Uniglobe The Travel Times

By Lee Foster

A world traveler could not help but feel anguish when a well-known and appreciated region, such as Yugoslavia, tore itself apart with harsh violence. The suffering of people and the partial destruction of world-heritage sites, such as Dubrovnik, involved travelers in the conflict. Fortunately, that era is now behind us and the land once known as Yugoslavia prospers again with tourism.

Prior to the recent period of turmoil, Yugoslavia was an affordable European destination, where a prospective North American traveler could find what many visitors to Europe long for — an immersion in European arts, a luxurious perspective on the vast scope of European history, and unusual natural beauty, especially on the Adriatic coast.

Zagreb for the arts, Belgrade for history, and Dubrovnik for coastal beauty amounted to a satisfying itinerary. Fortunately, that itinerary is now viable once again.

Yugoslavia was and is a relatively good buy because it has competent facilities for foreign travelers and a hospitable people. The economic stress throughout eastern Europe made the Yugoslavs hungry for hard currency. Tourism was also the first industry to die when the shooting began. All that has changed back to a welcoming invitation today.

As of 2003, Yugoslavia has been divided up into seven countries, including Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo (disputed), Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

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