A few days before the final night of the Eurovision Song Contest and the departure of foreign delegations from Belgrade, local journalists are in dire straits. Accustomed to reporting on various stunts and problems related to anything happening in Serbia, this time they were condemned exclusively to talking with musicians. No problems, no accusations, no affairs on the horizon. Despite the fact that the Eurovision Song Contest is one of the most visited and most significant events in the last few years, there are no indications that a major organizational disaster could happen (which, given local customs, could be expected beforehand).
It is true, during the previous week several reports appeared that spoke in support of the thesis that the Šičardžian mentality could destroy the positive image of Belgrade and Serbia, but that story did not reach the level of a scandal.
MANSION, PEPPERED: The first problem that was publicly discussed concerns the accommodation of the guests who came to the Eurovision Song Contest. Namely, some local hotels have increased their prices even up to one hundred percent at the last minute. In a hotel where an overnight stay with breakfast normally costs 160 euros, it costs 12 euros per person in the period from May 25 to 290. In another, somewhat weaker category, bed and breakfast normally cost 75 euros, and during the Eurovision Song Contest they cost almost three times more - 200 euros. The situation is similar in hostels: the usual ten euros per person has been increased to 20 to 30 euros per night. Regardless of the fact that it seems so at first glance, this phenomenon is not a "local specialty": everywhere in the world, hotel and other services become more expensive in moments of increased demand, and it is quite natural that e.g. tourist arrangements or plane tickets in the height of the season cost at least thirty percent more than usual. What is still a problem concerns the fact that the price has been increased even for those guests who booked accommodation earlier, as well as the excessive appetites of individual hoteliers and landlords.
"We found accommodation for a large number of people and in most cases the offers were reasonable." For example, we had to cancel a reservation in a hostel where the price was increased from 16 euros in a six-bed room to 80 euros per person," says Miroslav Luburić from the Eurovision Song Contest Fans Organization for Serbia (OGAE) in an interview with "Vreme". This organization also encountered landlords who offered completely unfurnished apartments "at insane prices", although even those that are not "insane" are not negligible: depending on the location and the comfort they provide, the rent of apartments ranges from 20 to 30 euros per person per day. "Many hotels, hostels and landlords in other countries raise their prices during the Eurovision Song Contest, but some of ours raised them to an unreasonable extent. This actually means that they raised them more than twice," explains Luburić.
No matter how we look at it, it seems that hoteliers and those who offer accommodation to tourists will profit the most from the Eurosong - with the expected fifteen thousand guests paying for accommodation, with an average price of 50 euros per bed, a simple calculation says that only during the four central days (from May 22 to 25) at least three million euros will "arrive" in Belgrade. The amount is, of course, much higher if one takes into account that most guests do not stay in Serbia for only four days.
BELGRADE STREETS: Performers and tourists pass through the city
CONTROL RESOURCEFUL: In addition to hoteliers, taxi drivers and restaurateurs, who have already given anonymous statements to some media about how, hospitality aside, the Eurosong is primarily an opportunity for them to charge more than usual. In this sense, however, the organizers have done everything they could for now. "Republican Inspection increased its regular activities. Their phone numbers have been sent to all the media, and their working hours are now until 22 p.m. Also, the city's inspection service works throughout the day, to which all irregularities related to taxi transport can be reported," Vesna Raca, deputy director of the Belgrade Tourist Organization, told Vreme.
This time, the organizers did not forget the proverbial resourcefulness of the taxi drivers who drive tourists from the "Nikola Tesla" Airport. The usual practice of robbing the uninitiated was prevented by video recordings being made before the Eurovision Song Contest and irregularities thus noted - reports were filed against those who behaved improperly, and then a new system of organizing taxi transportation was established. In front of the arrivals terminal, five places for taxis are marked, which are filled when the Airport duty worker informs the dispatcher of the taxi service that the place is vacant. The latter then sends a vehicle that was previously (by decision of the City Government) given the "luxury" category. Before picking up the passengers, the sent vehicle passes another control: there is also an employee on duty at the ramp in front of the arrival terminal who allows taxis to pass according to the information he receives from the dispatcher (which includes checking the license plates and car markings). Finally, in order to prevent later fraud, a special telephone line and e-mail address was opened for passenger complaints about "airport" taxi drivers. For now, it is announced that "ordinary" visitors will also benefit from this system, since the whole thing should survive after the Eurovision Song Contest. As far as taxi drivers are concerned, the Eurosong Fan Organization also applies its mechanisms. "We inform as many people as possible about what the approximate prices should be." "We cannot prevent people who want faster and higher earnings, but we try to minimize the damage," says Miroslav Luburić.
