Sports tourism is the fastest growing branch of tourism, with an annual consumption of over 800 billion euros, which is about ten percent of the total world tourism consumption.
The most famous zone of sports tourism is in Antalya, whose tourist board has 160 football fields and hundreds of other sports facilities. According to data from 2015, there were as many as 2.500 clubs from 80 countries who spent over 500 million euros on preparations here. There are also dozens of large and state-of-the-art golf courses, as well as fields for various other sports in addition to luxury hotels.
Montenegro is not Antalya, it does not have that climate, but the interlocutors of "Vijesti" agree that this is an area that can contribute much more to the tourist offer and consumption. In the 80s, Kolašin was recognized as a center for sports tourism, before Antalya, and in addition to Yugoslav clubs, teams and national teams from the Middle East also came to the preparations. However, the construction of modern sports fields in this city is only now being started.
Despite the multi-year story about the possibilities for the development of sports tourism, strategies are only now being prepared. The Ministry of Sports and Youth is finalizing the strategy for the development of sports, which will have a chapter on sports tourism, and based on it, the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism will prepare a study for the development of sports tourism.
Plans and benefits are missing
The interlocutors of "Vijesti" see the lack of a strategy, the lack of planning documents that would foresee sports tourism zones, that is, the possibility of building hotels with a large number of sports facilities, the lack of high-quality sports infrastructure, as well as the lack of tax incentives for private construction as shortcomings for the development of sports tourism. tourist and sports facilities. Recommendations on all this will be given in the strategy and study.
"Diversification of the tourist offer is one of the priorities of tourism development in our Ministry, of great importance for greater attendance and enrichment of the tourist offer. Sports tourism represents a great potential and a development opportunity that we must take advantage of," the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism told "Vijesta".
They say that, bearing in mind that numerous requirements must be met for a quality stay and the preparation of sports teams, in Montenegro mostly domestic sports teams are being prepared, while the number of foreign teams is, for now, negligible.
Montenegro proved to be a good host
"It is true that Montenegro has proven itself as a good host during the organization of numerous competitions, which is precisely an indicator that with careful planning and rational investment in the development of sports and recreational tourism, along with the climatic advantages of our area, we can significantly increase attendance and make Montenegro a recognizable destination for this type of tourism. The development of sports tourism is primarily a great opportunity for municipalities in the central and northern part of Montenegro. Kolašin was recognized as a center of sports tourism in the early eighties of the last century, when teams from the Middle East came to the preparations. It has potential that needs to be further developed. In addition to the existing hotel infrastructure, it also has a solidly developed sports infrastructure, which will be improved in the future, which qualified them to host the Inter-Municipal Youth Sports Games (MOSI). The situation is similar in Mojkovac, Plav and Žabljak, which used only part of the great potential. Ulcinj and Bar are recognized as bases for the development of sports tourism in the south, Ulcinj because of the natural and climatic preconditions, and Bar because of the existing sports infrastructure," the ministry said.
Regarding the lack of spatial and urban planning conditions for the construction of a hotel with a large number of different sports grounds and facilities adequate for competitions and preparation of athletes, the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism says that, in accordance with the Tourism Development Strategy, they will work with local governments on the implementation of projects that will contribute to the development of sports tourism in Montenegro.
"The situational analysis of the new Strategy will give us a clear insight into which types of sports should be developed in which municipalities," the ministry said.
Sport is also the promotion of the state
Minister of Sports and Youth Vasilije Lalošević he said that sports tourism, in addition to representing the fastest growing area of tourism at the global level, also represents a strong promotional mechanism of the state, bearing in mind the level of popularity and attractiveness of sports competitions.
"Considering the sports potential of our country, and appreciating the importance of tourism as a key economic branch, we are of the opinion that such a combination represents a serious chance that our country should take advantage of, of course, respecting the fact that it is necessary to create preconditions for its sustainable development. The sustainable development of sports tourism implies several factors, there are infrastructural conditions in the field of sports (halls, fields, stadiums, etc.) as well as the necessary services within them, adequate hotel facilities, as well as quality promotion of the sports and tourism potential of our country where there must be synergy competent institutions for sports and tourism. In this way, we enable a better position for our sports organizations and the relevant Ministry when applying for the organization of prestigious international competitions in Montenegro", said Lalošević.
He stated that a sports development strategy for the next multi-year period is being prepared, in which a special chapter will be dedicated to the development of sports tourism, as well as that, in cooperation with representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism, priorities related to the development of the sports and tourism offer of Montenegro will be defined. .
"When it comes to the state of sports infrastructure in Montenegro, we cannot say that there are no quality sports facilities, but for the organization of major sports competitions, which would also have a much greater significance in the context of sports tourism, it would be necessary to build one or more multifunctional representative sports facilities that would meet the high criteria that the organization of such sports competitions necessarily entails. That, by itself, would not be enough because such sports facilities must be accompanied by adequate hotel facilities that must be nearby. The problem of sports infrastructure is also reflected in the fact that we have a lot of facilities that are from an earlier period and do not meet the standards for the organization of international sports competitions for which they were made and adapted, in terms of size and content, therefore, in cases where it is feasible, they must be modernized and adapt to the required requirements for the organization of prestigious international competitions", said Lalošević.
