In the year of great interest in the holiday in Serbia, when 11% more tourists stayed in it in the first ten months of this year than in the same period last year, when significant Anniversaries were celebrated, such as 150 years of organized tourism in Vrnjačka Spa and 125 years on Zlatibor, when Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications provided all planned 100,000 vouchers for the subventioned use of holidays in Serbia much before the deadline and when the foreign currency tourism revenue to the amount of 1.35 billion Euros is expected by the end of this year, National Tourism Organization of Serbia (NTOS) awarded (on December 11, 2018) its highest recognition - Tourist Flower Award for the important accomplishments in the tourism service quality rising, the contribution to the tourism development, enhancement and promotion in 2018.  
The Tourist Flower granting symbolically completed this, as declared by Rasim Ljajić, Minister of Tourism of Serbia, "The most successful year since 2014, since the number of tourists grew for 55% compared with that year, the number of international tourists grew for 65%, while the foreign currency revenue is higher for 56%". Since the best visited resorts of Serbia  - Belgrade, Novim Sad, Vrnjačka Spa, Zlatibor and Kopaonik, were joined this year also by Sokobanja and Niš, Ljajić announces including in the tourism map of Serbia another three large destinations until 2020: THE LOWER DANUBE REGION (the reconstruction works on the Golubac Fortress, Ram and Smederevo Fortress, Fetislam Fortress near Kladovo, Rajačke Pimnice near Negotin and the Visitor Center in Felix Romulijana near Zaječar), PALIĆ (construction of a large Wellness & Spa Center) and DIVČIBARE (a private investment, which understands a sport/recreation complex with tourist features). All this supports the expectations the number of tourists will rise to 4 million until 2020.

Handing over the Tourist Flower Awards, Marija Labović, NTOS CEO, explains the competition was huge this year since 56 candidates applied for 7 Awards and adds "NTOS also contributed to the high number of the local and international tourists by its campaigns, workshops, presentations, participation in the international trade fairs and the organization of many visits of international journalists and tour operators. We were recognized in this by Europe, as well. Thus, Serbia took the sixth place among 28 countries showing their results at the session of the European Travel Commission".

Announcing promotions, first of all in online media and social networks, she mentiones the data the number of followers on the social networks exceeded 125 million indexes, 5.4 million interactions and the videos on social networks were seen by more than 7.7 million visitors.