Prologue

TOURISM ON TRIAL IN 2012
In the Shadow of Global Crisis

The years of crisis are both behind and in front of us. Global, financial, crisis of the system. Its sinister murmur, interleaved with the latest generation of identically packed wars, pervades hundreds of countries and billions of our individual lives. The magicians of speculative economy (George Soros), key geostrategists of postmodern imperialism (Zbigniew Brzezinski), the most serious scientists of today (Joseph Stiglitz), keep proving that the breakdown of the system is in progress. Singing worshipers of infinite progress turned into prophets of an upcoming catastrophe.
In such circumstances, tourism is one of the most vulnerable branches of economy. The source of the crisis is in the dark heart of the empire and parasitic nature of its hegemonistic currency, defended with nuclear warheads, however it is no accident that tourist world powers have stumbled already under the first wave of the redirected impact. Greece is facing the abyss of bankruptcy, Italy, Spain and Portugal are in the entrance hall of drama, Egypt and Tunisia are burning on the edge of a telecontrolled civil war.
So? What are we doing here, at the International Tourism Fair in Belgrade?
The need of the people to travel, see, experience, learn, rest, have fun, be healed – is stronger than anything previously mentioned. The business results of the previous tourism year show the same, including those recorded in the city you are guests of. People will, of course, travel this year as well. Perhaps with smaller budgets, shorter trips and more economically, but the tourist season will keep its liveliness and attractiveness.
That is why we’re here. To tell more beautiful stories and make plans for the summer, winter. To crown the queen of Provence, admire the Tyrrhenian Coast, pay respect to Meteora. To embrace Ohrid, cheer Ljubljana, smile to Belgrade. To discover Niš, Leskovac, Lazarevac, not to resist Stara Planina and the salutary Serbian spas (Lukovska, Prolom, Ribarska, Vrnjačka). Not to bring bad luck.
Welcome.