Without adequate infrastructure, there is no development of tourism, announced the chairman of the Board of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of the Chamber of Commerce (PKCG), Ranko Jovović, and added that the tourism industry should be consulted during the implementation of these projects.
"We are aware that there is no development of tourism without adequate infrastructure, so it is necessary to plan transport projects that will significantly better connect Montenegro with the region and Europe. However, during the implementation of these projects, the tourist industry should be consulted, in order to adapt the dynamics to the tourist season," Jovović said at the Board session held in Žabljak.
He added that all the announcements say that the upcoming season will very likely be a record one, that the tourism industry is ready, but that the success will be affected by the gray economy, noise in the vicinity of accommodation facilities, lack of professional workforce, communal and traffic infrastructure, construction works during season, as well as keeping tourists at border crossings.
Jovović said that Montenegro is not exclusively a summer bathing destination, but that it has something to offer lovers of active vacations in the winter months, and that in the formation of a complex tourist offer, it is necessary to connect the coast and the hinterland and extend the season, which would also give the north an additional development impulse. .
"In order to improve the winter season, it is necessary to define a platform for sustainable development of mountain centers, based on sustainable development and planning, investments, incentives and public-private partnership, as well as marketing and branding of mountain centers. The development of ski centers and mountains as tourist destinations not only creates new jobs and attracts numerous tourists, but also develops other branches of the economy," Jovović announced.
He believes that spatial plans should include the possibility of building new hotels, ski slopes, cable cars, roads, revitalizing the railway, its connection with the airport and creating conditions for an even better connection to the north.
The President of the Municipality of Žabljak, Radoš Žugić, said that the adoption of the state and municipal spatial plan will lay the foundations for the future development of that local community.
"We want the summer season to be as successful as possible and we will try to strongly contribute to its preparation. The challenge is for all of us to prepare a quality offer that will partly compensate for the losses of the winter season," said Žugić.
The Director General of the Directorate for Tourism Development and Development of Tourism Regulations at the Ministry of Tourism, Svetlana Šljivančanin, expects that the upcoming season will be excellent, taking into account hotel bookings, signed contracts with foreign tour operators, as well as reports from local tourist organizations on the number of guests, which now they live in Montenegro.
"Regardless of the achieved figures, it is important that the guests are satisfied with the destination and return to it," said Šljivančanin.
She added that the unsuccessful winter season was a kind of warning for tourist centers to diversify their offer, in order to ignore the lack of snow.
The director of the Žabljak Tourist Organization, Stojan Abazović, said that this area represents a kind of jewel of Europe, which is supported by more and more articles in renowned foreign magazines.
He reminded that the number of tourists in Žabljak grows every year, but also that 94 percent of them stay in private accommodation, and only six percent in hotels.
"We need to restore the splendor of the old hotels in Žabljak, offer five-star accommodation and attract high-paying tourists," said Abazović.
Žugić believes that the tourist offer of Žabljak must be the result of a long-term strategy, as well as that it is necessary to intensify discussions with hotel tenants who committed themselves several years ago to invest in their renovation.
"We agree that we need elite tourism, but unfortunately we are moving in the direction of mass tourism, which is not good. "Mass tourism is not a good way and gives the wind behind illegal construction," Žugić announced.
The representative of the Durmitor National Park, Bojana Badnjar, said that the national park is a very popular tourist destination and warned that UNESCO has recognized it as a site that suffers the most pressure from visitors, which is why it should be relieved.
"That's why this year we decided to promote the educational trail a little more, i.e. the three lakes, then the Durmitor ring, as well as the trail in the Tara canyon," Badnjar said, adding that UNESCO also suggested that a study of the carrying capacity of tourists in the area must be prepared as soon as possible. Durmitor National Park.
According to her, this would mean that carrying capacity implies the maximum number of people who can visit a certain tourist destination at the same time without damaging the natural and cultural values of that area.
When it comes to the part around the Black Lake, it was suggested that the number of vehicles in the part of the ramp in the parking lot should be reduced due to the high level of air pollution caused by exhaust gases, which can damage the flora in that part.
