Belgrade: Interview with the First Traveler after Lockdown (VIDEO)

We are more than happy to introduce you to one of the first travelers in Belgrade after the Coronavirus lockdown! Finally, we had a chance to welcome our tourists which we longed for the last three months. We enormously missed creating stunning holidays in Belgrade for you. Now it is even clearer to us how much we love and enjoy doing our job.

These days we had the pleasure to organize several activities in Belgrade for Mina. This extraordinary person decided to travel to the first country that opened up its doors. Serbia was the one he found. During his 14-day trip, in the period from 4 to 18 June, he enjoyed the delights of Serbia’s capital. We are sure that many of you will find this interview very useful, especially those who are planning to travel. The following are first-hand impressions of a man who was one of the first travelers after lockdown.

Why did you decide that Serbia should be your first country to travel after lockdown?

Mina Ghabrial: I decided to go to Serbia because it released some kind of the rules that said you are welcome to join us any time, they did not have 14-day quarantine upon arrival, it was more flexible and they did not have tests upon entry or anything of that form. The airlines did have some rules, like wearing a mask. I was reading about it on the Serbia Embassy’s website and everything was clear. After that, I booked the flight and flew across Serbia, to Belgrade.

Which airline company did you fly with?  What was different compared to the pre-lockdown flight experience?

Mina Ghabrial: I flew with Air Serbia. That was actually a recommendation from the Embassy. There was the information on its website that it would be better if you flew with Air Serbia. I noticed that this company had some flights in both directions and I just checked when they are available. There were a few from London to Belgrade in the week when I wanted to travel and so I picked one of those flights.

Were there any special entry requirements, such as positive Covid-19 test or similar?

Mina Ghabrial: As I have already mentioned, there were no special requirements or rules when entering Serbia. I had to wear a mask on a flight itself and at Belgrade’s airport. There were many notifications recommending a mask on, washing your hands, and keeping a safe distance from other people. It was easy abiding by those rules. Nothing in terms of a test or a check of temperature was required.

How do you compare the situation in London and Belgrade regarding the Coronavirus lockdown?

Mina Ghabrial: It was strange when I arrived in Belgrade. There was the same amount of people out and about as I see here in London. London is in the lockdown, people are told to stay home and only go out when they need to and not to meet in groups. Still, many people can be seen on the streets.

I had the impression that the same amount of people were outdoors in Belgrade, too. It kind of made sense because of the size of the city and population difference. I did not feel anything different. A lot of people were wearing masks and keeping the distance one from another. Whenever there was a line for something there was enough space between people. Certain shops, stores, banks, post offices had a limit of people that could be inside at the same time. All in all, I had an equally normal experience in Serbia as I had in the UK.

Did you like Belgrade and the people who live there?

Mina Ghabrial: Belgrade was a great place to be. The weather was mixed, which is very similar to London and many parts of Europe, in general. The people are very nice. There are less fear and anxiety, people are more relaxed. They are trying to get back to normal and accept the times we are in and make the most of them.

You contacted More Than Belgrade to arrange your day and evening activities. Did we help you get a good overall impression of our city?

Mina Ghabrial: I found More Than Belgrade online, at the very end of a trip, while I searched for places to visit in Belgrade. There was a variety of things in the offer for all sorts of groups, from a day out, excursion, hospitality trips, tourism around other parts in Serbia, nights out, and so on.  I found that very interesting. They were, also, very easy to reach. There was a WhatsApp number right there and I got an answer within 20 minutes from Stevan. He was very helpful from the moment he got my message and then all the way through my plans. It was incredible! I had a really good time.

Would you come to Belgrade again? Would you take a full holiday schedule with More Than Belgrade the next time?

Mina Ghabrial: I obviously came to Belgrade by chance on this occasion and I would love to come again. Not just to Belgrade, but to Serbia in general. I definitely trust Stevan and his whole team. They do corporate trips, too. I thought it is very handy and a very great idea for a corporate gathering for myself and the company. It is something that we will look into. A big thank you to Stevan and the whole team. I really enjoyed my time, even though we spent only a couple of days together. It was very helpful. They are more than Belgrade.

We want to thank Mina, one of the first travelers after Coronavirus lockdown, once again for agreeing to do this interview and share with us his thoughts and impressions. We had a great time organizing a perfect experience for you. Hopefully, you will visit us very soon. We are looking forward to seeing you again, Mina!