During the Eurovision Song Contest, it is, of course, the most difficult to control caterers: although they are obliged to issue fiscal invoices for their services, this industry is traditionally full of imaginative individuals capable of circumventing every rule. In this sense, the republican inspection is also in charge, to which injured tourists can turn. For now, what could be done is the extraordinary control of the sanitary inspection, which was started in mid-April "from the Airport to Skadarlija". 336 food samples were controlled in restaurants, hotels, fast food shops, cafes and on rafts. Also, the sanitary and hygienic correctness of the city's pastry shops and samples from the hands of staff and work surfaces in catering establishments were checked. The data obtained support the thesis that in Belgrade (despite everything) you can still eat without too much fear of infectious diseases: only ten percent of the samples were assessed as defective.
EARNINGS I IMPRESSIONS: What is most interesting about the Eurovision Song Contest, and what is currently only a matter of assumptions, is the profit - the profit of the city, RTS as the main organizer and individual companies. Except for the hotel, whose profit can be at least tentatively calculated, all other balances remain for the period after the Eurovision Song Contest. However, as Sandra Šuša, executive producer of RTS for the Eurovision Song Contest, told "Glas javnosti", it is clear that this event "costs a lot". According to her, the amount will probably exceed ten million euros. "The city of Belgrade and the European Radio and Television Union will probably benefit, while RTS will have to take out loans." The city will invest two to three million euros, giving free use of the "Sava" Center and the Arena, providing transportation... RTS will not finance the costs of this event from subscriptions, but from commercial sources. We will borrow about five million euros. "Also, RTS received ten million euros from the state for HD technology, which will remain its property," says Šuša.
Even Vesna Raca, deputy director of TOB, does not want to speculate about possible gains - in an interview with "Vreme" she nevertheless emphasizes that only economic entities will have direct earnings.
Although it is still very early for the earnings story, it seems that everyone who was able to contribute to a good organization is clear that the indirect profit is large and that, if a good word is spread about Belgrade, tourism could flourish in Serbia. . In addition to the good coordination of city services and taking care of things that usually no one cares about (in order to reduce traffic jams, major construction works were stopped; for the sake of a better atmosphere for tourists, central city areas were arranged; for their safety, stray dogs were removed from the streets...), the authorities they temporarily gave up their comfort. Namely, the delegations of the countries whose representatives are participating in the Eurovision Song Contest were given 43 official vehicles of the republic authorities and several dozen vehicles used by the City of Belgrade services. According to the information obtained by "Vreme", official drivers are also available to the delegations, for which RTS will only pay per diems.
When all that is added up and subtracted, it is evident that Sandra Šuša is right and that the whole thing with the Eurovision Song Contest costs a lot. In the days after this manifestation, when the lines are drawn, it will be somewhat clearer how much is "a lot" and whose pockets are empty and whose are full. For now, the guests are satisfied and there are no major complaints. According to Miroslav Luburić, the guests' only complaints concern the fact that the people of Belgrade speak English poorly, and because of this, despite their obvious desire to help, they are not of much help in everyday situations. "The biggest critics of the Eurovision Song Contest are people from Serbia. The guests, on the other hand, are very surprised by the good organization. "There must always be an oversight, but they are well disguised and no one can notice them," says Luburić.
According to what can be seen in Belgrade these days, the "mask" is holding up more than well, probably because there is not much to "disguise". Tourists are happy and satisfied, delegations regularly attend accompanying events and cocktails, there are no scandals.
If only we, otherwise condemned to Murphy's laws, last a few days until the finals.