Badnjar also referred to the hiking trails as another tourist offer, pointing out that soon training will be organized for the markers, who will help the Montenegrin Mountaineering Association.
She added that negotiations are underway with the Mountain Rescue Service and the Red Cross in order to train the supervisors in providing first aid, which is recognized as extremely important due to the numerous injuries that occurred in this locality.
Badnjar especially emphasized that there are also negative effects that tourism has on protected areas, saying that it is necessary to preserve them, along with promotion and educational activities.
"A week ago, we banned the use of quads and drones, and their use will be punishable by a fine in the amount of 200 to 40 thousand EUR," announced Badnjar.
The representative of Expolorer, Luka Bulatović, believes that Žabljak is moving towards sustainable tourism and that it must be of high quality, and the valorization of Žabljak hotels is one of the ways.
He reminded that Durmitor is the heart of national parks and has exceptional potential, but that the problem is the lack of facilities.
The representative of Eco Žabljak, Rajko Malović, pointed out numerous infrastructural problems in that municipality, stressing that more work must be done on the accessibility of the destination.
"The key to local self-government is to give the economy the opportunity to develop facilities, with strict control over illegal construction," said Malović.
The representative of Hotel Avala, Nikola Kasalo, warned about the unpreparedness of numerous Budva beaches for the season, pointing out the problem of obtaining municipal permits and documentation necessary for the start of operation of the swimming pool.
"Municipal authorities that issue work permits now do not accept the conditions that were valid last year," Kasalo said, adding that the problem must be solved urgently.
He said that the communal inspection, which is responsible for issuing decisions for the arrangement of swimming pools, cannot do its job because it does not have a plan for temporary facilities.
Šljivančanin announced that the municipalities have formed a commission for obtaining approval for work, which will visit the bathing areas and determine the minimum technical conditions.
"Together with the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Urbanism, Morsko dobro must be involved in order to solve this problem in the best possible way," said Šljivančanin.
She reminded that the Ministry of Tourism has formed a working group that will work on amendments to the law on residence taxes and on tourist organizations, in order to look at the way of financing them, but also on the new law on tourism and hospitality, which is at the economic end, and which all received suggestions from tourism officials will be included.
When it comes to the inspection services, Šljivančanin said that a large part of the responsibilities will be transferred to the local inspections, which means that all municipalities must be ready to strengthen the capacities of the inspection services and to take over the responsibilities from the tourist inspection.
The representative of the Traffic Administration, Draško Ivanišević, spoke about the current works on the roads in the municipality of Žabljak, saying that the one on the Jasenovo polje stretch will be completed by June 15.
Vladan Lalović from the Traffic Administration said that the planned bypass in Žabljak will be completed by the end of the year, with complete new asphalt.
"I believe that all the planned works on the roads will be completed by the end of the year, and that Žabljak will therefore be more accessible to the highway, as well as to other cities in Montenegro," said Lalović.
The representative of the Association of Rural Households, Gordana Stevović, believes that it is necessary to launch an initiative to mark on the Google map the situations on the ground in remote areas, when it comes to works, temporary suspensions and other roadblocks, in order to make travel easier for tourists.
The representative of the Kolašin Tourist Organization, Zorica Milašinović, announced that everything regarding the preparation of the summer tourist season in that municipality is going according to plan.
"We have various contents for this summer, but what I would like to point out is the lack of buses that run from the city center to the Biogradska Gora National Park, and I appeal to everyone to try to secure funds for the implementation of additional bus lines," said Milašinović. .
Savo Martinović from Maestral believes that traffic is the key limiting factor in tourism and its development, which is why greater involvement of the Ministry of Transport is necessary to solve infrastructure problems, especially air availability.
The Secretary of the Board of Tourism, Sanja Marković, said that the Ministry of Transport has formed a working group to improve air accessibility to consider the establishment of a public-private fund that will deal with low-cost companies.
"The hotels, in cooperation with their local tourist organizations, are interested in investing funds in the fund, in order to further help the better air accessibility of our country," said Marković.
Bonus video:
