Belgrade wins Tourism Oscar as best place for tourism in SEE

BELGRADE - Belgrade has been proclaimed the best tourist place in South Eastern Europe (SEE) in a tourism action to pick the best in SEE tourism in 2013 carried out by Sacen International, an international center for tourism and hospitality development based in Serbia.

Sacen decided that Turkey was the best tourist destination and Banja Vrucica (Bosnia-Herzegovina) the champion of health tourism in the past year.

The champion of domestic hospitality is Hotel Belvedere in Ohrid, Macedonia, the best in the cultural tourism category was Croatia's Dubrovnik, and the best in the ethno-tourism category was the Babina Reka village in Serbia.

The best SEE restaurant was 'Catovica mlini' in Morinj (Montenegro), Belgrade-based Kon Tiki Travel was the best tourism agency, and the scientific and educational institution of the year award went to the Hospitality and Tourism School Vrnjacka Banja.

A special award went to Belgrade's Hotel Slavija for 50 years of operation in the hotel industry.

A Sacen international tourism patrol, who decide the 'Golden Tourist Heart of South Eastern Europe' awards, toured Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Tunisia, Malta, and Greece.

The awards ceremony will take place in Belgrade on April 29, Sacen International has said in a release.

Photo Tanjug, F. Kraincanic, illustration