With this year's New Year's Eve program, Budva lost its image as the epicenter of entertainment on the craziest night in the Balkans, which it had been building for 26 years, when it was the first Montenegrin municipality to offer the concept of welcoming the New Year in front of the walls of the Old Town, with the participation of music stars from the former Yugoslavia.
Tourism workers, the Association of Catering Professionals and the Local Community "Stari Grad" agree on this, with the assessment that something must change.
While other coastal municipalities have learned from Budva over the past two and a half decades, "copying" the same concept, the impression is that the tourism metropolis has stagnated and found itself in a situation where its neighbors have surpassed it, organizing much more attractive programs, especially this year.
Although promoted as the most attractive program to date - seven days with more than 30 musical participants, and also the most expensive because one and a half million euros were spent, it seems that the effects have been lacking, although the organizers - the Municipality and the Tourist Organization, are trying to present a different picture.
The attendance that Budva is used to was also absent, and the music programs on the first two nights attracted a smaller number of people, and even the square in front of the ramparts, where the largest and most technically modern stage has been set up to date, was not filled.
The picture improved somewhat on the wildest night, which was to be expected, but even then it was not as crowded as in the previous few record-breaking years, when, for example, Dino Merlin or Aleksandra Prijović performed.
The drone show that was supposed to be performed in the sky above the Old Town at exactly midnight on the turn of the year, which was supposed to set Budva apart from all the others, was a fiasco - the drones kept falling for reasons that are still unknown...
On top of all that, bad weather also happened - the program had to be canceled the night before last, so the guests of Budva were partially deprived of the promised fun...
It seems that Budva has found itself in a kind of dead end, because practically all the stars from this area have performed at the Old Town Square several times in the past two and a half decades. Musical tastes vary, but the fact is that Budva has not offered anything more or more original than the neighboring municipalities this year. Some of the singers who performed in Budva the day before or after were guests in Podgorica, Bar or Tivat, which further reduced the attractiveness of the program.
DECORATION AND WORLD STARS
Budva must take a step forward and offer something new, said the Association of Catering Professionals, which has warned on several occasions, even before the New Year's program was published, that the current concept is outdated.
"This concept costs a lot, and brings very little benefit to the city's economy. Almost all coastal cities are running similar programs, with the aim of attracting guests from the region. We at the Association have been warning for years that such a concept does not produce the desired results and we sought to be the first to step forward, as Budva always does, with a new concept, which would bring new quality to the city's tourism offer," they told "Vijesti".
They state that the city needs to be decorated more beautifully, especially the squares and streets in the Old Town, parks, and main roads.
"The event must last a longer period of time, not just three or seven days as is the case this year. To think about bringing in international music stars, who have their own audience and followers from all over Europe. To step up when it comes to organizing New Year's concerts. So, throughout November and December, organize creative and thematic events, which will aim to animate the local population and attract guests throughout the winter, when the city is completely without events, and finally organize a concert by an international star on December 31st."
They believe that such a concept would produce a much better effect for the population and the economy, while on the other hand, the same or less amount of money would be spent.
"Unfortunately, this year has proven us right."
Long-time tourism professional, member of the Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro Dragan Purko Ivancevic points out for "Vijesti" that it is the last moment for Budva to offer something new:
“Budva was a pioneer in organizing New Year's Eve celebrations. It was the first in Montenegro to offer this concept and perfect it, while others took over the ideas from it... Now those who took over the concept have created much better programs, and Budva has begun to stagnate and spend a lot of money, without achieving the expected effects. Budva is expected to be a promoter, to offer something new. The last moment is to offer a new form, for performers to transcend the borders of the region, for them to be European and world stars.”
VISAS, PATHS, LESSONS
A native of Starograđan, a famous Budva restaurateur, Luka Vuckovic points out for "Vijesti" that Budva, and also Montenegro, welcomed the New Year holidays in a very specific situation:
"We have a situation with tourists from Turkey who had their visas revoked ahead of the holidays, there is also an increasingly pronounced absence of Russian tourists and I am afraid of how the announced introduction of visas will affect our economy. In addition, we have old problems with roads, I am primarily referring to the Tivat - Budva road, and increasingly frequent protests and blockades of main roads. We know that our main guests when we talk about the New Year holidays are people from the region, who mostly come via these roads."
He emphasizes that it is necessary to improve cooperation with the local government and its companies, and that as a "compact team we are building our tourism offer."
"I personally believe that we should all learn some lessons from this year's welcome and that next year we should organize such a welcome that the most beautiful paintings will go out into the world from Budva."
According to him, the period from the end of the 2025 tourist season to the beginning of the new one is an ideal example from which it can be concluded how important revenues during the New Year holidays are for the sustainability of tourism businesses throughout the year:
"In previous years, we have had an increase in the number of tourists on the coast during the winter period, so we may have forgotten a little about the importance of the New Year holidays. This year, we were reminded of how important they are and that we have a duty to approach them more seriously because somehow it seems that in this era of social networks and photos that circulate, they are a very important factor when deciding where to go on vacation this summer."
Local Community "Stari grad": Lost identity
This year's public reception was one of the least attended in the past decade and showed all the weaknesses of this concept, according to the "Stari grad" local community.
“We believe that the entire organization of the New Year's Bazaar was a huge failure. The space in front of the Old Town was overloaded and resembled an improvised 'Cacilend 2.0', devoid of content, meaning, and authenticity.”
They also state that Budva has "largely lost its identity" in recent years. "Once a city that could not be avoided, today it is, unfortunately, a city that is often bypassed. The city of culture, the city of theater, city music, authentic events and a strong tourist offer, has become recognizable for political and criminal clashes, uncontrolled construction and the loss of urban and cultural spirit."
They stated that in the past, "artists like Djiboni performed, while today we witness performances that do not correspond to the city's traditions or its cultural heritage."
“If the only criterion is 'what is required', we fear it is a path without clear direction and identity.”
Jovanović doubled the budget for events
The Municipality of Budva plans to spend a record 3,6 million euros on organizing events next year.
The mayor insisted on this. Nikola Jovanovic, submitting an amendment to the 2026 budget proposal, which allocated 1,6 million for that purpose.
“The aforementioned funds in the amount of 2.000.000 euros represent a necessary and strategically important investment in the further development and improvement of the tourist offer of the city of Budva. The planned funds will be directed to the organization of numerous cultural, entertainment and sports events, the primary goal of which is to extend the tourist season, increase the number of visits in the pre-season and post-season periods, as well as additional diversification of the city's tourist product. All future events will be implemented in close cooperation with the Tourist Organization of Budva, as well as with relevant entities of the city's tourism economy, thus ensuring a synergistic approach, rational use of funds and maximum effect of the investments made.”
He assessed that special emphasis will be placed on events that have the potential to attract different target groups of tourists, improve the image of Budva as a year-round destination and contribute to a more balanced development of the local economy...
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