NOVI SAD TOURISM FAIR ANNOUNCED

The Tourism Fair at the Novi Sad Fair is in its sixth decade, and so far it has undergone several transformations. Since 2022, it has been experiencing a new "youth" in November, which is the result of good cooperation with exhibitors and their wishes.

This new term was created for new experiences that this year's Novi Sad Fair, from 27 to 29 November, will be brought by North Macedonia as a partner country. 

At today's conference, the attendees had the opportunity to see and hear the address of Zoran Ljutkov, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of North Macedonia - Partner Country of the Tourism Fair.

"This is another confirmation of the commitment of our two neighboring and friendly countries to deepen cooperation through tourism diplomacy – an instrument that builds lasting ties, new partnerships and mutual trust. Participation in the Fair represents a significant opportunity for cross-sectoral connection of the private and public sectors, through civic organizations that contribute to development, as well as travel agencies, caterers and hoteliers. This enriches the offer that improves the exchange of tourists and strengthens regional competitiveness, said Ljutkov. - Macedonia offers a real wealth of authentic tourist experiences – from ecological and rural destinations such as Krusevo and Vevčan, which are proudly on the list of "Top 100 Green Stories" in the world, to pearls under UNESCO protection – Ohrid and Lake Ohrid. Numerous adventure activities are also available to visitors: paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing and kayaking. The E-75 corridor, from Gevgelija and Dojran through the archaeological site of Stobi to Demir Kapija, leaves a strong impression thanks to the Macedonian tradition and hospitality. I take this opportunity to invite the citizens of Serbia to visit the Macedonian stand, where the carefully designed visual concept and culture of our country will attractively present Macedonia as your next holiday destination - a place where nature, culture and hospitality create an experience that is remembered and joyfully recounted, said Ljutkov.

Participating in the press conference on the occasion of the upcoming 56th International Tourism Fair at the Novi Sad Fair, the Provincial Secretary for Economy and Tourism, Dr Nenad Ivanisevic, pointed out that the decision of the Novi Sad Fair and the Provincial Secretariat to make this a special fair event has been fully affirmed this year. "I would like to thank Novi Sad Fair for their cooperation so far and this is proof that when we work together, we achieve the best results. We have shown this in Thessaloniki, we will show it in Novi Sad, and I think we will show it in Vienna at the International Tourism Fair in January next year," said Ivanisevic. "On the first day at the Pavilion of the Provincial Secretariat, on the opening day of the Fair, we will present the future of those who need to provide services in the field of hospitality and tourism. All secondary schools from the territory of Vojvodina that provide education in the field of culinary, hospitality, winemaking and viticulture, as well as universities and faculties, will be present. On the second day, we present the label "The Best of Vojvodina", added the Provincial Secretary, emphasizing that the Pavilion of the Provincial Secretariat will be opened by the President of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojković. Ivanisevic added that on the third day of the fair, on Saturday, the promotion of Vojvodina's winemakers and wineries will be organized, in cooperation with the Novi Sad Fair and the Association of Wine and Grape Producers "Srem - Fruška Gora". The line secretary said that through joint efforts in difficult conditions, additional funds were provided so that the entrance to this year's International Tourism Fair would not be charged.

The Association of the Tourism Industry of Serbia (ATIS), which promotes the common interests of its members by acting in a wide range of areas that directly or indirectly shape the tourist offer of Serbia, is making its premiere appearance at the Tourism Fair. - It's not a question of whether to come to the Fair, it's a question of how to prepare before and during work. We will also do this together with the Fair as part of education, said Dejan Veselinov, director of the Association of the Tourism Industry of Serbia. This is officially the first fair that the Association of the Tourism Industry of Serbia is going to, so to speak, in the field in tourism. We are a young association, but our members have a lot of experience, over 30 years in tourism. With us are tour operators, then there is Air Serbia Traffic, which entered this type of product for the first time, there is Singidunum University, there are large hotels throughout Serbia, finance in tourism and new technologies in tourism. Singidunum University will, of course, present everything related to education for students, pupils of the future... With us is the Robinson agency, which will come out with a "first minute" offer for summer vacations and other programs. They specialize in bringing tourists to Serbia and that will be great for the Hosted Buyer Program, there is also HTP Plaža which is building a new hotel Akvamarin. In addition to ATIS, the company Big Blue also participates in the Fair, followed by "Merkur" Vrnjačka Banja. To our great pleasure, there will be a startup at our stand, which consists of three young people from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. They have made a prototype of translators for tourist guides who will translate into different languages at a given time, and this will certainly contribute to guiding through some tourist programs, Veselinov added.

