The meeting, organized by the Tourist Organization (TO) of Kolašin, brought together representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, local businesses, travel agencies, hoteliers and private accommodation providers. It was dedicated to preparations for the summer tourist season, but also opened up important topics for winter tourism in that municipality.
The Director of the Kolašin Tourist Board, Zorica Milašinović, emphasized that it is important to start preparations for the summer season on time, so that all challenges and opportunities for improving the tourist offer can be considered in one place.
She recalled that TO had worked intensively on promoting the destination in the previous period, and that the city's tourism offer had been presented at international fairs in Madrid, Prague, Ljubljana and Tirana, as well as in regional markets. Milašinović invited representatives of the tourism industry to present the challenges they face in their business in order to find adequate solutions through joint cooperation.
The representative of the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, Amel Dedeić, assessed that the promotional activities were successful and announced the arrival of tour operators and media representatives to Kolašin in the coming period. He also announced a meeting with local tourism organizations with the aim of improving the promotion of the destination in the region, as well as the decision to exempt less developed municipalities in the north of Montenegro from paying participation fees at international tourism fairs.
Ljiljana Vuksanović from the Ministry of Tourism said that the plan for preparing the summer tourist season is in its final phase. She announced incentive measures worth 630.000 euros, which include support for events, the development of rural tourism, campsites, digitalization, infrastructure projects and the development of specific tourism products.
She also spoke about the establishment of new airline routes during the summer tourist season, as well as the meeting of the coordination body for monitoring the implementation of the tourist season, which will be held at the end of March.
Announcements for the upcoming summer are encouraging
Representatives of travel agencies and hoteliers assessed that the announcements for the summer season are encouraging. The representative of the travel agency Explorer, Igor Begović, emphasized that a good season is expected despite the reduced traffic from the Israeli market, noting that the European market is reactivating. He also pointed out the importance of improving air accessibility and building a highway, which will further bring Kolašin closer to tourists.
Dragana Bećirović from Swissotel and the Kolašin 1450 ski resort said that the end of the winter season is expected in early April, with the possibility of an extension. She announced digital promotional campaigns in Western European markets, as well as the possibility of organizing events to mark the official opening of the summer tourist season.
Representatives of private accommodation emphasized that the focus in the coming period should be on solving the problem of false reservations and educating publishers. During the meeting, issues of regulating tourist activities in nature, especially driving quads and off-road vehicles, were also raised, indicating the need for better control and protection of natural resources.
They also discussed improving parking infrastructure, traffic regulation, organized transportation to tourist attractions such as Biogradsko Lake, as well as the need for a larger number of licensed tourist guides.
"Artificial snowmaking is not expected for next winter"
A significant part of the discussion related to infrastructure projects on which the stability of the winter tourism offer depends, primarily the snowmaking system.
The Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Kolašin, Vasilije Ivanović, announced that a significant part of the technical documentation required for the implementation of the project has been resolved in the previous period. According to him, the tender is expected to be announced by the end of June, but he assessed that the implementation of the complete system by the next winter season is not certain.
Ivanovic reminded that the Municipality, although it is not within its direct jurisdiction, financed certain studies on the state of the waters, as well as the development of a conceptual design for reservoirs for snowmaking trails, while the Ski Resorts prepared a project task for the procurement of equipment.
The Deputy Mayor of the Municipality also mentioned "investor pressure on decision-makers regarding the gondola project, which slowed down the process of selecting a contractor." He also announced the completion of works in the sports zone by September, and the imminent announcement of a tender for the construction of a promenade from Lugo to Beza.
The Director of the Kolašin Waterworks, Miloš Peković, said that the snowmaking project cannot be viewed in isolation, but as part of a wider system that also includes the city's water supply. He recalled that the contractor for the water supply project had previously requested the termination of the contract due to the inability to start work, and that new tender procedures are underway. According to him, it is not realistic to expect the completion of the works by next winter, neither when it comes to the water supply nor the snowmaking system.
The need for a realistic view of deadlines was also pointed out by the representative of the tourism industry, Boško Mirović, who assessed that all stakeholders need to be additionally engaged, but also that it is important to talk openly about the dynamics of project implementation.
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