The natural values of Kosovo represent high quality tourism resources. The description of Kosovo’s potential in tourism is closely related to the geographic position of Kosovo.

 

Its position in southeastern Europe, with a central position in the Balkan Peninsula, represents a crossroad which historically dates back to Illyrian and Roman times.

 

The mountainous south of Kosovo has great potential for winter tourism. One of the most interesting opportunities for foreign investors in this region is the skiing resort Brezovica in the Sharr Mountains. The resort, situated between 1,700 and 2,500 meters above he sea level, has been offered for privatization by the Kosovo Trust Agency.It offers excellent weather and snow conditions as well as long ski seasons from November to May.

Assets of Brezovica also include three hotels with 680 rooms, two Restaurants and nine ski lifts with transport capacity of 10,000 skiers per hour. Through its proximity to Prishtina Airport (60 km) and Skopje Airport (70 km), the resort is a possible destination for international tourists and has the potential to become the most favourable winter tourism destination in the Balkans.

Also in the Sharr Mountains in the very south of the country, bordering Macedonia and Albania, Kosovo is offering for privatization about 22,000 hectares of largely untouched land in the mountainous area, belonging to the socially owned enterprise “Sharrprodhimi”.

The region offers excellent tourism opportunities, such as skiing, ecotourism, paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing, trekking, kayaking, horse riding, etc. The Sharrprodhimi land in the municipality of Dragash is stunningly beautiful. It is clearly a remarkable property for eco-tourism, and will only be sold to a proven investor who is committed to a sustainable and rational development program which will have strong local support.

Apart from the above-mentioned tourism resorts, Kosovo is generally rich with mountains, artificial lakes and rivers and therefore also offers prime possibilities for hunting and fishing.

The wellness-tourism in Kosovo also offers great potential for development.The numerous thermal springs of Kosovo are well known in the region  for their healing effects. Foreign investors in this field will find high demand in the regional market. The widespread production of rare artisan crafts in Kosovo, such as the Filigree, represents an attraction for foreign tourists.

In addition, Kosovo has the potential to develop cultural tourism with numerous religious and other sites with extraordinary cultural-historical value.

 

This report is part of a series prepared by the Economic Initiative for Kosovo (ECIKS), an organization supporting the economic development and foreign investments in Kosovo.