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Regional isolation, 22% of Balkan citizens do not travel to neighbors at all

2026-06-05 08:16:00, Ekonomi CNA

Despite years of efforts at regional cooperation and free movement initiatives, the citizens of the Western Balkans continue to remain geographically isolated from each other.

Data from the "Balkan Barometer 2025" by the Regional Union Council shows that a significant portion of the region's residents, 22%, have never visited any of the neighboring economies due to political barriers, lack of infrastructure, etc.

The survey results show that Bosnia and Herzegovina is the least visited country in the region, with an average of 46% of respondents stating that they have never set foot there. It is followed by North Macedonia with 38%, Albania and Kosovo with 37% each.

On the other hand, Montenegro turns out to be the most explored country, with only 21% of the region's citizens having never visited it.

Albanians and Kosovo: A strong bridge, but Bosnia and Serbia remain "unknown land"

For Albanian citizens, Kosovo remains the closest and most visited destination. Only 20% of Albanians in Albania say they have never been to Kosovo. This ratio is even stronger in the opposite direction, where only 4% of Kosovo citizens have never visited Albania, confirming the close cultural, ethnic and touristic ties.

However, Albanian mobility pales significantly when it comes to the rest of the region: 72% of Albanians in Albania have never visited Serbia. 66% of them have never been to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For Kosovo, the isolation with these two countries is even more extreme, mainly due to political barriers and the visa regime with Bosnia. 79% of Kosovo citizens have never visited Bosnia and 67% have never been to Serbia.

Neighborhood without communication

The data also reveals other deep gaps between countries that share borders. For example, 68% of Serbian citizens have never visited Albania, while 60% of Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens have never set foot in Albania or Kosovo.

North Macedonia and Montenegro appear as the most neutral and accessible countries for everyone. Montenegro is particularly visited by Serbs (only 7% have not visited) and by Bosniaks, only 8% have not visited, mainly due to coastal tourism and historical connections.

One-fifth of the region does not move at all

Another negative indicator for regional integration is that 22% of citizens at the regional level declare that they have not visited any of the Western Balkan countries. This figure goes up to 36% for citizens of Montenegro and 30% for those of North Macedonia, proving that for a large part of the population.

The 2025 Barometer survey shows that without the definitive removal of political barriers and without the improvement of road and railway infrastructure, Balkan integration will remain more of a paper project than a reality lived by its citizens./ Monitor