Transforming Pristina

Pristina, Kosovo. Photo by Darko Duridanski

Not only has the physical infrastructure of the city been adapted to the needs of the foreign institutions – we’re all looking forward to the day when the gated city-centre UN/EULEX compound is handed back to the locals – but also the local services industry has adapted to accommodate the needs of the wealthy temporary immigrants.

A veritable boom of restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels was the result of the influx of foreigners. Now that Kosovo has reached independence and the international community is slowly focusing its resources and manpower on more troubled regions elsewhere, the question is what happens next: will the businessmen and tourists come in droves, and how will these private businesses survive?

Over the years, Pristina has changed from a rather dour provincial town into a self-conscious place that knows how to party but still realizes that much work is to be done in the morning. In the very beginning, pubs like Tricky Dicky’s were the prime male-dominated watering holes, but with the arrival of more mixed range of administrative staff, more and better bars and restaurants began popping up.

In recent years, sophisticated venues that could have graced the streets of Berlin and London have opened across town, several of them started by returned emigrants with experience and a good sense of what their business should offer. Restaurants such as Puro, Pishat and Tiffany’s and nightlife venues including Pacific Rim, Odyssea Bistro and Spray have convinced visitors from across the globe that Pristina has what it takes. So, where’s the new army of foreigners to replace the departing veterans?

We can expect business travel to slowly pick up as the economy matures and as Kosovo gets better connected with surrounding markets. The lack of a good large hotel anywhere in Kosovo, the unavailability of existing hotels on international internet booking systems and the general lack of business-orientated information are all factors that need to be addressed before the city becomes attractive to the average businessman.

As for tourists, anyone who has been to western Kosovo’s main sights knows that the country has some gems that can attract a fair number of international tourists – but again, services and reliable information are largely lacking, and tour groups will be unlikely to linger in Pristina for long, having quickly seen the Ethnographic museum and city centre. It just doesn’t seem that Pristina can attract the numbers needed to prop up the existing level of services.

As Kosovars travel abroad, return with some cash and demand higher-quality services, they will need to become the new driving force behind Pristina’s revival. Still, interest from abroad is definitely on the rise. Before Pristina’s first English-language city guide appeared 2006, a questionnaire was sent out to dozens of foreigners working in the city, asking about recommendations for dining, nightlife and sightseeing.

Most replies contained comments that nobody would ever be interested in this city, let alone a guide dedicated to it. Three years later, and the demand for reliable information about Pristina and Kosovo has shown a steady upwards trend, indicating that Kosovo may already be more attractive than many living and working there may think.

Jeroen van Marle is co-publisher of the print and online Pristina In Your Pocket city guide (www.inyourpocket.com), a new edition of which appeared in August. Find the guide for sale at Dukagjini and Dit e Nat bookshops in Pristina.