A group dedicated to promoting tourism to destinations in south-east Europe and the Balkans is shifting its focus onto agents and the wider travel trade.
New Deal Europe is hoping to build on its annual marketplace and forum in London, held in March, with trade events and fam trips promoting what it describes as “the last exotic part of Europe”.
Co-founded in 2018 by directors Robert Dee and Tine Murn, the group is aiming to raise awareness of 12 countries across the region, from established names like Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria to emerging destinations such as Albania, Kosovo and Moldova.
“The region is growing – there’s a lot of interest but not much information about how to sell it effectively and the best places to go,” explains Dee, who started his career in travel as an escort on Cosmos Tourama’s trips in the former Yugoslavia.
Trade activity
New Deal Europe wants to build confidence among the trade by growing its social media following, hosting agents at events and introducing them to partners in-destination.
While some of the region’s better-known destinations have their own tourist boards and UK marketing budgets, several do not have any representation in the UK market – something the group is trying to change.
“Many places are struggling with overtourism and climate change, but this region is relatively unexplored,” Dee continues. “Apart from Dubrovnik, it hasn’t suffered from overtourism.
“It’s where east meets west. Culturally, it’s the most interesting part of Europe and offers sustainable tourism. Places like Albania, Serbia and Moldova are gaining popularity. There is a lack of representation, which is where we are filling the gap by connecting the trade with the right people in these destinations.”
Improving knowledge and awareness among agents is a priority for New Deal Europe insists Murn, who is a former UK director of the Slovenian Tourist Board. “This is an area we really want to grow – we would like to introduce more independent agents to the region.”
New Deal Europe is talking to companies like Travel Counsellors as part of this process to target agents in larger numbers. The group also holds events in destinations such as Albania, Slovenia and Croatia, combined with fam trips.
Last year, the group also organised a trip to Montenegro focusing on wine tourism, while later this year, there are plans to take a group to the mountainous Tzoumerka region in northern Greece, which is located near the Albanian border and is home to the Arachtos Gorge, known as “The Grand Canyon of Europe”.
Planning ahead
New Deal Europe’s future plans include growing its events; the Covid crisis forced it to cancel its first planned event in March 2020, but Murn reveals attendee numbers at its annual marketplace and forum have grown since the first face-to-face edition in 2022.
This year’s event, held at the Congress Centre, London, attracted more than 200 delegates, and the show will move to a bigger venue at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in spring 2026.
“We are also potentially looking at holding road shows around the UK,” Murn adds. “That’s something we may decide to do as a way of growing the community.”
Dee reiterates the importance of giving agents the right “information and confidence” to sell trips to south-east Europe and the Balkans effectively.
“There may still be some fear about our region as in the past, there have not always been positive connotations,” he concedes. “We’re here to promote the positive side of the region.”
