Ethno tourism in Serbia for EUR 790

First Impressions Are Lasting
Sorry to pour cold water on you lovely tourist initiative but the reality will never live up to the picture post card of Serbia until certain attitudes change. Please let me warn people who wish to visit Serbia what to expect (I am writing this as someone who loves Serbia and its people) When you arrive in Belgrade airport you can expect to be bullied and harassed by what can only be described as a taxi mafia, inside the airport building and outside the front door in full view of police (so no point in complaining when you are pushed and manhandled) and what of the airport authorities? In no other airport I have been in Europe are private taxi companies allowed to bully and harass the respected visitor. If you do surrender to their bulling they then triple the price of the taxi fare. When you arrive at you destination you horrified Serbian friends phone the taxi company to demand a refund only to be cut off the phone, laughed at, or told to phone back next week the boss is on holiday.
And this is the visitor’s first impression of Serbia. And for those in the tourist industry, airport management, media etc ..First impressions are lasting.

I don't think the term 'Ethno' is very appropriate in association with the word 'tourism'.

It will put off potential customers from outside the region who are very aware of the term 'ethnic' in association with the troubles that have recently rocked the Balkans. Likely tourists have heard the term 'ethnic cleansing' and will readily associate the word 'ethno' with that.

I suggest that some proper marketing research is needed here!

Gino, sounds like Skopje airport(I won't mention it's name incase there are any Greek readers). A taxi man at Skopje actually stole my bag and ran off to his taxi, put it in the trunk and said he would only give it back to me at my destination. My friends(who turned up late to pick me up) and I had to hold him down and threaten to open his trunk with a tyre iron to get it back. Still you shouldn't take it personally, they are not doing it to be aggressive but due to poverty. Also, being cheated on fares by airport taxis is universal not balkan.

It's a great initiative, and Serbia deserves that quickly. As a warm-blood people, those problems Gino mentioned are very common. Here in South America is 10 times worst and that doesn't make us less interesting for the tourists. Serbia is a great country, the people is very funny and knows how to enjoy live and the food is just perfect!
I just hope one day have that amount of money to make that trip! =)

First Impressions Are Lasting
Sorry to pour cold water on you lovely tourist initiative but the reality will never live up to the picture post card of Serbia until certain attitudes change. Please let me warn people who wish to visit Serbia what to expect (I am writing this as someone who loves Serbia and its people) When you arrive in Belgrade airport you can expect to be bullied and harassed by what can only be described as a taxi mafia, inside the airport building and outside the front door in full view of police (so no point in complaining when you are pushed and manhandled) and what of the airport authorities? In no other airport I have been in Europe are private taxi companies allowed to bully and harass the respected visitor. If you do surrender to their bulling they then triple the price of the taxi fare. When you arrive at you destination you horrified Serbian friends phone the taxi company to demand a refund only to be cut off the phone, laughed at, or told to phone back next week the boss is on holiday.
And this is the visitor’s first impression of Serbia. And for those in the tourist industry, airport management, media etc ..First impressions are lasting.

I don't think the term 'Ethno' is very appropriate in association with the word 'tourism'.

It will put off potential customers from outside the region who are very aware of the term 'ethnic' in association with the troubles that have recently rocked the Balkans. Likely tourists have heard the term 'ethnic cleansing' and will readily associate the word 'ethno' with that.

I suggest that some proper marketing research is needed here!

Gino, sounds like Skopje airport(I won't mention it's name incase there are any Greek readers). A taxi man at Skopje actually stole my bag and ran off to his taxi, put it in the trunk and said he would only give it back to me at my destination. My friends(who turned up late to pick me up) and I had to hold him down and threaten to open his trunk with a tyre iron to get it back. Still you shouldn't take it personally, they are not doing it to be aggressive but due to poverty. Also, being cheated on fares by airport taxis is universal not balkan.

It's a great initiative, and Serbia deserves that quickly. As a warm-blood people, those problems Gino mentioned are very common. Here in South America is 10 times worst and that doesn't make us less interesting for the tourists. Serbia is a great country, the people is very funny and knows how to enjoy live and the food is just perfect!
I just hope one day have that amount of money to make that trip! =)