Manjača and Zmijanje: An Opportunity for the Development of Banja Luka’s Tourism

When we talk about the tourism potential of Banja Luka, we most often think of the Vrbas River, the canyon, Kastel Fortress and the city’s various events. However, there are increasingly more reasons to turn our attention towards Manjača and Zmijanje as well.

Where there was once a military training ground, the “Manjača” Tourist and Recreational Centre is now being developed, offering visitors a range of activities throughout the year.

There is also now an opportunity for stronger cooperation between public investment and private capital – one example is the “Zmijanje Resort”.

But the true value of tourism development is not measured only by the number of visitors.

The question is what this development leaves behind for the people who live in Manjača. Can rural households sell their products, create new jobs, develop rural tourism and, perhaps most importantly, create conditions that give young people a reason to stay?

Minja Šurlan, acting director of the Banja Luka Tourist Organisation, says that Manjača is a culturally and environmentally rich area with great potential for the future of tourism in the region.

“Pastures, traditional households, monasteries and everything that is part of Zmijanje – that is enough to attract tourists. We are very pleased that more and more people are recognising Manjača as a place where quality accommodation is available on rural estates. For modern people, that is an excellent reason to stay in Manjača. Not to mention Kočić and his heritage – the number of visitors coming to the Kočić Assembly is increasing year after year,” Šurlan said.

There is great potential for visitors to stay more than just one day at this destination, says Ivana Bulić from the Banja Luka Centre for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas.

“As a city institution, our budgetary resources were limited, so a complex of the kind we envisioned could not be created immediately. Step by step, the tourist complex at Manjača is becoming an oasis of peace, but what we want is for the complex to be active throughout the entire year. We need the support of both the City and the Republic,” Bulić said.