Tourist season opens at Kolašin 1600 Ski Center; Kordić: Growing interest in the north even during the summer

Last year, a total of over 15 million euros was invested in five ski resorts from the capital budget of Montenegro, as well as from the budget of the Ministry of Tourism, and almost nine million were invested in the state ski resort in Kolašin. This was announced today at the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center, where the summer tourist season was opened with a festive program and a series of attractive activities, said Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordić.

It is extremely important and valuable, she said, "that interest in our north is growing year after year, even during the summer months."

Kordić recalled that two new ski lifts were put into operation at the state ski resort during the past tourist season, and that the construction of a garage that should serve that and the private ski center Kolašin 1450 is also progressing.

"We also have new facilities that allow the summer season to be held at full capacity... In addition, the Ministry plans to invest in modern technological solutions for snow production at higher temperatures. Research is being planned and investments are being made in smaller accumulation capacities, which would enable the use of artificial snow cannons. These capacities will be complementary to a larger, future project, which will begin when the water infrastructure is completed," she said.

The Minister, looking back on this year's winter tourist season, said that it was better than the previous one in terms of the number of visitors and overnight stays. As she said, "the first few months of the winter season met expectations."

"In collective and individual visits to the north of Montenegro, there were over 46 percent more visitors and over 35 percent more overnight stays, compared to 2024. As for Kolašin, all accommodation facilities recorded eight percent more visits and over 12 percent more overnight stays compared to the season before last. At the level of the whole of Montenegro, in the entire quarter, the European Travel Commission records that we have an increase in attendance of about 3,6 percent, which places us in the European average for the growth of tourist traffic intensity," claims the Minister of Tourism.

She said that it is "important to continue investing in capacity" in order to "bring our capabilities, in terms of equipment and accommodation capacities, to an optimal level". According to Kordić, "this will enable the achievement of the goal - for Montenegro to become the core of quality tourism where tourists can enjoy authentic experiences".

The Minister also reminded of the importance of investing in road infrastructure, which, as she explained, is a joint effort between several departments and local governments.

The summer tourist season at the state ski resort was opened by the acting executive director of the Ski Resort of Montenegro, Bojan Medenica. He said that the summer season on the mountain brings a rich program of events, intended for both domestic and foreign visitors.

The opening was marked by a performance by the Cultural and Artistic Society (KUD) "Mijat Mašković", a DJ party on Troglava and free panoramic rides.

The Director of the Kolašin Tourist Organization, Zorica Milašinović, presented a plan of activities that will mark the upcoming summer months, especially the month of June.

"In cooperation with the Public Enterprise National Parks of Montenegro, we are organizing a promotional tour to Pešić Lake on Bjelasica on June 5th. A free climbing day is planned for June 7th, and futsal and basketball tournaments the day after, while the evening will be reserved for a painting workshop at the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center," said Milašinović.

A children's football tournament for ages 13 to 15 will be organized from June 7 to 13, while a walking tour to Jablanov vrh is planned for June 14. On the same day, the Main Street in Kolašin will come alive with an open-air music concert.

One of the most significant events, the Basketball Camp "Kolašin 2025", will be held from June 20th and will bring together hundreds of young athletes from the region.

At the end of the month, from June 27th to 29th, the Municipality is organizing the Active Tourism Festival, a three-day event that combines sports, nature and entertainment, with a rich accompanying music program.

The opening ceremony of the summer tourist season today was partially marred by a power outage, which caused the six-seater Troglav to be temporarily out of service for panoramic rides. Vijesti was unable to obtain an official explanation from the ski resort management for the reasons for the power outage to the infrastructure on Bjelasica.