In ancient Rome, a group of prophetesses known as the Sibyls wrote nine books that foretold the future of Rome.
They took those nine books to Tiberius.
– How much does it cost? – asked the Roman emperor.
– A hundred gold coins – replied the Sibyls.
Tiberius was angry and chased them away. The Sibyls burned three books and returned:
"They still cost a hundred gold pieces," they said.
Tiberius laughed and refused to pay for six books as much as he would have paid for nine.
The Sibyls burned three more books and returned with the remaining three:
"They still cost a hundred gold pieces," they said.
Tiberius, burning with curiosity, finally paid, but he managed to read only part of the future of his empire.
The Master says: The art of living also includes the following: not to bargain with a favorable opportunity.
Putting this legendary story in the context of tourism, the question arises: how many books do we hold in our hands?
Global tourism continued to grow almost everywhere in 2025. More than 1.5 billion tourists traveled internationally. They spent almost 2 trillion US dollars, 5% more than the year before.
Europe remained the most visited continent on the planet with more than 793 million arrivals, accounting for more than half of global tourist traffic. Central and Eastern Europe grew faster than average, at 6%.
The countries of the former Yugoslavia, together with Albania, achieved just over 50 million arrivals, which is about 6% of the total European pie.
And Bosnia and Herzegovina? About 4% of that Balkan number. About two million arrivals in a growing market, in a growing region, on a continent that leads world tourism.
Tripscout DMO declared Bosnia and Herzegovina the most viral tourist destination in Europe. Not the most beautiful, not the cheapest, not the most organized. The most viral. Which means that the actual behavior of travelers on social networks, through clicks, searches, shares and wishes, has shown that BiH is the destination that Europe is currently talking about the most.
Half of the world's arrivals end up in Europe. The most viral country is Bosnia and Herzegovina. And its share in the Balkan market is only 4%.
These three pieces of information together describe the gap between perception and realization. Between the gold coins we hold in our hands like Tiberius and what we could get for them.
Countries in the region have made progress in one or two decades that is measured by the transformation of entire economies. They didn't do it by waiting for someone to discover them. They invested in roads, in content, in the quality of service, in nature protection, in promotion. And now they are reaping the rewards.
We're viral, and virality means people are searching, watching, comparing, and thinking. The interest is there. The attention is there. That's the most expensive part of marketing, and we get it almost for free.
What we don't get for free is what makes that attention a journey. The quality of the offer. The level of service. Well-maintained roads. Protected nature. Thoughtful promotion. These are investments without which a viral moment remains just a pretty number in a post like this recent one.
Every euro invested in tourism infrastructure and quality returns many times over through more arrivals, longer stays, and higher spending. We will not build competitiveness with viral trends, no matter how many times we repeat them and expect something from them. We will build it exclusively with decisions we make today, and whose results are measured in five and ten years.
The Sibyls offered nine books, not three. Price wasn't the problem, the problem was decision.
And today, someone is offering. They are offering a growing market, a continent to travel to, a generation of travelers who are buying experiences, and a country that is already the focus of their attention.
Are we willing to accept the opportunity cost?