A ceremony commemorating the 15 years of work by the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad in the development and promotion of tourism in Novi Sad took place on October 26, 2023, at the Sheraton Hotel. The event was welcomed by the director of the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad, Branislav Knežević, the director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia, Marija Labović, and the deputy mayor of the City of Novi Sad, Igor Crnobarac. Following this, there was an award ceremony, a cocktail reception, and a wine tasting of the Novi Sad Wine Route accompanied by a fitting musical program
The deputy mayor congratulated TONS on its anniversary and highlighted the success in improving the tourism offer and its promotion to attract a growing number of tourists to Novi Sad.
The seriousness of the promotion of Novi Sad is evident from the fact that in the last 15 years, our city has hosted two million tourists who have generated over four million overnight stays. Last year, we had a record number of overnight stays, exceeding half a million, representing an increase of 247 percent compared to the year when TONS was founded, said the deputy mayor.
Marija Labović, the director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia, praised the work and long-term cooperation of TONS with the umbrella organization and reminded everyone that Novi Sad is the second city in Serbia that attracts the largest number of foreign tourists.
“We have a serious and challenging journey ahead of us. ‘EXPO 2027’ is coming, and although it is named ‘Belgrade EXPO 2027,’ it will be the ‘EXPO’ of our entire country, especially Belgrade and Novi Sad. So, in that context, we will have a lot of activities to be implemented in the coming period. Once again, thank you all, good luck in your future work, and let’s surpass one million overnight stays in Novi Sad in the next period, continuing with excellent results in Novi Sad and throughout Serbia,” said the director of TOS.
Branislav Knežević, the director of the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad, reflected on the fact that the most crucial support throughout the journey came from colleagues at TONS and all stakeholders in the tourism industry who shared a common desire for success.
“When we say that this is a celebration of our 15 years of work, we don’t mean just the TONS team but all of you who are with us today, because we have achieved everything together, and without you, there is no tourism in Novi Sad. The foundation was and is fieldwork, our mutual discussions, i.e., cooperation with the economy, owners and managers of hospitality establishments, winemakers, producers, organizers of various events. When you cross the needs and impressions of tourists with the needs, desires, and ideas of the economy, you get a very clear path for further work and development,” emphasized the director of TONS.
Novi Sad and its surroundings have one of the most diverse offerings in our country, such as the old city center, Petrovaradin Fortress, the Danube River, Fruška Gora with excursion sites, monasteries, wineries, hiking trails, and nature reserves. The rich gastronomic scene with all manner of salaš, čarda, and restaurants, numerous events, and cultural happenings complement this significant whole. In this sense, the city’s strategy and the involvement of all municipal enterprises, institutions, and citizen associations are crucial for continuous improvement and development of the destination.
Over the past decade and a half, the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad (TONS) has created, prepared, and published more than 100 publications in various language variations, some of which have been published in up to 18 languages. With the aim to present the tourist products of Novi Sad and its surroundings to tourists and the local population, the team conducted field visits, conversations, documented, researched, and photographed everything that makes Novi Sad and its surroundings worth exploring. Proudly, publications like “52 Weekends in Novi Sad,” “Novi Sad for Beginners,” “The Magic of Scents, Flavors, and Regions,” and ” Famous Women of Novi Sad Through History ” have been released. The book “Cultural and Tourist Guide” cannot be overlooked, emphasizing historical, artistic, and other offers related to the cultural heritage and lifestyle of Novi Sad. These are just some of the publications that the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad has independently produced and published, with new ones expected to emerge from current field research in the coming period.
The year 2016 was special for Novi Sad because the city received the organization of the celebration of two significant titles – European Youth Capital 2019 and European Capital of Culture 2022. As this was a great success for the city, celebrated by all, after the initial excitement, continuous work followed in planning the best possible realization of both titular years. In this regard, TONS organized numerous promotional campaigns through digital channels, traditional media, and “outdoor” communication forms. Approximately 15 video clips were produced on topics related to youth, while during the European Capital of Culture, more than 50 clips in various language variations were created and distributed on the organization’s social media or television.
Continuously keeping track of all trends in the promotion of the city’s tourist products, TONS paid significant attention to promotion through digital channels, online and traditional media. In recent years, bloggers and influencers have played an essential role in promoting tourist destinations, recommending what to visit in Novi Sad and its surroundings on their profiles.
Every year, TONS successfully participates in domestic and international fairs and events. It has made a significant impression at over 500 fairs, including those in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beijing, Istanbul, London, Berlin, Moscow, and others. Fairs are a meeting place with visitors, agencies, tour operators, journalists, and partners, making them significant for promoting tourism in Novi Sad.
With the city’s development, the construction of infrastructure and superstructure, the tourist offer has also developed. Congress tourism, in addition to business meetings, includes additional activities that enhance the stay of tourists in the city, and Novi Sad is a destination that can satisfy everyone’s taste.
Fifteen years of dedicated work by the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad in the development and promotion of tourism in our city, a plethora of creative ideas, innovative solutions, effort, dedication, and above all, love for the job, have yielded results that we can all be proud of. The number of arrivals in 2009 was below 100,000, and by 2022, it exceeded 200,000, representing a growth of over 160 percent. As for tourist overnight stays, in the year TONS was founded, it was just over 160,000, and in the year preceding this anniversary, domestic and foreign tourists achieved over half a million overnight stays. The increase in the number of overnight stays was, therefore, 247 percent.
For more details on 15 years of work on the development and promotion of tourism in Novi Sad, you can read more here.
