A campaign to market Bosnia as the next big adventure destination was launched by High Representative Paddy Ashdown in London on 20th May. A tourism road show featuring Lord Ashdown, Bosnian government ministers and tourism experts has been visiting five European capitals including Berlin, Geneva, Stockholm, and The Hague.
Presenting Bosnia as a country of pristine mountains and beautiful rivers with hospitable people and a unique multi cultural heritage, the campaign said that images of the 1992 to 1995 war were out of date.
Bosnia now had the necessary infrastructure in place to welcome tourists. The focus was on capturing the independent adventurous traveller, with the highlight on outdoor activities such as skiing, trekking, rafting and mountain biking.
Lord Ashdown sees tourism as having the potential to be one of Bosnias major industries and hoped that it would encourage the growth of small businesses.
Stressing that Bosnia was a stable country with a stable currency and low inflation, he also emphasized that most Westerners felt safer walking the streets of Sarajevo than in their own country.
Fielding the expected question on landmines, Ashdown pointed out that landmines had not stopped countries like Vietnam or Croatia from becoming tourist destinations. A large proportion of the country had never been mined and he declared that Bosnia was a year from becoming mine-safe.
Bosnia declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a referendum for independence from the former Yugoslavia in February 1992.
The Bosnian Serbs supported by neighbouring Serbia responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb held areas to form a greater Serbia.
In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosnia/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties signed a peace agreement that brought to a halt the three years of interethnic civil strife. The final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995.
The Dayton Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovinas international boundaries and created a joint multi ethnic and democratic government. This national government is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy.
The official language is Serbian and Croatian is spoken in places. Visitors who make the effort to speak the Serbia language are respected. Learning to speak the Serbian language is not difficult.
The easiest way of travelling around Bosnia is on national coach & bus services.
