Tourists still bypass Mojkovac

The pronounced seasonality of tourist movements, lack of hotel capacity, depopulation of rural areas, the problem of the shadow economy, insufficient collection of tourist tax, illegal landfills, poor digitalization, the absence of a tourism development strategy, and the lack of financial capacity for promotion represent key weaknesses in tourism development in Mojkovac.

These obstacles, as stated in the Work Program of the local Tourist Organization (TO), directly affect businesspeople, limiting their ability to expand their offerings, invest in innovation, and employ a larger number of workers, while tourist traffic remains concentrated mainly in the period from May to October.

Overcoming seasonality is planned through the opening of the “Žarski” ski center, as well as the promotion of winter and adrenaline sports. The gray economy and the collection of the tourist tax continue to pose a challenge for the municipality, although the number of unregistered accommodation facilities is small.

"The depopulation of rural areas threatens the development of tourism because it reduces human, economic and infrastructural resources. To overcome this, support for young couples, the development of rural, ecotourism and agro-tourism, as well as strategies for the revitalization of local communities are planned. The structure of accommodation capacities remains unfavorable - hotel accommodation is underdeveloped, and the choice and comfort are limited, especially for tourists from outside the region. The lack of qualified labor in the service sector, together with depopulation, further complicates the offer. The depopulation of rural areas represents a significant weakness for the development of tourism because it reduces the human, economic and infrastructural resources needed for a competitive tourist offer," the Work Program stated.

The summer season in that municipality is also threatened by the works on the rehabilitation of the regional roads Mojkovac – Đurđevića Tara and Mojkovac – Berane. There are only about 840 beds in Mojkovac, in 84 accommodation facilities. There are 53 rural households, and they have the largest number of beds. That municipality has only five hotels and two motels.

The TO sees the construction of the "Žarski" Ski Center as a significant development opportunity for Mojkovac, because, as they explain, "they can extend the tourist season and reduce seasonality."

"Returning to nature and sustainable forms of tourism are increasingly popular, while the development of infrastructure, the arrangement of hiking, cycling and gastronomic trails, thematic and cultural-historical routes, and viewpoints contribute to the diversification of the tourist offer. These activities enable the attraction of different types of tourists and the extension of the tourist season in Mojkovac," they stated in the Work Program.

They warn that the outdoor equipment they have is currently located in the basement of the building where the TO used to operate. The TO offices were moved to new premises due to inadequate working conditions, while the equipment for outdoor activities remained in the basement of the old building. The basement, they claim, is in very poor condition, difficult to access and exposed to decay due to high humidity and inadequate conditions for storing and maintaining the equipment.