka Banja an important climatic point. A numerous springs of thermal-mineral water of an average temperature of 65°C and springs and streams with cool drinking water gives an outstanding significance to the whole area.

All those natural co- nditions and resources offers a grounds for the development of diverse activities. Major, distinctive activity for the development of Josani- cka Banja will be spa tourism combined with balneological functions and sports-recreational activities. Spa tourism is basically based on the resources of oligomineral hyper-thermal waters suitable for unique thermo-aquatic activities (pools, lakes, aquaplanes, aqua-runs, etc.), medical treatment activities (thermal jacuzzi pool, spa baths, steam room) and sports-recreational activities all-year-round which should attract a significant number of visitors from popular tourist center Kopaonik and to be an important supplement to its offer. The most important superstructure facilities out of Josanicka Banja will be tourist points linking Josanicka Banja with the tourist facilities within tourist center and National Park of Kopaonik, with ski lifts and ski runs for Alpine skiing, cross-country runs and fishing paths, auxiliary facilities at the runs and summer activity paths, and similar.

Pertinent activities meeting environment protection demands - mountain agriculture, fishing, forestry, some production trades and folk arts and crafts shall be developed in the area that tends toward Josanicka Banja. The other significant development programs, more of non-commercial character, are
a) housing for local population and public facilities, and
b) provision of infrastructure.

This overall program includes tourist offer of Josanicka Banja with 4,500 tourist and spa beds (hotel - 1.250 beds; suites - 1.000 beds; boardinghouses - 900 and private accommodation - 950 beds), 2.000 daily visitors, making total of 7.000 maximum simultaneous users.

Investment studies has justified the investment of 122 millions DEM for development of Josanicka Banja successively in next five years for various activities and facilities of commercial and public non-commercial nature.