Extremely warm and rainy weather practically interrupted the main winter season at the state-run ski resorts on Bjelasica and Durmitor, caused millions in damage and once again reminded authorities that ski centers are doomed to failure without artificial snowmaking systems.
For the past ten days, the state ski resort Kolašin 1600 has only been able to offer guests a panoramic cable car ride and restaurant services, because there is no snow on the slopes. The situation is similar at the Durmitor ski resort Savin Kuk, where skiing was still possible yesterday because there is enough snow on part of the slope below the peak of the same name...
Since the start of the winter tourist season, on December 21st last year, there have been only 1600 ski days at the Kolašin 15 ski resort. After the rain and dry weather on Bjelasica and Durmitor, there has been a massive cancellation of reservations, especially in private accommodation, but also a low number of visits to the ski resorts.
In Kolašin and Žabljak, everything these days is reminiscent of the atmosphere of the 2023/2024 tourist season, when, due to an unprecedented lack of snow, the tourism industry suffered millions in losses and not a single ski day was recorded.
The beginning of the tourist winter promised a different situation and raised hopes that at least some of these losses could be compensated. At the state ski resort Kolašin 1600 in early January, there were as many as 1.250 skiers per day on exceptionally well-prepared slopes, while the Savin Kuk ski resort was inaccessible by car after 11 am.
Unfortunately, the well-filled accommodation capacities, the packed ski resorts, and the winter idyll only lasted until mid-January, when a strong southerly wind messed up many accounts.
Instead of optimism, the state ski resort Kolašin 1600 is now repeating the messages from last year, and the manager Bojan Medenica says that "it is clear that the next season cannot be welcomed without artificial snowmaking."
"The slopes covered by the K8 ski lift were only in operation for 15 days. The beginners' slope was in operation for 31 days. We are not operating now due to the lack of snow. Of course, I cannot be satisfied with such a number of ski days. Since January 22, the slopes that 'accompany' the K8 ski lift have not been in operation, so guests of the ski resort can only enjoy a panoramic ride. It is truly necessary for everyone to contribute so that we do not welcome the next season in the same way. There is no future for the ski center without artificial snowmaking," says Medenica.
What artificial snowmaking means in times of global warming is best seen in the examples of neighboring ski resorts - Jahorina and Kopaonik, where it is still possible to ski today, despite the warm weather and lack of natural snow...
Something happens on weekends.
The end of school holidays and the rain have also emptied private accommodation in Kolašin. Currently, according to the director of the local Tourist Organization (TO), Zorica Milašinović can only talk about excursion tourism.
"The occupancy rate was excellent during the holidays, then it rained, there was no snow, and then reservations in private accommodation were suddenly canceled. There are still weekend visits, and these are mainly guests from Montenegro, who stay in Kolašin for a short time. Unfortunately, we cannot talk about longer stays now. There are also a certain number of tourists from Albania in Kolašin, who stay, regardless of whether there is snow, for a few days. It is far from what we expected from this season," explains Milašinović.
According to her, when there is no snow, efforts to enrich the non-boarding offer are largely in vain. As she says, "events cannot replace snow."
Her words are confirmed by the owners of private accommodation. They no longer talk about expectations, but they repeat the message that "the authorities must find a solution at least for the next tourist winter." And the solution, they unanimously agree, is hanging snow.
Minister's pedaling ahead and numerous problems
The tourism department has not commented on the major problems that the warming brought to ski resorts in the second half of January, and certainly large losses.
Statement by the Minister of Tourism Simonides Kordić before the start of the season - that guests can ride bicycles if there is not enough snow at the ski resorts, is a kind of indicator of the executive government's "concern" about winter tourism in the north of the country.
However, it would be wrong to conclude that the lack of snow is the only problem of the ski resort and the state-owned company Skijališta Crne Gore (SCG), which includes Kolašin 1600. A large part of the ski infrastructure on Bjelasica was not in operation, even on days when there was enough snow. Due to the necessary additional rehabilitation of the land around pillar number 4, the six-seater K7, which follows 10 kilometers of slopes, is not safe for use. This cable car connects the ski infrastructure of the state and private ski resort Kolašin 1450 into a unique offer of about forty kilometers of slopes, and it cost citizens about nine million euros.
The Board of Directors (BOD) of SCG announced in early January that they did not know how long the land remediation works would take, nor when the cable car could be back in operation. In a statement signed at the time by the president of the BOD Miličko Bulatović, remind that an expert team was hired to determine the condition of the pillar, or rather, the land around it, reached conclusions and proposed measures, based on which action will be taken in the coming period.
"We received the response from the expert team on December 31st, and it proposed additional rehabilitation of the land around pillar 4 of the K7 cable car, so that the foundations would be fully secured. Also, several additional activities were proposed for the safety of all participants. Since safety is our top priority, all proposed actions will be taken, and we are currently unable to predict the time period for additional rehabilitation and accompanying works," the OD said.
In the same statement, they remind that the manager of the Kolašin 1600 ski resort informed the executive director of SCG on May 24th last year about problems on the land around the cable car pole, due to work being carried out by a private company, which "Vijesti" wrote about on several occasions... However, there was no adequate reaction, so it was only at the beginning of winter that experts determined that the cable car was not safe for use.
In addition, two ski lifts of the "sidro" and "tanjir" type, which were installed at the ski resort last year, were not in operation during January because they did not have operating permits.
Bojan Mednica told "Vijesti" about fifteen days ago that he expects that part of the ski infrastructure, which is new to the offer, will soon be operational.
The new ski lifts are accompanied by 1,2 kilometers of trails. The Capital Projects Administration issued a public call for proposals for the design and construction of two ski lifts within the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center almost a year ago. According to the tender documentation, a little over 3,5 million euros have been allocated for this investment.
Unlike the ski center on Bjelasica, where tens of millions of euros have been invested, little has been invested in Savin Kuk for decades, so the dilapidated ski infrastructure poses a major problem even on days when there is enough snow. While on Bjelasica they are struggling with the question of how to bring a large amount of water to the ski resort, which is a prerequisite for artificial snowmaking, on Durmitor this problem has been solved. An artificial lake has been built a few hundred meters from the ski resort, but there is still no artificial snow...
At the beginning of November last year, the government made a decision to grant non-refundable financial assistance in the amount of 100.000 euros to Serbia and Montenegro. As announced at the time, these are funds necessary for the company's regular operations, given the losses during the 2023/2024 season.
The government also approved 200.000 euros in aid to the company in April last year, to pay salaries for that month.
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