Under the auspices of the Governments of Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania, and as part of the Open Balkan Initiative, the first international fair for wine, food, and tourism “Wine Vision by Open Balkan” begins. The fair will take place in Belgrade in the period 1st – 4th September 2022.
North Macedonia’s participation at the Fair means ensuring greater export, purchase and new placements and markets for the Macedonian food and wine. At the same time, the Fair will provide strong and effective promotion of the tourism facilities in North Macedonia and attracting new tourists from the region and beyond. The Macedonian tourism offer at the Fair for wine, food and tourism in Belgrade will be represented by the Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism; this offer focuses on the Macedonian eno-gastro tourism (tourism based on wine and food), the national parks, natural and artificial lakes, areas protected by UNESCO, rural tourism, and adrenaline tourism.
North Macedonia’s participation at the Fair shall be a true promotion of the cultural and identity features, traditions, and customs, including Macedonian folklore, music, and cuisine, but also the features of all other communities living in the country, as well as other national values.
The purpose of this Fair, among the other, is to connect the wine roads on the Balkan and to gather the best wineries from the region in one place, through cooperation.
“Wine Vision by Open Balkan” will offer rich programme that will include wine tasting, competition “Wine Trophy of Open Balkan” 2022, educational crafts workshops, discussions on the potential of the wine industry on the Balkan, possibilities for increased participation on world markets, as well as meetings between representatives of the manufacturers and purchasers, in order to expand the economic potentials for the companies and economies in the region.
More than 330 exhibitors from twenty-two countries will present themselves at the fair in Belgrade, 233 of which are from the Open Balkan Initiative member-states.
Forty-two wineries and three distilleries from North Macedonia will exhibit more than three hundred varieties of wine and brandies, while the overall coordination in this part of the exhibition will be conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. More than ten food producers from North Macedonia will exhibit on the fair, thus representing the authentic Macedonian cuisine.
The hundred thousand expected visitors at the Fair will be able to taste the authentic Macedonian food prepared by Macedonian top chefs. They will also be offered dishes from the Serbian and Albanian cuisine, prepared by Serbian and Albanian top chefs.
International assessment of wine by twenty-five international judges will be organized; five of them bear the most prestigious title in the wine world – master of wine.
At the same time, the traditional leader’s political Open Balkan summit will take place, with a separate agenda, led by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski, and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama.
Additionally, within the frames of the agenda in Belgrade, Prime Minister will host a promotional event of an economic nature i.e., “Macedonian Evening” devoted to promoting Macedonian economy by presenting Macedonian wine, food, music, and tourism. Representatives of the business communities and Government from Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia who will be present at the fair in Belgrade, will also attend the Macedonian Evening.
North Macedonia at the Fair for wine, food and tourism by Open Balkan in Belgrade will exhibit under the motto “Taste Life” while focusing on regional, global, and domestic promotion of tourism, gastronomic and wine capacities of North Macedonia.
