Belgrade's turn as a world-exposition host is already reshaping travel and business across the western Balkans. At a "Visit Serbia B2B Networking" event in Skopje on 8 October — part of an international roadshow — more than 50 business and tourism representatives from Serbia and North Macedonia met to talk partnerships ahead of EXPO 2027 Belgrade.
North Macedonia will have its own national pavilion at the Expo, themed "All Rhythms of the Sun," showcasing the country's music, food, wine, culture and creative industries to a global audience. It's a sign of how regional this Expo is shaping up to be: neighbours aren't just exhibiting side by side, they're actively looking for ways to market themselves together.
The numbers behind the event are striking. Over 16,000 people have applied to volunteer at the Expo so far, including 850 from North Macedonia alone. Danilo Jerinić, CEO of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, called volunteers the "welcoming face" of the event and used the Skopje visit to invite Macedonian businesses to treat the Expo as a shared regional opportunity.
For companies, the scale of the business programme is the headline. Organisers are planning six thematic business forums, a two-day Global Business and Technology Summit, more than 250 bilateral business events and over 50,000 business meetings. A dedicated digital B2B platform will let firms find partners and lock in meetings before they even arrive — so businesses that want in should sign up early rather than turning up and hoping.
Tourism is the other half of the story, and it's already moving in the right direction. Between January and July 2026, 82,047 North Macedonian tourists visited Serbia — up 22% on the same period a year earlier. Rather than promoting their destinations separately, tourism professionals in Skopje discussed building joint itineraries that would encourage international visitors to combine both countries in a single trip. Think Belgrade's riverside energy paired with Lake Ohrid and Skopje's bazaar, in one Balkans loop.
Why should a traveller care? Because EXPO 2027 will make Belgrade one of Europe's most energetic destinations next year, and the momentum around it — new connections, joint itineraries, improved regional links — will spill over into neighbouring countries. If you've been putting off a Balkans trip, 2027 is the year the region will be easiest and most rewarding to explore in one go. And if you fancy being part of it rather than just visiting, the volunteer programme is still taking applications.
Practically speaking: expect accommodation in Belgrade to fill up during the Expo months, so booking early will pay off, and consider building a two-country itinerary now while joint routes are being developed. Travellers who combine Serbia and North Macedonia get two very different experiences — a lively capital with a serious food and nightlife scene, and a smaller, slower country with lakes, mountains and Ottoman-era towns — all within a few hours of each other by road or rail.
