MUSEUMS' POPULARITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, WITH ITS CAPITAL (SARAJEVO) AS THE LEADING MUSEUM DESTINATION

Museum development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially in the capital (Sarajevo), is an accompanying phenomenon of the overall tourism development. The paper aims to identify and valorise top museums in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to comprehend tourism and museums growth features, including the tourist perceptions, which are important for sustainable museum and tourism planning. Tourism and museum expansion were investigated concurrently, with over 30,000 visitor reviews. The top museums were identified by analysing and evaluating reviews on popular travel information websites, taking into account the highest frequency and rating, and relying on the GIS mapping for their spatial visualisation. Statistical analysis and cartographic demonstration were conducted to determine the trends in museum and tourism development. The popularity of museums provides understanding visitors' interests since reviews are a vital component of destination marketing and planning for long-term development. Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly its capital Sarajevo, exemplifies the cohesion of tourism and cultural (museum) evolution. Key attributes of popular national museums enhance comprehension of the cultural dimensions of tourism development. The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and war museums (Tunnel of Hope and Gallery 11/07/95) account for 50-90% of total excellent reviews, making them top museums in the country. Dark history (1992–1995) has a significant impact on museum settings, contributing to the building and preservation of the country's cultural identity while also promoting Sarajevo as a famous European city under th e former longest siege in modern European history and today's leading tourism and museum destination.