Gold Gondola: Expanding boundaries beyond the region

A new concept of nature stay, enhanced collaboration with agencies from the region, and an attractive offer for business tourists marked the presentation of the Gold Gondola at the 45th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade. Innovative projects, including the new branch of the gondola to Pribojska Banja, were showcased at the Zlatibor Tourist Organization stand under the slogan "Invest in Zlatibor." Minister of Tourism and Youth Husein Memić, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veterans, and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković, and Director of the Serbian Tourist Organization Marija Labović concluded that the modern offer and tourism development towards sports and unity with nature are leading the development of Western Serbia. During their meeting with the Mayor of Čajetina, Milan Stamatović, the President of the Municipal Assembly of Čajetina, Arsen Đurić, the Director of the Public Enterprise "Gold Gondola Zlatibor," Bojana Božanić, and the Director of the Zlatibor Tourist Organization, Vladimir Živanović, they emphasized that Zlatibor is rightfully one of the most attractive tourist destinations in our country and will receive state support in the coming period for the realization of major projects that will enhance Zlatibor's offer.

Fair visitors had a unique opportunity to learn about projects that will enrich the offer of the most visited mountain in Serbia. Among them are the Sports Park with 18 new football fields "New Zlatibor," "Golden Town" at Ribničko Lake, the development of the top of Tornik, and the new branch of the Gold Gondola from Tornik to Pribojska Banja, which attracted great attention from visitors and the media.

"Passengers will be able to ride longer after the realization of the new gondola with several intermediate stations that will provide the opportunity to experience Zlatibor, Priboj, and the surroundings in a different way. It certainly won't be boring because we will introduce dynamics with three new installations on the Tornik - Pribojska Banja line, and the gondola network will expand. All these projects will take Zlatibor even further on the world tourism map with the aim of having ten million overnight stays and one million tourists throughout the year," said Bojana Božanić, director of the Public Enterprise "Gold Gondola Zlatibor."

Tourist agencies from the country and the region were interested in the diverse offer of the Gold Gondola, which presented seasonal fun activities, brunch in the air, romantic trips, and team building, which generated great interest. Listening to the needs of the modern tourist, Gold Gondola enriched its offer with team building, which represents one of the most sought-after forms of corporate entertainment. Business tourists want to escape from the stressful everyday life and enjoy nature and recreational activities gondola has to offer.

The fair was an opportunity to expand cooperation with existing partners and establish new contacts. The Serbian Chamber of Commerce announced support for the Gold Gondola to present itself in foreign markets, while a tourist agency from Poland is interested in bringing nature lovers to Zlatibor who want to enjoy exclusively rural ambiance and authentic offerings of our region. The organizers of the Zagreb Tourism Fair "Place2Go" announced an info tour in the spring to get a more detailed insight into the Gold Gondola offer. Expansion of cooperation is also planned with tourist agencies from Montenegro, that are interested in organizing larger tours of Russian and Chinese tourists for a ride on the Zlatibor gondola.

Just as the slogan of this year's fair suggested, "Adventure begins here," Gold Gondola has shown in three years of operation that it offers a new and different experience of staying in Zlatibor. Tourists can spend the whole day on the gondola, that is no longer just known as the longest panoramic gondola in the world but also as a place of entertainment for all generations of travelers.

"During the winter season, we had the activity 'Escape to the Snow,' where every day there were activities for families, children, young, and elderly travelers. Our visitors had the opportunity to take away the most beautiful impressions because they could try some of the most famous Zlatibor specialties such as popara and kačamak, and there were also various art workshops. During the Sretenje holidays, we recorded new records and continue in that style in the coming period. Our goal is for travelers to return to the gondola and experience something new," said Božanić.

Tourists from the region and the whole world especially appreciated the art workshops and natural cosmetics workshops held at the inter station and the final station. Contact with nature, entertainment, gastronomy, creativity, and sports are the contents that today's tourists seek, and Gold Gondola keeps pace with this trend. After the Belgrade Fair, there is no doubt that foreign tourists will be increasingly frequent guests of the Zlatibor gondola.