Serbia recorded a significant increase in foreign tourist arrivals in January 2025, with foreign guests reaching 142,500, a 16% rise compared to the same month last year, according to data released by the country's statistical office on February 28.

Overall, Serbia welcomed 288,811 tourists during the month, a 16.1% year-on-year increase. The number of overnight stays also saw a notable uptick, with a total of 962,206 recorded, an 8.1% increase over January 2024.

The country’s growing tourism sector continues to fuel foreign exchange earnings, with both international and domestic travel showing substantial growth. Foreign visitors accounted for 142,500 of the total arrivals, a 15.9% rise from the previous year, while domestic tourists reached 143,311, up 16.3%.

North Macedonia led the list of foreign tourist origins, with 15,002 visitors. Russia followed closely with 13,753, while Bosnia & Herzegovina (11,669), Montenegro (11,537) and Turkey (10,652) rounded out the top five. Chinese visitors also made up a significant portion of arrivals, with 10,136 recorded in January.

In terms of overnight stays, domestic tourists contributed 504,249 nights, a 15.1% increase from January 2024, while foreign tourists stayed a total of 457,957 nights, marking an 18.6% year-on-year rise.

Serbia’s top tourist destinations continue to be the country's spa towns and mountain resorts. Vrnjacka Banja, Vrdnik Spa and Sokobanja were among the most visited spas, while mountain centres such as Zlatibor, Kopaonik and Tara also saw strong demand.

The upward trend in tourism is not a recent phenomenon. Over the past decade, Serbia has more than doubled its tourist arrivals, from 2.2mn in 2013 to 4.2mn in 2023.

In 2024, foreign tourist arrivals increased by 12%, reaching 2.38mn, while overnight stays grew by 9.2% to 6.1mn. Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport saw a 5.3% increase in passenger traffic, handling approximately 8.4mn passengers in 2024, 36% more than in 2019.

As Serbia prepares to host EXPO 2027, the government is focusing on improving infrastructure and diversifying tourism offerings to attract more international visitors and boost foreign currency revenue.