Expo 2027 Belgrade brought Croatian and Serbian tourism and business professionals together at a networking event in Zagreb on October 14, the organisers said on October 15.
Croatia is the latest neighbouring market targeted by Expo 2027 Belgrade, which has held similar events to court North Macedonia’s tourism trade. The Expo, billed as the first specialised Expo in the Western Balkans, runs from May 15 to August 15, 2027 under the theme Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All, with more than 140 international participants and around 4mn visits expected.
The Visit Expo B2B Networking event included business presentations, a panel on the opportunities and impact of Expo 2027, targeted meetings and a speed-networking session on hospitality and tourism partnerships.
Igor Kovačević, chief operations officer and director of the international participants department at Expo 2027, highlighted Zagreb’s role in linking the EU single market with Serbia and the wider Western Balkans, and said the Expo aimed to create a meeting point between the region and the European and global economy.
Bilateral trade between Croatia and Serbia reached nearly €1.9bn in 2025, according to the Croatian Chamber of Economy, which sees room to deepen ties in tourism, transport, energy, IT, construction and agriculture.