The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism Trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Due to its favorable geographical location, natural resources, attractive cultural and historical heritage, internationally recognized events, gastronomy, and status as a still relatively undiscovered destination for the leading emitting tourist markets, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the prerequisites for the successful development of tourism. Therefore, in the first decades of the 21st century, a continuous increase in domestic and foreign tourists was recorded in this country. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on tourism trends in the world and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The pandemic crisis decreased the number of foreign tourists and tourism remittances. Given the potential of the tourism industry, this study aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered trends and spatial patterns of tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The spatiotemporal analysis revealed that this pandemic considerably lowered the size of the tourism industry in this country and affected spatial patterns of tourism flows, but by 2021 and 2022, the industry had already begun to recover. The results of the study provide new insights into tourism trends and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry and can serve for future tourism research and development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.