Investment in sports infrastructure is increasing
He stated that we have already taken steps in this direction in the past year with regard to 12 small infrastructure facilities whose adaptation or reconstruction was financially supported by the ministry.
"Also, the maintenance of existing sports facilities is a problem, especially indoor sports facilities in the north, where large funds are allocated for heating such facilities in the winter. In some places there is also a lack of sports infrastructure, and as you know, the athletics stadium in Podgorica is an initiative that has been going on for decades, but nothing has been realized in this regard to date. We have raised the issue, the capital city has determined the location at the Old Airport, and the Departmental Public Works Administration will take further steps in this regard on the basis of cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth. In addition to the above, we lack a tennis center, a center for martial arts, in which we have had serious results lately. Maybe we skipped someone, but generally there is still a lot of room for improvement", said Lalošević.
No one has counted sportsmen-tourists until now
Until now, no one has kept data on how many sports teams and athletes come to competitions or preparations in Montenegro.
"There is no central register of such data, but we have assessed it as significant and have already launched an initiative to record data on international sports competitions held in Montenegro, the number of athletes and other guests at the central level, as well as to make a cross-section of income from sports tourism which, on a global level, amounts to some 10 percent of the total income from tourism", said Lalošević.
When asked in which municipalities or zones he sees opportunities for the development of sports tourism and whether Velika plaža could be used, Lalošević says that every part of Montenegro has its own specificity that can be interesting for tourism, even in a sports context.
"But as you have already pointed out, due to the natural beauty and overall potential, as well as the already globally recognized important tourist destinations, I consider Velika plaža a good location for the construction of sports and tourist complexes where, in addition to the traditional ones, new, modern ones can also be represented water sports", said the Minister of Sports.
Interesting facts about sports tourism
According to data from the World Organization for Sports Tourism (WST-show), before the covid epidemic, sports tourism had a growth rate of six percent per year. On their website, they presented several interesting facts related to this branch of tourism.
Sports tourism represents 10% of world tourism spending, with a turnover of around 800 billion dollars.
Australia has the largest share of sports tourism in the total tourist consumption at 55 percent.
The main countries of origin of sports tourists are Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
More than 20 million Italians are engaged in one or more sports activities, and over 11 million have made a tourist transfer precisely because of sports tourism.
From 2007 to 2013, the sports tourism sector recorded a growth of 25% in tourist flows and 20% in consumption.
In 2007, winter sports accounted for about 49% of the reasons for sports trips, while in 2013 that share fell to about 42%
A billion and a half euros are spent annually in Italy on water sports such as sailing, canoeing, diving...
Every fourth Italian tourist chooses his vacation destination based on the sports offer.
It will consider the possibility of tax breaks for the construction of sports infrastructure
Regarding the question of whether tax incentives or forms of private-public partnership are planned for the construction of sports infrastructure that would be used to improve the tourist offer, the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism states that their introduction will be considered due to the specificity of this type of tourism.
"For the development of all the necessary conditions that this clientele - athletes are looking for, which include accommodation facilities of a specific type (larger beds, specialized gyms, a variety of kitchens, laundry, wellness and spa for recovery after hard training and matches) for the construction of accommodation capacities, as and the necessary sports infrastructure require huge financial resources, so it is to be expected that the Government will look for partners during the implementation of these projects and consider the introduction of incentive measures and tax breaks", they stated from this ministry.
The Minister of Sports agrees with that.
"I absolutely consider it important that we objectively consider all the possibilities that can be one more value in the construction of quality sports infrastructure, which is a key prerequisite for the development of sports tourism," said Lalošević.
Simonović: We have potential, but we lack vision, plans, better infrastructure
President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (COK) Dusan Simonović he said that this organization recognizes the significant potential for the development of sports tourism in the country.
Montenegro does not have precise data on the economic effects of sports tourism, and Simonović says that it is unofficially estimated to be around 90 million euros.
"Nevertheless, sport is known as one of the oldest motivations for travel, and the World Tourism Organization estimates that approximately 10% of international travel is related to sports activities, making up a large part of the $800 billion tourism industry. However, I believe that we lack key components - a serious strategy in this direction, a vision and spatial-urban plans that would foresee the development of larger complexes with sports and hotel facilities. Considering the changes in the demands of modern tourists, every serious hotel today must have sports facilities in its offer. Finally, quality sports infrastructure is also necessary," said Simonović.
He states that he recognizes the potential for the development of sports tourism in different municipalities and zones.
"It is crucial to clearly determine the purpose of sports facilities through spatial plans in order to create a favorable framework for the development of sports tourism. In the past, there were various ideas in this regard, there was even the support of the Government and local authorities for the construction of an Olympic sports complex in Tivat, and for this purpose the building and area of the former barracks in Lepetani were planned. Also, there were initiatives to create a sports zone for the preparation of athletes in Kolašin, with the aim of connecting and complementing the two complexes - southern and northern, in order to ensure a comprehensive offer for the preparation and stay of sports teams. However, over time some other ideas were born and unfortunately those two extremely useful projects never came to fruition", said Simonović.
He also believes that Velika plaža is an exceptional area that could be used for sports tourism, but this also requires appropriate strategies, spatial plans and infrastructure.
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