Skiers wait in line at the elevator of Kopaonik Mountain in Serbia on Thursday, December 9, 2021. With renewed measures in most parts of Europe to help contain the spread of omicron variants, Bosnia is pleased with its winter tourism industry and still maintains a relatively laissez-faire approach to the soaring number of COVID-19 infections across the African continent. (AP Photo/Marjan Vucetic)
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Associated Press)-As most European countries implement new restrictions to curb the spread of omicron variants, Bosnia is adopting a relatively laissez-faire approach to the surge in COVID-19 infections in the region , Which makes it very happy for the winter tourism industry.
Last week, after the official start of the season on December 4th, thousands of skiers from all over the country, the Balkans and the European Union glide happily in the fresh snow on the slopes of Bosnia. Most ski resorts in the Balkans have also opened in the past week, but capacity and access restrictions due to the pandemic are much stricter.
In the Jahorina and Bjelasnica mountains near Sarajevo, where the 1984 Winter Olympics were held, long lines lined up on the ski lifts, while local and international guests gathered in indoor and outdoor cafes, some even participated in night music meeting.
With the exception of Croatia, passengers entering Bosnia from the European Union must have a negative PCR test before departure and prove that they have been recently vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 before they can enter the country. Citizens of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro are not subject to this rule.
However, once a person is in Bosnia, they do not need to show a vaccination certificate, recent recovery or recent negative test to enter ski resorts, restaurants, bars or cultural venues. Although regulations on wearing masks indoors and maintaining social distancing are in place, their enforcement is still arbitrary.
"We feel very safe here. Despite the pandemic, conditions are generally good," said Sejla Ibric, who drove more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) to Jahorina with her husband to enjoy the first ski weekend of the season .
The managers of the Jahorina and Bjelasnica ski resorts-which form the backbone of Bosnia's winter tourist attractions-pointed out that some preventive measures are aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, including mandatory masks and reduced ski lift capacity. Other measures have been taken to meet the specific needs of guests related to the epidemic.
Dejan Ljevanic, General Manager of Jahorina, said: “We have our own PCR testing laboratory. Guests who need to return to their home country with a negative test result can collect samples in their own rooms.” He added that the resort also pledged to hold ski passes. People refund money in case they are infected.
Bosnia-which has received just over 24% of its 3.3 million population-registered approximately 600 new cases and 30 COVID-19 deaths in the last day. In the pandemic, there have been more than 12,900 COVID-19 deaths.
Most countries near Bosnia — all of which have seen significant increases in vaccination rates — daily infection rates are rising rapidly, and restrictions on daily life are becoming stricter. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, these two EU member states have recently reported a record number of new infections every day, and Slovakia is under a national lockdown. In Croatia and Slovenia, which are also member states of the European Union, a mandatory COVID-19 pass was introduced last month to enter most public places. In Serbia this fall, graveyard excavators in Belgrade must work one more day a week to keep up with the death toll from COVID-19.
Croatia’s Mili Planincic is preparing to slide off the ski slopes in Jahorina. He said: “About this virus, things about going home are going downhill, but here it feels like It does not exist."
He added: “People are relaxed, but at the same time staying within a reasonable range” to prevent the spread of infection.
Others, such as Milomir Zeller from Serbia, said that tourists should take necessary precautions.
"People must be careful, wear masks, and get vaccinated beforehand. We did it all," he said.
Tine Salomon from Slovenia agreed: “If people act responsibly, there will be no problems. We are outdoors, the snow is good, and it’s idyllic.”
Last winter, the number of visitors to the ski resorts of Bjelasnica and Jahorina both hit a record high because the virus transmission rate in Bosnia was relatively low compared with other parts of the region, and loose anti-virus measures were adopted. However, after the peak ski season in Bosnia, there was a major virus surge and a surge in COVID-19 deaths in the country last March.
"This year, we expect the ski season to last 4 to 4 1/2 months. Jasmin Mehic, general manager of Bjelasnica Ski Resort, said that if we can repeat the previous season, it would be great.
He added: "We don't expect the (antivirus) restrictions to become too harsh, but if (the health authorities) decide to introduce them, we will also respect the stricter restrictions."
Sabina Niksic contributed to this story from Sarajevo.
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