- The Tourist Organization of Vojvodina performs, how else than at the Fair with 25 co-exhibitors; practically out of 250 exhibitors, 10 percent are at our stand, said the director of TOV, Jasmina Beljan Iskrin. For the first time in our country, this year the Tourist Organization of Vojvodina will present itself in a new guise because we have done a rebranding. Our stand will be next to the stand of the Provincial Secretariat and a beautiful image of Vojvodina will be presented, what gastronomy is and what the private sector is, small producers, but also what are the typical tourist products of Vojvodina. This year, in addition to the rural part, to which visitors are accustomed, and which is only one small segment of our tourist offer, our tourist organization will present cultural tourism. These 25 co-exhibitors at our stand will present what they are proud of, what can be "sold" to tourists and tourist organizations, tour operators, and what represents exceptional and protected cultural property. Among them are cultural, certified routes at the Council of Europe. I must mention that we have as many as eight certified cultural routes approved by the Council of Europe that pass through the territory of Vojvodina. That's what we've really noticed is a trend. Through 20 fairs and presentations in the country and the region, together with the Provincial Secretariat, we have noticed that tourists are looking for some foundation when looking for an arrangement either individually or in a group, and that the destination is verified by UNESCO or that you are verified as a cultural route by the Council of Europe. We have them on the territory of Vojvodina and we will present them in the best light, concluded the director Beljan Iskrin.

The Tourist Organization of the City of Novi Sad not only acts as an exhibitor at the Tourism Fair, but in cooperation with the Novi Sad Fair, for many years it has also been organizing business meetings with several groups of professional buyers and potential business partners, participants of the Fair. "I would like to express my great satisfaction that North Macedonia is the partner country of this Fair, a country to which I am personally very attached and a country that has a really rich tourist offer, its mountains, its lakes, cities, villages and a rich gastronomic offer. I would like to thank the Provincial Secretariat for being able to provide free entry this year. This is really important for all exhibitors, for all of us who perform at this Fair. Also, with the Novi Sad Fair, I think for the third or fourth year in a row, we manage to bring 11 agencies from several countries that will hold B2B meetings. For these agencies, we have organized special destinations. They will have the opportunity to visit several hotels to get to know the tourist offer of the city, and certainly at the Fair, which is most important to make their contacts and to do business with the tourist economy, said Branislav Knežević, Director of the Tourist Organization of the City of Novi Sad. - Novi Sad performs with Sremski Karlovci, we represent Novi Sad and Fruška Gora. We will present the winter campaign and all those events that will take place during the winter in Novi Sad. We will also present a new publication related to sports and recreational tourism, with which we will enter the campaign for the next year, considering that Novi Sad has been awarded the title of "European City of Sport". We will also present all the activities related to the "Wetland City", because Novi Sad has received great international recognition as a city of wetlands, with a focus on the Kovilj-Petrovaradin Rit and the Vienna Cave. On the second day of the Fair, we will make a cocktail for partners who will have the opportunity to taste wines from the Novi Sad Wine Route - wines from Sremski Karlovci, as the center of the Fruška Gora wine region, Knezevic added.

