Construction workers have defeated tourism, says Bojan Filipović, president of the Mojkovac Tourism Workers' Association, when describing the current situation in accommodation facilities along the road to Đurđevića Tara.
Due to the rehabilitation works on Sokolovina, the Mojkovac-Đurđevića Tara regional road, which, as the interviewee of "Vijesti" says, is "the lifeblood of tourism in northern Montenegro", will be closed for the entire summer. Efforts by locals and tourism workers to ensure that the road remains open at least for part of the day have not yielded results, so the works, which began in 2023, will be continued.
"Camping sites and private accommodations along the Mojkovac section of the road are almost empty. Last summer season was bad, for the same reasons, and now we have barely 10 percent of the number of guests at that time. Of course, we don't expect anything better in the rest of the season. Construction companies have defeated tourism and the importance of the road has not been recognized. It can already be said that the summer season will crash. People are in a difficult situation, they are thinking about closing facilities or reducing working hours, switching to single-shift work. These are some solutions as an answer to the question 'how to survive in business' for all those who have decided to go into tourism," says Filipović.
According to him, the damage caused by the completely closed road in the Tara Canyon is multiple. He estimates that Montenegro will receive negative "feedback", because this road route is "very popular with motorcyclists, cyclists, campers, and other fans of active tourism".
The director of the Mojkovac Tourist Organization (TO), Radonja Vuković, claims that this year's summer tourist season has started weaker than in previous years. He sees the reason for this as "poor traffic connections and delays in the reconstruction of the Mojkovac-Đurđevića Tara regional road, as well as the Mojkovac-Ribarevine-Berane route."
"The fact that as much as 80 percent of tourist traffic depends on the passability of these roads clearly indicates the crucial role of regional infrastructure in the development of tourism. A particular problem is the long-standing failure to rehabilitate the critical point of Sokolovina, which has significantly affected the slow development of tourism in Mojkovac. The consequences are reflected in the reduced income of local tourism workers and the expressed dissatisfaction of tourists who have chosen Mojkovac and the north of Montenegro as their vacation destination," Vuković tells "Vijesti".
He reminds that a large number of tourists staying in Mojkovac show interest in visiting the Tara River Canyon, which is “one of the most attractive natural destinations in the region.” However, now, the TO director explains, many tourists are “prevented from carrying out planned excursions and activities, which further affects their overall experience and satisfaction with their stay.”
"Since quality traffic connections are the basic prerequisite for a successful tourist season, as they enable the smooth arrival of visitors, greater frequency of travel and better connections with other regions, it is crucial that these infrastructure problems are resolved as soon as possible. The rehabilitation of the Sokolovina point is of vital importance, not only for local tourism, but also for the broader economic development of the area that gravitates towards this road route. In this sense, the priority in the coming period must be the urgent completion of the reconstruction of the aforementioned sections, in order to create conditions for a more stable, sustainable and long-term development of tourism," Vuković emphasized.
Promises and breaking deadlines
The rehabilitation of the section in the village of Sokolovina has been postponed several times. As stated in February this year by the Traffic Administration, as the investor, and the company "InteMost" as the contractor, they are doing everything "in accordance with their capabilities so that the work on the rehabilitation of the landslide can continue as soon as possible, and so that the locals can have a passable road as soon as possible."
They explained that "the rehabilitation of the Sokolovina landslide is one of the most significant and demanding projects, which aims to increase traffic safety and security on the Mojkovac-Đurđevića Tara road."
The then Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović, promised in November 2023 from Sokolovina that the rehabilitation of that landslide would be completed within a year.
The project is worth 10,6 million euros. The works include the rehabilitation of an unstable slope and the construction of a gallery about 400 meters long.
The road from Mojkovac to Đurđević Tara has never been officially open and safe since 2015. Frequent landslides, both before and during the construction, create additional problems. Around 2.000 cubic meters of soil fell onto the construction site last spring...
The municipality has decided to compensate for part of the losses, but the state is still waiting.
Aware of the seriousness of the situation caused by the closure of the Mojkovac-Đurđevića Tara regional road, the Municipality and the TO, claims Vuković, have taken concrete steps to contribute to overcoming this problem as quickly as possible. He says that a series of meetings have been organized with representatives of the tourism industry, the Transport Administration, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Tourism, as well as with the contractor for the rehabilitation of the regional road. The goal of these meetings was to enable better communication among all participants in the process. In addition, the local government has also offered concrete assistance to the tourism industry.
