Amir Kurić was born in Bihać where he finished primary and secondary school. In the post-war period, he worked as a tour guide, before moving to the Netherlands in 2004, where he lived until 2018. Amir returned to Una, to Bihać, his hometown. He said he cannot live without Una. Not even the time of the pandemic discouraged him on the way to fulfilling his dream – to build a house and develop a different tourist offer, guided by the experiences of what he saw in his years of life living abroad.
“I have always wanted to start a rafting agency, to innovate and develop some new ideas. With some savings, I decided to move back to BiH and start my own business. The primary idea was to develop water sports, but also to offer something in the segment of adrenaline sports, quad riding, ziplines, stand-up paddling. I saw so much while living abroad, and I wanted to bring something different, bring it closer to our people, but also to tourists from all over the world. When you see something new anywhere, you immediately think about what it would look like here in Bihać, on the Una river“, Amir tells us.
Works on the facility are almost over. In less than five minutes from the main road Bihać-Bosanski Petrovac, we can easily descend to the banks of the Una river in Račić.
“This is about ten kilometers from Bihać. I bought the land, I was lucky, 10-15 years ago the land was cheap. And that was a good basis to start with. We have built a facility of 350 square meters, which will have a restaurant, bar, kitchen and accommodation facilities. There will be six rooms for up to fifteen people. I believe that it is a completely different experience when you are located in a natural environment, you have the opportunity to disconnect from everyday life and rest“, adds Amir.
The pandemic has slowed down investments, there are significantly fewer tourists than there were in 2019 and other previous ‘normal’ years.
“The whole tourism had a difficult period. We must always look at the situation, the offers, what to expect, how to know – how much to invest and what to develop. Last year there were a lot of tourists from BiH, I am glad that people from all over the country recognize Bihać and this area as a place where they can spend a few days of vacation. But we must also pay attention to the return of foreign tourists. I already have some inquiries. Tourists from the Middle East are coming gradually, there are still no big announcements. I would say that in May it is at some 10% -15% compared to the normal period. This year we are working on that recovery, hopefully we will return to the 2019 level as soon as possible. But it all depends on the direction in which global movements and the fight against the virus,” Amir says.
Amir’s company “AMIK” wants to offer new generations the opportunity for a three-day vacation, where they will be able to experience several different things in a short time.
“Here we have a wonderful terrain arranged for off-road driving through the woods. We planned to offer it individually and in groups. The minimum group must be 3 to 4 people. We want to develop offers for three days that would have a combination of quad riding, rafting, cycling, stand-up paddling. It’s like a surfboard on calm waters, you stand on a board with a long paddle and this is currently a hit in the world. So, imagine, in three days to experience so much. Ideal for young people, just imagine what kind of photos you can have from such a trip, what kind of memories you can carry and then people will surely come back again“, Amir tells us his ideas.
The land of Japodski islands calls tourists. Many people from the Netherlands want to come, when the situation with the pandemic calms down.
“We have a lot of people who are interested. It is important to have a recommendation. Bosnia is still very unknown to them. Our diaspora is our great ambassador there. Somehow our tourism is still best promoted ‘from person to person’. New generations are great adventurers, they want to explore, they want to experience something that brings adrenaline. Bihać can be the right destination for them.”
The USAID project “Diaspora Invest” helped Amir’s investment, in an effort to present this idea as a positive example of BiH investments of people who returned to their homeland. Amir believes that better days are coming.
“I always recommend May and June for the visit of the river Una. Then the time of the regatta starts, which is another atmosphere, which brings with it a different experience. We have Una, we have Štrbački buk, we have natural beauties, tours for long walks, and all this that I have already told you about. You can do a quad ride from half an hour to a full day trip. We listen to suggestions of each group, and then we agree on what we will do that day. I believe there is no real vacation without new experiences. See you at the river Una“, our host told us with a smile.
