Does anyone else remember DEG, the German Society for Investments and Development from Cologne, which more than two decades ago started creating a tourist concept for the Ulcinj region, as part of the Master Plan for the Development of Tourism in Montenegro from 2001.
The concept was completed in May 2003, when it was officially presented to the then president of the Municipality of Ulcinj, now deceased. Fuadu Nimaniu, in the presence of representatives of the Government of Montenegro. And it was done by order of the German Government and based on an agreement with the Government of Montenegro, primarily the Ministry of Tourism and municipalities...
And that's where it all stopped, like many times before and since then, significant projects for the southernmost municipality remained just a dead letter on paper. German experts recognized Ulcinj as a locomotive of tourism development in Montenegro, but the irresponsible, arrogant state policy sent it to the side track...
"What can I say, it was a great project from which the whole country could benefit", an economist from Ulcinj told "Vijesti" Skender Elezagić, well versed in all the details of the entire project.
He doesn't know the exact reason why everything stopped, but he assumes:
"Let's remember the Montenegrin tourists from Budva. Only when Ulcinj became part of that company, hotels began to be built in Budva, the coast, and even in the north of Montenegro. The money was drawn from the Ulcinj tourist fund, while the town itself was completely neglected. Some were satisfied that other centers were being developed, not those that really had potential."
He assessed that the decision to develop tourism in Montenegro spontaneously, and not according to the Master Plan made by the German DEG, cost the country dearly.
"The essence was that the development of tourism is based on the strongest tourist potential - a 15-kilometer long sandy beach with 15 million square kilometers of hinterland, on which 30 hotels with a thousand beds each had to be built, which was 70 percent of the total hotel capacity of Montenegro. This would strongly affect the development of tourism in other coastal cities, as well as in the north."
No new hotel to date
But Montenegro decided otherwise.
"Today, 20 years after the presentation of that plan, we do not have a single newly built hotel on Velika plaža, and that speaks volumes for the attitude of those who made decisions according to that strategic document," said Elezagić.
In its concept for Velika plaža, DEG pointed out that it is primarily looking for differences that exist in the destination compared to emission markets.
"Because the market is looking for variety, and the traveler is looking for something different from the one at home. But, he is primarily looking for a sunny climate, a clean and crystal clear sea and a beautiful sandy beach. And this is exactly what Ulcinj offers", DEG experts concluded in the study.
A concept based on the largest beach from Trieste to Bojana
They knew that Ulcinj, with its sandy beaches at Velika plaža and Ada, must be the engine of the development of Montenegrin tourism.
"Consequently, the tourist concept for Velika plaja is based on the longest and widest beach of the eastern Adriatic, from Trieste to Bojana. As early as 30 years ago, TUI realized that the future of the tourism industry of the former Yugoslavia was based on the Great Beach. This is all the more true for the significantly smaller Montenegro," explained German experts.
They assessed that the greatest danger to Velika plaža is the impatience to start developing the tourism industry after long years of isolation.
"That's why we fear that lack of experience, unplanned construction and uncoordinated private initiatives or even speculative interests could lead to repeating mistakes. That's why DEG developed a long-term oriented tourist concept and created a study on the impact on the environment for Velika plaža. If this concept becomes the basis of future development, then Montenegro and Ulcinj will derive maximum benefit from the project. Thousands of different places will be created, and Montenegro will get a product from which future generations can live. The identity of the region will be protected, and the natural wealth will be freely developed as a tourist attraction", the Germans assessed.
One hundred square meters of greenery for each bed
The study emphasizes that the concept is oriented towards the principles of sustainable development and pays special attention to the experience of Majorca.
"In that probably the most successful Mediterranean destination, after a tourist boom that lasted for 40 years, there has been a turnaround, which puts the protection of nature and the nurturing of one's own identity at the center of development. Because compared to international competition, tourism in the Balearics lives on these values," the study says.
It is added that this example provides several principles applicable to the Velika plaža area.
"For each bed that will be built, each individual project must dispose of 100 square meters of green areas. Every hotel that is built next to the beach must have at least four stars. Individual facilities may not have more than 800 beds. The plans for Velika plaža envisage a total of 30.000 beds, which will not be built all at once or in a continuous sequence along the beach itself," the study concludes.
It is stated that the Spatial Plan envisages six development units - modules with five thousand beds each, which would be separated by wide green belts and so that citizens would have free access to the beach.
"The southern side of the beach next to Bojana, as an ecologically particularly sensitive area, is placed under protection. Due to the habitat of various birds, the same is planned for the wide coastal strip along Bojana and for 2/3 of Ada Bojana. Animal and plant species that live in the dunes along the beach are protected, and traffic in the entire area is reduced to a minimum. The essence of the future offer of Velika plaža can be summed up in a few words - the beach itself with ecological zones and a traffic ban is enough to profile Velika plaža as an outstanding destination on the Adriatic," the study states.
It is reminded that the accommodation area offers comfort and variety and that large tour operators are looking for large accommodation capacities with spacious sports and recreational facilities.
"But greatness should not be achieved with the same style of construction as in past decades. Even large buildings must pay attention to the atmosphere of individuality and to, if possible, perfect integration into nature. Otherwise, the market will not accept them in the long term. High comfort is understood as well as the sustainability of development and the specialization of the offer for the segments of health tourism, fitness, family vacations and seniors, all with good fun", the study says.
Boka, Budva and Bar, Lake Skadar and the mountains
For DEG, the Montenegrin coast consists of three different regions - Boka Kotorska, the area from Budva to Bar and Ulcinj. They added the Skadar lake area as the fourth, and the mountain region as the fifth.
"Each of these five regions is a very attractive destination due to its beautiful nature. But each of them has its own cultural-historical identity and special potential. These facts condition a different approach to their target groups and when creating appropriate products. "Positive consequences for Montenegro are the possibility of developing a wide range of offers in a relatively small area, which can cover a large number of different market segments", DEG assessed.
Multi-billion euro investment, 10 to 20 years "real term"
German experts assessed that the tourist vision of Velika Plaža undoubtedly represents an investment of several billion euros. They said that in order for such a project to be implemented, favorable framework conditions are needed, which attract investors and management that possesses determination and penetration and is able to reconcile various interests and resolve numerous conflicts.
"The implementation requires funds and patience. Ten to twenty years is probably a realistic time frame. And that is one of the reasons why the planning is done in modules, which ensures the development of Velika plaža in several stages, without new construction works disturbing the guests of the existing facilities. This procedure also ensures that the unique potential of Velika plaža is carefully developed into an extraordinary product, which will provide the economic basis for the development of Montenegro in the long term," the study concludes.
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