"A certain amount of funds will be allocated to subsidize part of the costs of tourism workers who are most affected by the negative impact of the closed road on their business. The precise model for distributing subsidies and the conditions for their realization will be defined in the near future, through a clear and transparent mechanism. The goal of this measure is to jointly overcome the challenges of this tourist season and welcome the next one with a repaired and fully passable road," says Vuković.
Bojan Filipović says he has information that the Municipality has allocated around 50.000 euros from the budget to subsidize the salaries of permanent employees in the tourism industry. However, in his opinion, this will only mean something to larger tourism companies.
"Facility that employs seasonal workers have not been recognized. We also have campsites and rural households that are involved in tourism, meaning they make a living from it and have invested all their capital in it. The Traffic Administration sent us a draft agreement that obliges the contractor to complete the work by the end of January next year, but at the same time requires the Administration to organize a meeting at the Ministry of Finance to discuss some model of assistance to the tourism industry of Mojkovac," says the president of the Association of Tourist Workers.
He believes that this type of support model should also include businesses, but also rural households, campsites and entrepreneurs involved in tourism on that route. Filipović warns that if the state fails to take a more serious approach, the result could be the loss of quality workforce and clientele. He claims that they have already come to terms with the losses in business, "but losing quality workforce and clientele would be much more difficult."
Rural tourism is becoming increasingly popular
Mojkovac's tourism industry relies on rural tourism. According to the director of the Tourist Office, interest in rural tourism, excluding the current challenges in the territory of the Mojkovac municipality, "is constantly growing and increasingly popular among domestic and foreign visitors."
"A significant number of fellow citizens are showing interest in actively engaging in the provision of services in the field of rural tourism - through the adaptation of rural households for accommodation, the organization of outdoor activities and the promotion of domestic products. At the same time, the demand for this type of vacation is growing, especially among tourists from Western European countries. Foreign tourists are increasingly choosing rural tourism because of the possibility of an active vacation in untouched nature, and are showing great interest in activities such as fly fishing, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking. Such offers contribute to the diversity of the tourist offer and attract a target group that strives for an authentic and sustainable vacation," Vuković points out.
He reminds us that "this trend represents an important development opportunity for rural areas, where there are ideal conditions for further growth, a rich natural and cultural heritage, a preserved environment and the hospitality of the local population."
Israelis massively cancel their arrival in Kolašin
The satisfaction with the good attendance of Kolašin during the first half of June is now being spoiled by the mass cancellation of reservations by tourists from Israel, who in previous years made up a significant portion of summer guests in that city.
As the director of the Tourist Organization (TO) Zorica Milašinović told "Vijesti", hotel accommodation capacities are suffering the biggest blow, because flights from Israel have been canceled.
"We expected the good attendance from the first half of June to continue in the second half of the month. However, due to the current situation in Israel and the cancellation of flights, many Israeli tourists have canceled their arrival. We have a significant number of canceled group reservations, both in hotels and through travel agencies," says Milašinović.
Kolašin is currently home to tourists from France, Belgium, Germany, England and other European countries. According to the director of the Tourist Office, foreign tourists are mainly interested in spending time in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and in an active vacation.
In line with these trends, the new Kolašin Echo Festival has been designed, which will mark the end of June and symbolically mark the official start of the summer tourist season. The festival, organized by the Municipality of Kolašin with the support of the Tourist Organization, will be a combination of adrenaline activities and music, and will include hiking, cycling, rafting, jeep... tours during the day, as well as evening concerts on the main town square.
Performances by popular artists have been announced, including “Galija”, Senidah and Milica Pavlović. The festival will be held on June 27, 28 and 29, and the daily program will include activities for children, as well as art workshops.
By the end of June, a Basketball Camp for Children and an International Goalkeeper Camp will be held in Kolašin, and TO will organize concerts every Saturday on the main street. This will continue until the end of the summer, with the exception of the evenings when concerts are held on the Fighters' Square.
Milašinović reminded that the months of July and August are reserved for traditional events such as "Tango Camp", "Korifeja", "Ethno Camp" and other events, the aim of which is to enrich the non-boarding offer and additionally promote Kolašin as an attractive summer destination.
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