High prices, ongoing infrastructure work and a lack of flights have contributed to a disappointing tourist season, according to the Montenegrin daily Pobjeda. Nikola Pejović from the Montenegrin Hotel Association has reported that this season has fallen short of expectations.
“The season has certainly fallen short by 20 percent, it’s worse than last year,” Pejović told Pobjeda, citing unpreparedness and the insufficient involvement of government officials in tourism strategy.
Data from the tourist organizations of Budva, Ulcinj and Herceg Novi reveal varying numbers of tourists across these coastal cities.
Local authorities are urged to involve economic stakeholders and tourist worker associations in decision-making processes to effectively tackle problems that arise during the season. All hopes are pinned on the final part of the season, with optimism that the situation will improve.
“The peak of the season is delayed, preparations were incomplete, and we haven’t seen the Minister of Tourism Vladimir Martinović in action,” Pejović stated, adding that many in the tourism sector are not being forthright, expecting the true picture to emerge at the season’s end.
Pejović highlighted that price increases and the ongoing boulevard reconstruction in Budva have contributed to this year’s challenges.
“If we look at other cities, poor results are due to the reconstruction of the boulevard between Kotor and Tivat. People didn’t come to wade through mud or sand; they came to enjoy. Additionally, the lack of low-cost airlines has had an impact. Airports boast about record numbers of guests, so what should Albania say, with their 240 flights a day?” Pejović remarked.
He generally views this as a poor season, noting the lack of praise from others.
“The peak of the season is delayed; July saw another lull, and June was quite mixed for everyone, including me. May and April were solid with group bookings. I can’t say everything was bad, but something isn’t right. Guests are from the region, Ukraine, Italy, Russia, Poland, Azerbaijan… I own a small hotel, and yesterday I had six empty rooms, even though this should be the peak time when beds are in high demand. With the upcoming increase in VAT for accommodation to 15 percent, since there’s no other income apart from the hotel sector, it will be disastrous for us. Large hotels have already sold some accommodations for next year, but private accommodations, which make up 70 percent of capacity, haven’t entered the VAT system. The government is reducing our contributions but raising our taxes,” Pejović said.
He called on local administrations to involve the economy, hospitality, and hotel associations in decision-making because they have direct contact with guests, guides, and transporters, enabling them to provide precise field data and present practical issues.
According to the latest analyses by the Tourist Organization of Budva, approximately 40,000 tourists are currently staying on the Budva Riviera, with about 22,000 in private accommodation and 17,000 in hotels, while the rest are in hostels and camps.
“Comparing current occupancy to the same period last year, hotel stays have increased by six percent, while private accommodations have seen an eight percent decline. Overall, the total number of tourists is roughly the same,” said the TO Budva, adding that hoteliers expect a five to ten percent improvement in the tourist season this year, despite a price correction of hotel accommodations by up to 15 percent.
Jovan Rosić from the Association of Private Accommodation Providers expressed satisfaction with the season.
“Members of the association who own private accommodations are satisfied. We don’t have exact figures from the city tourist organizations, but communication with members who are seriously involved in tourism indicates that the season is good. Current occupancy is high, and almost everything is sold out. Owners who significantly raised prices are relying more on last-minute bookings, while most have already sold out capacities for July and August. The peak season is traditionally well-filled, and we have good forecasts for the end of August and September,” said Rosić.
He explained that the post-season largely depends on weather conditions, but they also expect good results.
“The past two months were on par with last year. The season in more popular coastal destinations started a bit earlier, with many private accommodations receiving their first guests in April,” Rosić clarified.
He noted that construction in Budva hasn’t significantly impacted bookings, as most guests were unaware of it when they made reservations.
“Of course, there were negative comments and dissatisfaction with the construction, but the biggest problem tourists face here is heavy traffic. The Budva-Kotor-Tivat route is particularly problematic. This is something the relevant authorities need to address moving forward. We hope that expanding the Budva-Tivat road will at least somewhat improve the current situation,” Rosić concluded, adding that the season is roughly on par with last year.
