Serbia tourism sees growth with 2.1 million visitors in first half of year

Serbia is experiencing significant growth in its tourism sector, with Minister of Tourism and Youth Husein Memić projecting that 2026 could become the strongest year in the country's tourism history. During the first six months of the year, more than 2.1 million tourists visited the country, accounting for nearly six million overnight stays. This represents a 6.6 percent increase in tourist numbers compared to the previous year.

Belgrade remains the most popular destination, recording 1,796,583 overnight stays, a 7.7 percent increase. Other notable growth areas include Zlatibor, with 661,158 overnight stays (up 6.1 percent), and Vrnjačka Banja, which saw 294,833 overnight stays (up 6.6 percent).

The government is focusing on diversifying tourism by investing in infrastructure and new attractions to promote less-visited regions, such as the Kablar glass lookout, the Danube region, and the Pešter plateau. Key international markets include Russia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Germany, Bulgaria, and China. A primary challenge remains increasing the average length of stay, which stood at 2.83 days in June.