Serbian tourists planning vacations at the end of August and in September are concerned about potential changes in travel restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. These concerns stem from previous travel seasons, where stricter measures and even cancellations of trips occurred.

While panic is not warranted, the reality is that the number of coronavirus cases is rising both in Serbia and in popular holiday destinations. This has led to speculation about whether Serbia might be removed from the European Union's green list of safe countries. On June 18, Serbia met the criteria to be on the green list, with 15.5 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days and a satisfactory vaccination response. However, experts predict that the number of cases could rise to over 75 per 100,000 residents, potentially jeopardizing travel privileges.

Dr. Predrag Kon told Tanjug that "there will be different restrictions on entry, and different countries will behave differently, with tourist destinations adopting more flexible approaches to preserve tourism."

Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Egypt, and other popular destinations are expected to continue attracting tourists and have reported strong sales for August and September. While there is some uncertainty, the general outlook is optimistic, with the belief that the summer tourism season will conclude without new restrictions.

The Association of Serbian Travel Agencies (Juta) believes there is no cause for concern regarding summer vacations until the end of this month and expects the same for September. Milan Lainović, vice president of Juta, noted that the August slots are mostly filled, and September is also selling well. He observed no hesitation among travelers about the realization of travel arrangements and reported that no destination countries are planning to impose new restrictions on visitors.

Matić, another travel industry expert, stated that EU countries are unlikely to remove Serbia from the green list in August. He pointed out that while there is a slight rise in coronavirus cases, the number of vaccinated individuals is increasing, which stabilizes the situation. There have been no reports of Serbian tourists becoming infected abroad and needing to stay in quarantine upon return.

With more people getting vaccinated, the travel outlook remains positive, and experts like Lainović predict that travel will continue smoothly with no new restrictions.