Belgrade, Serbia

Serbia’s image abroad can roughly be summarized in one word: fail. Most people can’t find Serbia on the map, some think it’s in Russia and some don’t even know it’s a country at all. Those who have heard about it, but never been there, mostly think it’s not safe to visit because of the ongoing 20-year war or that it’s not worth visiting at all (because of the ongoing 20-year war).

Group of Serbian internet enthusiasts decided to do something about this, and today the online project they came up with – EnterSerbia.com – launched with what I am expecting to be one of the biggest and most ambitious projects in recent internet history in Serbia. So what’s it all about, and why I am so optimistic about this? And what’s wrong with the existing websites?

Well, the problem with the existing and official tourism sites on the web is that the people who made them stop being interested in them as soon as they get paid for their work. This project is different because the idea, concept, and everything else is driven by pure enthusiasm.

EnterSerbia is a nonprofit, ad-free, user-submitted article, photo and video database for all your Serbia-related stories. Stories written mostly by visitors who found the country to be not all that bad. In fact, most of them found it to be surprisingly good.

This is where we need help – one of our missions is to gather your articles about Serbia, as written by you, the real people, as opposed to being written by some advertising agency or the country’s tourist department nobody believes in the first place.

Click here if you have been in Serbia and are willing to help by writing an original text about your impressions. Here are some of the possible elements we would be looking for in one such article, to help you get started:

• what was the first time you heard about Serbia?
• how did you found out about the country?
• what made you come here or visit?
• how do you feel it’s different from other countries?
• was it different than what you had expected?
• were you surprised by something?
• what was the funniest thing you found about the country or the people?
• what did you like the most?

If you decide to help us out please be aware that, since this whole project is nonprofit, none of us will be getting paid for it, including yourself. The only thing we can offer in return is to credit you and link back to your blog, website or wherever you would like to.

Thanks and please help spread the story by copy-pasting and posting this invitation to your blog, or send the link of this article to facebook, twitter or some other addiction you’re into these days.

Thanks to Rupert Wolfe Murray, Chris Farmer, Real Housewife of Belgrade, Mark Pullen, Ian Furniss, Maggie, Mark Lowen, Simon Paul, Jayne Cravens for helping the site kick off with their contributions.

Now it’s your turn, dear readers. Serbia’s image needs your help – click here to send a text, picture or a video to EnterSerbia.

See more great photos at: goingslowly

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