Boat Carnival marks end of Belgrade's summer tourist season

Summer tourist season in Belgrade closed with a traditional Boat Carnival on Saturday which presented some 100 decorated boats to audience with concerts and dance performances on the coast of Sava River here.

Several thousand visitors watched the show with the sounds of music and boat sirens.

Some of the participants of the carnival on boats were cosplayed as pirates or chefs, while their boats were decorated with posters, different colors, flowers. Besides boats, participants also paraded in jet skies, canoes.

Mayor of Belgrade Sinisa Mali, who opened the event, said that the Serbian capital has not used enough the fact that it is located on the confluence of two major international rivers Danube and Sava, but it plans to cash in their full potential in future years.

"Boat Carnival has for the 11th time gathered those who enjoy rivers and boats and this is a fine opportunity to send a good image of our city to the world," Mali said.

"We will work hard to achieve that Belgrade expands on these rivers, to make a walking path along the river, and to start the construction of the (major investment project) Belgrade Waterfront," he told audience at the opening ceremony, expressing his satisfaction that this year Serbia had 14 percent more tourists than last year.

Jelena Stankovic of Tourist Organization of Belgrade, the organizer of the boat carnival, told Xinhua that the program of the carnival includes the competition for the best decorated boat, as well as program on the shore - concerts and performances of dance groups and DJs.

"Participants are large tourist boats, sailing and nautical cubs, Belgrade municipalities, marinas - all of those that represent Belgrade's life on these rivers," Stankovic told Xinhua.

"This way we promote nautical tourism to our citizens and foreign guests, but also it is a way to close the summer tourist season with a carnival," she concluded.