The first Gondola Forum was held last weekend in Zlatibor

The first Gondola Forum, organized by JP „Gold gondola Zlatibor“, was held from October 16-18 at the Zlatibor Hotel “Zlatibor”, gathering numerous experts, representatives of cable car systems from the region and Europe, as well as representatives from institutions and the private sector. The strong interest of attendees demonstrated the necessity of the event’s goal – to initiate a dialogue on the future of gondolas, sustainable tourism, and the development of mountain resorts.

The first panel, „Sustainable Financing of Large Tourism Projects“, explored the challenges of financing large infrastructural tourist projects, emphasizing the importance of balancing economic interests with the preservation of natural resources. Discussions focused on transparency and responsible fund management for achieving long-term sustainability.

The second panel, „Tourism Trends of the Future – Understanding the Needs of the Modern Traveler“, concentrated on changes in tourist behavior, with travelers increasingly seeking authentic and sustainable experiences. Innovations, digitalization, and service personalization are becoming key to attracting new generations of tourists.

At the final part of the forum, dedicated to technical expertise, in the panel „Year-Round Operation, Servicing, and Maintenance of Gondolas and Cable Cars – Inspections, Safety, and Profitability“, participants exchanged valuable experiences and practical examples of how gondolas function year-round.

Among the speakers were Marko Pavlicevic, Operations Manager of the Kotor Cable Car, Andreas Dorfman, CEO of Kronplatz Group, Sabina Oberjakober, CEO of the Mobility Consortium (who joined via Zoom from Italy), Mark Löhr, Director of WPK, Armin Keim, Regional Sales Manager at LEITNER, Roman Perelon, Regional Sales Manager at POMA, Adnan Selmanović, Head of the Technical Sector at Sarajevo Cable Car, and Bojana Božanić, Director of Gold Gondola Zlatibor.

She emphasized that the Gondola Forum is not just a professional gathering but also a platform for connecting people who believe in the future of sustainable tourism: "Gondolas have become a symbol of new values in tourism – a balance between development, ecology, and local tradition. The first Gondola Forum has created space for collaboration and inspired us to build the mountain destinations of the future together. Our goal was to bring together gondola representatives, cable car operators, local authorities, and organizations involved with year-round gondolas. I have recognized with my team that year-round tourist gondolas are quite different from ski gondolas, as we heard during the panels. As we discussed, there are urban, tourist, and ski gondolas, and each has its own characteristics, but they also differ from one another. We thought that bringing all interested parties together in one place would be very interesting and useful for representatives of other local governments who want to build or are already involved in gondola systems, to hear how to tackle challenges, overcome them, what new tourism trends are emerging, and what they need to focus on to avoid falling behind."

"I believe that this first forum has definitely shown that there is potential for it to become a traditional event, and I am confident that there will be opportunities for us to exchange these experiences with other similar gondola systems. For now, here in the Balkans, in what is popularly called the Western Balkans or the former Yugoslavia, we have representatives from almost all countries of the former Yugoslavia. Not everyone was able to attend this weekend, but we will certainly continue with such activities."

Franc Alain Furlani, director of Leitner for the Western Balkans, stated: “This gathering in Zlatibor is proof that a connection is needed between all centers and operators of gondolas, who share common problems and need a shared approach to solving them. We all agree that this means of transport is essential for ecology, safety, and the development of tourism and the entire tourism infrastructure. Kudos to the Gold Gondola team for initiating this exchange of experiences between different countries in the region."

Yachao Liu, director of the Serbian-Chinese Association for the Promotion of Cultural Tourism, shared some of her proposals: “I currently live in Belgrade, I am the director of a travel agency and the owner of the Gangnam Chinese restaurant chain in Belgrade and Zlatibor. I believe that Zlatibor is a very good, interesting, and successful project, a real attraction for both the local population and the Chinese market. Thanks to the Gold Gondola project, more and more Chinese tourists are coming to Zlatibor and staying here for longer – often one, sometimes even two nights. The gondola has made a significant contribution to attracting Chinese tourists. As I mentioned earlier, we could develop additional activities and projects to offer Chinese tourists a wider variety of experiences and enable them to actively participate. For example, we could allow them to engage in crafts or try traditional Serbian food. We could show them how these products are prepared and share the story behind the culture and history. In this way, we could incorporate more such activities into tourist programs and encourage Chinese tourists to stay longer in Zlatibor.”

Mark Löhr, director of WPK, expressed his satisfaction in being back in Zlatibor and participating in this important discussion. He explained that his company is an accredited inspection body and that he is accredited by the Ministry of Transport in Austria. “Our business focuses on the inspection and certification of cable cars. I would like to emphasize the importance of the topics discussed at this forum. As we heard earlier, we talked about the financial aspects of projects and strategies to attract visitors. It’s equally important that installations operate reliably. After all, it would be inconvenient if a group of tourists from China or anywhere else arrived and the installation didn’t work. Once again, thank you for including this topic in the forum – it’s truly crucial for the development and reputation of cable car projects."

After the working sessions, participants took a ride on the Gold Gondola to the top of Tornik, where, over lunch and in the familiar Zlatibor atmosphere, the exchange of ideas and experiences continued.

The third day of the First Gondola Forum focused on practical demonstrations and the application of knowledge, with the final highlight being a demonstration exercise by the Serbian Mountain Rescue Service at the Gold Gondola intermediate station. In realistically simulated conditions, the rescuers carried out a precise and efficient evacuation of passengers from the cabins, confirming the high level of expertise, professionalism, and readiness for any situation. The exercise attracted significant attention from forum participants and guests, leaving a strong impression of the importance of safety, teamwork, and coordinated action in the operation of cable car systems.

The First Gondola Forum confirmed that Zlatibor is becoming a regional center for innovation in mountain tourism, with Gold Gondola serving as an example of how vision, technology, and nature can function in perfect harmony. This event marks the beginning of a new tradition – bringing together experts and partners who share a common vision: that gondolas connect not only mountains, but also people and knowledge.