23 Oct 2010 / 09:09
Serbians may now be able to travel more easily to the European Union, but the numbers don't show that many are taking advantage of visa-free travel.
Gordana Andric
The anniversary of visa free travel to the Schengen zone is fast approaching but opinions are divided on whether Serbians have made much use of the new regime. The new system has opened up a wealth of opportunities but most people say that they just couldn’t afford to make use of the benefit.
Travel agents do say that there has been an increase in travel over the last year but that numbers are still not as high as those for 2008 when, although they needed visas for EU countries, people had more money to spend.
“People are definitely travelling more to Vienna, Italy, France or Budapest, but after the huge first wave at the New year, just after liberalisation, things have not turned out how we expected. We have noticed an increase, but during spring we had just one or two more buses travelling to European cities than in the previous year,” says Aleksandar Vuckovic from the Argus tour agency.
The most popular destinations for this year’s summer holidays were the same as those in previous years - Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece.
Jamina Koncar from the Kontiki tour agency says that her agency did record much bigger numbers - 60 to 70 per cent higher that in previous years but put this down largely to a range of special offers that the agency advertised, such as the last minute deals or easy payment terms.
Another agency, Viva, also noted an increase in the number of first time bookings, many from an unusual source. Natasha Jakovljevic explained: “Those are people who are unemployed or are working in the black economy, so previously they couldn’t get visas (because of the proof of income documentation necessary) although they could afford to travel. It’s easy to recognise first time travellers,” she said, “they seem a bit confused, always asking how to use the subway or how to find their way back to the hotel.”
Data from the Institute for European Studies show that in the first ten months of this year, Serbians spent €15 million, or 2.9 per cent more than in the same period last year.
“The number of traditional holidays has declined, but the number of two or three day long trips to Europe has increased,” says Goran Nikolic from the Institute.
Although a combination of low incomes and the economic crisis has conspired to prevent many Serbians using their new benefits, analysts are unanimous in their opinion that visa liberalisation has been one of the main benefits that Serbians have seen since Serbia and EU launched the integration process.
“Visa liberalisation is one of the few things in government’s European agenda that has actually had an impact on people’s lives. Liberalisation has brought great symbolic relief to everyone, even thought just a small number of people such as politicians, businessmen and academics benefit from it. The people travelling now are the same ones to whom visas were easily issued prior to liberalisation,” explains Djordje Vukadinovic, a political analyst.
Sociologist Vladimir Vuletic believes that visa liberalisation has influenced people’s perspective of the EU, whether they have had the opportunity to travel or not.
“Even if there was no personal gain, visa liberalisation brought back a forgotten sense of freedom... One cannot expect major changes in just one year while the economic crisis continues ,” says political analyst Vladimir Vuletic.
The old SFRJ passport held one key attraction. Using it, much of the world was accessible without the need for a visa. Tito’s policy of navigating a careful path between the two big power blocks of the time and the development of the non-aligned movement had the added benefit of ensuring that Yugoslav citizens were welcome across the globe.
Often ahead of discussions on unemployment, the economy, the parlous state of politics or even Kosovo, the issue of passports and travel would come to the fore and visa free travel was an oft repeated political promise.
Vladimir Todoric, a political analyst, agrees that it’s too early to judge the effects. “Liberalisation meant a lot to Serbian people. The standard of living is low, but at least people now have the chance to travel. It’s much too early to start talking about concrete benefits and effects.”
“Though some research shows that young people in Serbia would rather have some new Nike’s than spend money on travel, there are a significant number that do organise at least a brief visit to friends and visit a new city. They come back with different experiences, some good and some not so good, but anyway they have expanded their horizons,” says Kosta Andric from the Belgrade Youth Office.
“Abolition of visas brings advantages on two levels - for better economic and politic cooperation and for improving people to people’s contacts. “It (visa free travel) has an important psychological effect on people - freedom is a basic right of every European citizen. I am convinced that visa liberalisation was not important for the political elite, businesspeople or those with money, but it is important especially for the young generation, who have never had the chance to travel abroad and understand European values,” said Tanja Fajon, a Slovenian MEP.
Ten months on then, the jury is out on whether liberalisation has led to much of an increase in travel to the Schengen zone, but it is enough for many Serbians just to know that they could travel if they wanted to or had the cash. A Serbian passport still does not open as many doors as a Yugoslavian one once did but things are changing.
balkan insight
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου