Opening: 26 October 2016, the Sava Promenade, Kalemegdan
Editor-in-Chief: MA Dragan Gačić
Author of the exhibition: Snežana Lazić, senior archivist
Associate: Jelena Mitrović Kocev, archivist
Technical support: Violeta Jovanović, Bojan Kocev, Svetlana Milić, Zorica Netaj
Editing: MA Nataša Ilić
Translation into English: Tijana Kovčić
Design: Zorica Netaj
Opening ceremony: Ms Ivona Jevtić, Secretary of the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade and Mr. Miodrag Popović, Acting Director of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade

Historical Archives of Belgrade has set up an exhibition to mark the 80^th anniversary since Belgrade was declared a tourist destination. The goal of this exhibition is to demonstrate the development of tourism in Belgrade between the two world wars, highlighting the period after the Rule Book on tourist destinations in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia had been issued and after the Minister of Tourism and Commerce had issued a Decree declaring Belgrade a tourist destination on 22 December 1936.

The opening ceremony consisted of welcoming speeches of Ms Ivona Jevtić, Secretary of the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, Mr. Miodrag Popović, Acting Director of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade and Mrs Mirjana Obradović, chief of the Department for sorting and processing of archval material who welcomed the present guests on belhaf of the Historical Archives of Belgrade.

Exhibition compiled by Snežana Lazić consists of over 290 documents, photographs, architectural projects and other archival material from fonds and legacies preserved in the Historical Archives of Belgrade. Selected archival material enlightens all aspects of tourism, starting from general recourses necessary for touristic development of Belgrade, development of road infrastructure, describing tourists in Belgrade, promotion of tourism, development of cultural tourism and it also includes the presentation of Belgrade citizens as travelers. Exhibited documents testify that tourism as economic factor was extremely important for municipal and state authorities, and they actively promoted Belgrade abroad. The tourism was systematically developed due to methodical effort of municipal and state authorities, greatest Serbian authors, citizens’ associations and individuals. Establishment of Art Pavilion of “Cvijeta Zuzorić “(1928) and Museum of Prince Pavle (1936) led to the flourishing of cultural tourism. As the capital of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Belgrade became inevitable destination of businessmen, especially after the opening of Belgrade Fair (1937). Also, development of tourism created the need for educated personnel and in 1938 Academy for Tourism and Hospitality Management was opened in Belgrade. According to the contemporaries, it was the first academy of that kind in the Balkans.

According to the available information, right before the Second World War, more tourists visited Belgrade than Dubrovnik and Bled, biggest tourists’ attractions in the Kingdom at that time. Belgrade welcomed more and more tourists and its citizens travelled as well. Sport tourism was developing and health and recreational potentials of the Serbian spas and mountains were discovered. Upper class spent summer holidays on Adriatic coast, travelling by plane of by car. At the same time, unprofitable youth tourism was developing; school children visited youth recreational resorts on the coast or in the mountains. Tourism was theoretically discussed in many scientific papers as well as in travel books.

Photos from opening

 

  

Video from opening