Supporters
Kosovo: Europe's Newest Country
FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY
Theatre 1
Time: 12.00pm
Title: Kosovo: Europe's Newest Country
Speaker: Andrea Godfrey & Wayne Taylor
Company: Regent Holidays
In February 2008, Kosovo gained its independence from Serbia. Serbia still refuses to recognise Kosovo and correspondents say parts of northern Kosovo still remain divided between ethnic Albanians and Serbs but Kosovo is a very hospitable place and has opened its doors in welcoming tourists. Tour operator, Regent Holidays now celebrating its 40th year in tour operating was the first UK tour operator into Kosovo’s neighbour, Albania and in 2009 pioneered once again being the first UK operator to take tourists into Kosovo since its independence and troubled past.
Wayne Taylor, a soldier who was stationed during the Kosovo conflict will talk briefly about what Kosovo was like during the conflict and in contrast, Andrea Godfrey, General Manager of Regent Holidays, who led that inaugural tour to Kosovo, will dismiss all stereotypes of a war-torn country and talk about how the country has now changed and how it is once again embracing tourism with its new-found independence. She will share her experiences of the inaugural tour, explain how Kosovo is now generally considered to be a safe place to visit and how hospitable the Kosovan people are. She will explain how its capital Prishtina is currently being regenerated at great speed, speak about what the must-see sights are (such as the Drini Valley and Canyon, Gjakova Old Toen and Decani Monastery) and what tourists should and should not expect from a visit there.