The host of the press conference was the General Director of the Novi Sad Fair, Slobodan Cvetković. "I would like to take this opportunity to boast that today in the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina the certificate "The Best of Vojvodina" was renewed and we had the honor to be awarded the renewal of the certificate by the President of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojković, together with the Provincial Secretary Ivanisevic. I think it is even more difficult to renew the certificate than to get it, said Slobodan Cvetković. This is the 13th edition of the Tourism Fair that we have been organizing in the last two months. With the Entrepreneurship Fair, which will be organized on December 7, and with some other events, we will have 16 events in the autumn season, which is a serious effort in these circumstances, said Cvetković. He added that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Thessaloniki ten days ago between the Novi Sad Fair, the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism and the Thessaloniki International Fair, and that this document will establish clear mechanisms of communication and exchange of information, with the aim of improving the content and quality of joint fair events. He also emphasized the importance contributed by the President of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojkovic, as well as the relevant Secretariat, which provided full logistical support in order to ensure the coordinated development of all future events in the future , in which the Novi Sad and Thessaloniki Fairs would also play an important role. 

"The partner country of the upcoming Tourism Fair is North Macedonia, which is mainly a transit destination, and which will offer certain content by visiting the Fair, so that our citizens recognize this country not only as a transit, but also as a destination destination. This year, we have more than 250 exhibitors from ten countries. We are bringing in 10 tour operators because there is interest in making arrangements. The point is for us to make the business happen, and for it to actually be a kind of key carrier of this Fair. It is also very important for us that visitors come because the date is good for the "last minute" for the New Year and for skiing, but also for the "first minute" for the summer season next year and to provide some of the arrangements for the next period with serious discounts. The opening ceremony of the International Tourism Fair is on November 27 at 11 a.m., and the night before that, we have the Evening of Champions, where about 110 participants in evaluating the quality of facilities and services in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be awarded, said Cvetkovic. - Radio Television of Vojvodina will also be present, which will have its own program and studio, and this will be an ideal opportunity for all exhibitors to get involved in the air and thus further promote themselves. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vojvodina will present projects for the development of rural tourism in Vojvodina at its stand. In addition to B2B meetings and the Hosted Buyer program, the 35th Assembly of Hospitality and Tourism Workers of Serbia will be held, and a Gift Game will be organized for visitors. On Saturday, November 29, coupons with the names of the luckiest visitors will be drawn. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Provincial Government, the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism, the Tourist Organization of Vojvodina, the Tourist Organization of the City of Novi Sad, because it was not easy to make this Fair. Now, as an independent event on 6,000 square meters, it has content exclusively dedicated to tourism. Finally, I will emphasize that the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism has provided free admission for visitors this year as well, which once again shows the strong support we have from them, Cvetkovic pointed out.

Starting this month, a new event called "Vojvodina Taste Exchange" will be organized in the Auditorium of the Novi Sad Fair, which will bring together local producers and all lovers of authentic products every second Friday, from 4 pm to 10 pm. The first "Vojvodina Taste Exchange" is being prepared for Friday, November 28, when it will be held under the auspices of the International Tourism Fair. It will be a place where traditional scents, homemade food, forgotten recipes and crafts, come to the fore again. Visitors will be able to enjoy a diverse and colorful offer of products - from fresh fruits and vegetables, honey and cured meat delicacies, to wine, brandy and homemade cakes, handicrafts, seedlings and flowers... All those who are engaged in crafts and want to proudly present the work of their hands are also welcome.

Entrance to the 56th International Tourism Fair will not be charged, with registration of the visit. Registration tickets will also serve as coupons for participation in the Gift Game organized by the Novi Sad Fair with exhibitors.

The list of donors is getting longer, and so far the following have applied: Hotel "Tiski cvet", Djerdap National Park, Special Rehabilitation Hospital "Geyser", Sijarinska Banja, Tourist Organization of the City of Sombor, Zlatibor Terraces, Nordic Resort.

During the Tourism Fair at the Novi Sad Fair, the Employment Fair will be held, organized by the National Employment Service-Novi Sad Branch and the City of Novi Sad.

The fair will gather potential employers and those who are looking for jobs on November 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Novi Sad Fair.

The working hours of the Tourism Fair are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday, November 29, it will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.