Mountain resorts of Bosnia are transitioning to summer tourism

• Mountain resorts in Bosnia are adapting to summer tourism.
• Tourist proposals are expanding with the aim of attracting visitors.
• Climate change is impacting the development of tourist infrastructure.

SARAEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Nestled away from the Mediterranean coast, mountain resorts at mid-altitude near Sarajevo, which have traditionally relied on winter sports, are gradually transitioning to summer tourism.

According to the negative indicators of tourist attendance in Bosnia, tourist agents of this mountainous Balkan region with a population of 3.3 million people note that there is a clear trend emerging.

"We used to focus on snow, but now it's impossible to ignore the fact that snow will likely fall at altitudes over 2500 meters, while our mountains are just not that high," noted Haris Fazlagic, president of the Sarajevo Tourist Board.

Fazlagic believes that the expansion of summer proposals at the resorts can attract tourists who are eager to escape from the peak season and high prices of traditional beach resorts on the Adriatic coast of Croatia and Montenegro. He emphasized that increasing the attractiveness of the region throughout the year is the "future of tourism," but he acknowledged that this is a long-term strategy.

In 2017, after several winters with minimal snowfall, the Jahorina and Bjelašnica mountains near Sarajevo began to expand their summer proposals. These mountains, which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, have altitudes of 1906 meters and 2067 meters respectively.

They now work year-round, promoting sightseeing trails, and gradually adding new routes for hiking, cycling, and excursions on quad bikes.

"The weather here is fantastic — it’s never crowded," said Duško Kurtović, a guide from the Bosnian town of Doboj, during a hike on a short break in Jahorina last week.

Temperatures here usually range between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. This change in weather, which brings more tourists, especially from neighboring regions of Central and Eastern Europe, is experiencing parts and prolonged heat waves, with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

Vasilij Knezhević, who leads quad excursions at the highest peaks of Jahorina, noted that last winter's season was "poor" due to a lack of snow, while "this summer has been wonderful."

Despite the growing business in the mountains of Sarajevo, it still remains significantly less profitable than beach resorts in neighboring Croatia, where tourism accounts for up to 20% of GDP.

Only five hours away from Sarajevo, the ancient city of Dubrovnik is struggling with overcrowding of tourists. Unlike their Bosnian counterparts, who are trying to increase the number of visitors, tourist organizations in Dubrovnik focus on managing the number of tourists from cruise ships in the city to 4000 at a time.

Regardless of these restrictions and the extreme summer peak, Dubrovnik recorded almost two million overnight stays in the first six months of 2025, which is more than double compared to the Sarajevo region.

While climate change affects Bosnia and Croatia differently, both countries have a common goal: "to extend the season" and become "year-round destinations," according to Aida Hodžić from the tourism board of Dubrova.

Tags: Europe/Weather