Snow Lifts Spirits in Bosnia's Ski Resorts

Bosnia's mountain ski resorts at Jahorina, Bjelasnica and Vlasic are having a good season as a result of the large number of visitors who have come to spend New Year's Eve there and enjoy the thick snow.

After last year's poor snowfall in the winter season left tourist operators struggling, heavy snow at the end of December this year has brought joy to skiiers and hoteliers.

Asja Hadziefendic-Mesic, of the Sarajevo Canton Tourism Association, told Balkan Insight that the snow was of good quality this year and many people were coming to spend their winter vacations in the mountains.

"In the last few days there has been a lot of interest in the mountains because of the snow," she said. "Everybody was waiting for the snow."

Predrag Lopatic, of the Tourist Organization of East Sarajevo, said Jahorina was almost at full capacity and almost all its 5,000 beds were occupied.

"The snow has made everyone happy," he said. "Most of the tourists are coming from the countries of ex-Yugoslavia, such as Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia - and also more and more Montenegrins," he added.

Hadziefendic-Mesic noted that Mt Vlasic was also fairly full these holidays. The December snowfall at the last minute had resulted in the confirmation of many reservations made previously. "Croatian agencies are making a lot of arrangements," she noted.