Serbian People have big Hearts during COVID demonstrating a Vision for Tourisms and Strength

1. Serbia has made very strong moves to weaken the pandemic also in the rest of the Balkan region
2. It has done much for regional cooperation; economic integration; and the free flow of goods, people, and capital during the pandemic.
3. The World Tourism Network high-level interest group leader Dr. Snežana Šteti tells this little story about people with big hearts – the people of Serbia.

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Mass immunization of the population began in January 2021 at 300 points throughout Serbia. Residents of Serbia have been able choose from the very beginning of the pandemic from 4 types of vaccines: Phajzer – BiONTeck, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca. Unfortunately, other Balkan countries did not have vaccines at that time and are going into lockdown.

After the first mass vaccinations of its citizens, Serbia is starting to help other countries in the region for free by:

•             Sending vaccines in the form of gift assistance to neighboring countries: Northern Macedonia (48,000 vaccines), Bosnia and Herzegovina (30,000), and Montenegro (14,000).

•             Inviting businessmen to be vaccinated in Belgrade (through the Serbian Chamber of Commerce). In that way, over 20,000 businessmen from neighboring countries have been vaccinated.

•             Serbia sent a gift of 100,000 doses of the vaccine of the company Phajzer – BioNTech against COVID-19 to the Czech Republic.

•             Calls were made on citizens of neighboring countries to be vaccinated in Serbia at the nearest vaccination points, which they accepted.

•             Many citizens of Serbia from the diaspora (European Union countries) come to Serbia to be vaccinated.

•             At the beginning of the pandemic, Serbia also sent aid to Italy in the form of respirators and other equipment.

Serbia knows that victory over the pandemic is possible if we unite, and that is why we should not think about politics and geopolitics but help everyone as much as possible.

What is extremely important, both for Serbia and the region, is the beginning of vaccine production in Serbia. Production of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V against the coronavirus started on June 4 at the state Institute for Virology, Vaccines and Serums “Torlak” in Belgrade. Sputnik V, produced in Serbia, could be at vaccination points in 10 days and maybe even earlier making Serbia the first country in Europe to produce the vaccine.

Serbia is already redeveloping its travel and tourism industry. Leaders took a leading role in the rebuilding travel discussion by the World Tourism Network.

#rebuildingtravel