Tourism direct GDP (2023) | Tourism direct employment (2024) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
2.0% of total GDP (down 0.2 percentage points since 2022) | 7.0% of total employment (up 0.2 percentage points since 2023) | 19.5% of total service exports (up 0.1 percentage points since 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2026–2030
Responsible government agency: Ministry of Tourism and Youth
National tourism budget: RSD 4.8 billion (2025)
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Developing a long-term integrated strategy – Working to develop the new Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2026–2030 which is in its final phase of preparation.
Shifting to sustainable models of tourism – Implementing the sustainable tourism development criteria for destinations across three pilot destinations.
Supporting rural tourism – Providing financial incentives to improve the quality of accommodation and opportunities for self-employment in tourism in rural areas.
Tourism is an important contributor to the economy in Serbia. In 2024, accommodation services directly contributed RSD 43.9 billion to the Serbian economy or 0.5% of total GDP. The Statistical Office of Serbia recorded approximately 165 000 jobs within tourism-related industries, which represents 7.0% of total employment in 2024. This is an increase of 2.6%, or 4 200 tourism jobs, compared to 2023.
In 2024, Serbia registered 2.4 million international tourist arrivals at official accommodation establishments. This represents an increase of 11.7% compared to the year 2023. The top three source markets were Türkiye (10%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (7%) and the People’s Republic of China (7%). International tourist arrivals at official accommodation establishments decreased by 1.5% in 2025. Foreign exchange income from tourism in 2024 was EUR 2.5 billion, 9% higher than in 2023.
Domestic tourism is essential for the tourism sector in Serbia, with 2.0 million overnight domestic tourists recorded at official accommodation establishments in 2024. This was 0.5% below the level in 2023, but it still amounted to 45% of all overnight tourists at official accommodation establishments in 2024.
The Ministry of Tourism and Youth is responsible for tourism affairs, including all aspects of tourism strategy, policy, promotion, and development. The Ministry provides direct and indirect support to regional and local authorities, including incentive programmes for tourism development projects such as infrastructure, promotion, education, and training, and supporting local governments and regional development agencies with jointly funded projects.
The Ministry co-operates closely with other ministries, particularly the Ministry of Culture on international bilateral co-operation and the development of cultural routes, the Ministry of Agriculture on the development of rural tourism and the support instruments in the field of rural development, the Ministry of Environmental Protection on sustainable tourism development, as well as the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of European integration. The Ministry works closely with the private sector and is active in regional initiatives and programmes and projects from international organisations.
The Tourist Organisation of Serbia carries out promotional activities internationally. Regional and local tourist organisations are closely integrated into promotional activities. The Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is responsible for managing tourism development, in accordance with the Tourism Development Strategy and the Law on Tourism of the Republic of Serbia.
In 2025, the total budget allocated for tourism and tourism inspection amounted to RSD 4.8 billion. The portion of the budget dedicated solely to tourism was RSD 4.5 billion, of which RSD 2.7 billion was set aside for infrastructure and capital investments. RSD 170 million was allocated for projects related to promotion, education, and training in the tourism sector. The National Tourism Organisation of Serbia received a budget allocation of RSD 500 million.
Source: OECD, adapted from the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, 2026.
Serbian tourism is guided by the Tourism Development Strategy 2016-2025, with the new Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2026–2030 in its final phase of preparation. The adoption of the new Strategy is expected by mid-2026. Some of the key priorities for the Strategy include strengthening the tourism value chain and encouraging inter-sectoral, inter-ministerial, regional, and international co-operation. To achieve this, the Strategy will align the goals of tourism with national strategic goals in the areas of spatial development, transportation, construction, agriculture, culture, and digitalisation. The Tourism Development Strategy is complemented by the Strategic Marketing Plan for Tourism of the Republic of Serbia until 2025, which is also in the process of being updated for the period 2026-2030.
To improve the tourism workforce, Serbia has developed the Tourism Workforce Skills Strategy in co-operation with the Serbian Employers' Union and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Strategy aims to help Serbia’s tourism sector identify capacity gaps, forecast skills needs and prioritise actions to develop human resources that will drive the sector’s growth. The Tourism Workforce Skills Strategy will focus on quantitative and qualitative improvement of education in tourism to bridge the gap between curricula in higher education institutions and essential informal education and training, which is required for both employed and unemployed individuals in tourism. Special attention is being paid to retraining the workforce at the local level in all occupations within tourism and hospitality.
To strengthen the tourism value chain and increase the competitiveness of Serbia’s tourism offer, Serbia continues to finance capital investment projects, infrastructure development, and tourism development and promotion projects using budgetary funds. Over the past two years, a portion of the tourism budget has been allocated specifically to support the development of rural tourism, including the equipping of rural accommodation facilities (privately-owned rural tourism households, such as homeshares and private homestays). These efforts contribute to entrepreneurship and self-employment in rural areas. These efforts have also been supported across three Ministries, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry for Rural Development, in conjunction with local governments, and adhere to the ‘Regulation on Incentive Funds for the Development and Improvement of Rural Tourism and Hospitality’. In line with sustainable development goals, the government has also adopted a ‘Regulation on the conditions, procedure for allocation, and use of incentive funds’ specifically targeting the development and enhancement of rural tourism and hospitality across Serbia.
Sustainable economic, environmental and social development of tourism in the Republic of Serbia has been a long-term priority. It has been a core goal for the Tourism Development Strategy 2016-2025 and will continue to be a priority for the new Tourism Development Strategy 2026-2030. Serbia is currently working on the implementation of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) in three pilot destinations, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (see box below). These destination management practices emphasise environmental conservation, cultural heritage protection, and community involvement. They also promote digitalisation in tourism in terms of presenting and promoting the tourism offer to the local population and tourists.
Serbia’s tourism sector faces challenges to manage environmental impact and ensure sustainable growth. As a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Serbia is actively working on implementing GSTC criteria for sustainable destination management in co-operation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The Ministry of Tourism and Youth plays an active role in this process, working closely with JICA to prepare destinations for certification by the official GSTC body.
This initiative includes the development of sustainable management practices and alignment with international standards to ensure long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits from tourism. In the first phase, five destinations were selected, which was then narrowed to three destinations that will receive tailored support. The pilot destinations, Pirot, Prijepolje, and Senta, were selected based on the initial criteria of having a tourism development programme, partial fulfilment of GSTC-D standards, and border locations. Field assessments and structured evaluations were conducted to review each destination’s baseline alignment with GSTC-D criteria.
These destinations will start implementing GSTC standards, to work towards more balanced tourism growth that respects environmental and social sustainability, while local stakeholders will improve their capacity for sustainable tourism management. The estimated duration of the project is two years.
The collaboration with JICA provides expert and financial support, including the deployment of an expert who is assisting Serbia’s destinations to meet global sustainability benchmarks and improve competitiveness.