The process of founding the Eastern and Southern Serbia Tourism Region began with a meeting of the representatives of local governments of Niš, Sokobanja, Svrljig, Aleksinac, Gadžin Han and Prokuplje, with the professional support of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Niš and the Department of Geography. Only together can we have a unique tourism product, to attract guests from the country and abroad in as many numbers as possible, and to keep them in our region for several days, said Niš City Mayor Dragana Sotirovski. We agreed that the path to that goal was content and diversity, in the future region we can offer spas, rivers, lakes, mountains, gorges, cultural and historical heritage and include the economy, Mayor Sotirovski pointed out. The representatives of local self-governments from the surrounding area agreed that Niš should be the center and headquarters of the future tourism region of this part of Serbia, from the establishment and operation of which every place will benefit.

That unique tourism product of the East and South of Serbia could be active tourism, said prof. Dr. Aleksandar Radivojević from the Department of Geography, talking about the idea of ​​founding a region and the experiences of a similar region in western Serbia. He pointed out that tourism did not develop spontaneously, that self-initiative, connection was necessary and that it was a process that did not give results immediately, but after a certain period of promotion and work. New steps have been defined at the meeting, and other cities and municipalities in the area will be able to join the region. The meeting was attended by the Member of Niš City Council Adriana Anastasov and the acting director of the Niš Tourism Organization Dragana Petković.