I recently listened to a travel podcast that featured an interview with the UK travel ambassador for Uzbekistan.

One of the points that stuck with me was that, for Uzbekistan, the perception of the nation compared with reality was totally out of synch.

Popular Perception it seems, is that Uzbekistan is a "Stan" country, therefore has Islamic extremism and is unsafe

The reality however, is that it's amazingly safe and being on the "Silk Road", has outstanding architecture and history to explore.

To raise awareness, and combat negativity, Uzbekistan is focusing on Nation Branding before promoting tourism.

As I think about Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the similarities are obvious.

Perception, is that there's still a war on.

The reality however, is that it is a safe country, with tremendous opportunity to explore and experience, especially in a slow travel context.

Browsing the internet, it is, sadly negative links that appear first about Bosnia and Herzegovina, either as references to the conflict of the 1990's, or dysfunctional divisive politics.

There are numerous tourist offices promoting BiH, and agencies that can be found, that's true. How effective they are is dubious.

Maybe BiH (or the two semi autonomous entities that make up the country), should concentrate, like Uzbekistan, on changing perceptions of the country and then double down on tourism.

Time will show.

On this blog and it's associated video's, we'll do our best to show BiH in as positive light as we can, impartially and honestly.

We'll be looking to show you Bosnia and Herzegovina in a way you won't read or find, in tourist brochures or materials. We'll take you inside everyday life (as much as we can), with the aim to make you excited to experience this country for yourself.

If you would like to help by offering comments and suggestions, please leave them in the comment area below this post.

Leave a comment