In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Martin Gannon, a British expatriate with deep ties to the former Yugoslavia. Martin shares his experiences of first moving to Yugoslavia in 1980, initially as a holiday job opportunity, which evolved into a long-term career in tourism. He discusses his early days working in places like Poreč and later organising tours across the region, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro. Martin reflects on cultural differences, the impact of Tito's death, the ease of working in tourism, and navigating the local languages. He reminisces about the vibrant tourism scene of the 1980s, his work with Yugoslav Airlines, and developing pilgrimage tours to Medjugorje. The discussion also touches on the current state of tourism in former Yugoslavian regions, emphasising Bosnia and Herzegovina's untapped potential. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 01:00 Meeting Martin Gannon 01:51 Martin's Journey to Yugoslavia 03:31 Life and Work in Yugoslavia 05:33 Navigating Language and Residency 08:25 Exploring the Region 11:40 Involvement with Yugoslav Airlines 16:15 Reflections on Tourism Then and Now 19:42 The Impact of COVID and Future Plans 29:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 📈 The Survey 📊 I have a short survey designed to improve my Substack. It would be super helpful if you could find under 5 minutes to complete it. Thanks so much in advance. And Finally Don’t forget that you can read back editions of the newsletter, listen to previous podcasts (we have quite an archive now), or catch other content, all this is available on the web interface, just like a regular blog. Oh, and please share the newsletter with friends, relatives and colleagues using the button below. Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity! Until our next post. THANKS SO MUCH ❤️ As ever stay safe wherever you are.BestsDavid and Tamara. If you can’t subscribe to Coffee and Rakija, for whatever reason, and really would like access to all my content, please drop me a message. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anenglishmaninthebalkans.com/subscribe