Judging by the statements of some leading hotel companies, Budva hoteliers are more than satisfied with the occupancy rate and turnover, and with the announcements of the summer peak season, but the same cannot be said for private accommodation.
A good May and June for private publishers was greeted by a worse start to July, which has now reportedly stabilized and statistical figures are at last year's level.
While some are doing great on the market, others have rooms and apartments that are half-empty.
Officials, both state and local, in Budva are making optimistic statements, backed up by statistics, that the season is a success. This is the situation almost every year, when statements about the success of the season are used to defend politically acquired positions in the tourism sector.
Although according to the latest data from the Budva Tourist Organization, 18.935 guests are staying in private accommodation in the tourism metropolis, or three percent more than in the same period last year, the local tourist organization only deals with estimates, but not precise data.
Neither the Municipality nor the Budva TO have accurate data on how many beds are in private accommodation, or rather, the estimate is that only a third are covered by legalization.
The Secretariat for Economy, Tourism Sector of the Municipality of Budva has about 40 thousand registered beds in private accommodation. However, estimates are that there are as many as 120 thousand beds in private accommodation from Jaz to Buljarica. Private accommodation is expected to fill up in the coming days. According to information from the Association of Accommodation Providers of Montenegro, the price of a double room is from 30 to 50 euros per unit, the price of a studio apartment is from 40 to 55 euros per unit, the price of 2+2 apartments is from 50 to 70 euros per unit, the price of one-bedroom apartments is from 55 to 80 euros, while the price of two-bedroom apartments is from 90 to 140 euros.
"There is no unified real-time occupancy data for private accommodation, which is why any assessment of the season so far should be made cautiously and based on multiple indicators," said the director of the Association of Accommodation Providers of Montenegro (UIS CG) in an interview with "Vijesti". Branka Džoganović.
According to her, based on the daily communication of the Association of Accommodation Providers of Montenegro with hosts across the country, she can say that this year's tourist season has a different dynamic compared to previous years.
"Since the May Day holidays, there has been a gradual and fairly uniform increase in occupancy, which continued throughout June and the first half of July. This shows that tourist traffic is gradually being spread out over a longer period. The main summer peak is already entering the coast, there are differences in occupancy by type of accommodation, but it is certainly better than in the same period last year. Inland and in the north - from Kolašin and Žabljak to Plav, Gusinje, Berane and Bijelo Polje, stable occupancy is reported, especially during the weekend, with an increase in interest from individual guests. Such indicators confirm that the diversification of the tourist offer is yielding results. The development of the interior, active holidays, rural tourism and authentic local experiences contributes to a more even development of our destination," emphasizes Džoganović.
She points out that this season is also characterized by reservations that come much later and are often conditioned by the prior purchase of a plane ticket.
"Guests today first look for the most affordable tickets, and then for accommodation, which is why a significant number of last-minute reservations are expected. At the same time, improving air connectivity opens up the possibility for foreign guests to visit Montenegro multiple times during the year - for extended weekends, active holidays, business trips or remote work. This is also important for private accommodation because it contributes to reducing seasonality," said Džoganović.
She assesses that hotel accommodation is an important segment of Montenegro's tourism product and plays a key role in developing the quality of the destination.
"However, the largest part of the total accommodation capacity is made up of private and other forms of tourist accommodation. The growth of capacity in the segments of holiday homes, rural tourist households and campsites is particularly encouraging, which meet the needs of modern guests for authentic experiences, greater privacy and spending time in nature," Džoganović points out.
Accommodation provider in the Old Town, local Petar Antonioli, He tells "Vijesti" that this year, compared to before, there are slightly more tourists from different parts of the world, which, he estimates, is a consequence of the introduction of new airline lines.
"When it comes to accommodation prices, the situation has remained unchanged, meaning they are much lower in the pre-season, while in the season we are struggling to achieve market prices. When I say market prices, we should pay special attention to the fact that private accommodation in the Old Town is more difficult to rent out due to accumulated problems. Communal chaos (noise, clamor, cleanliness), illegal business, poor location signage, which is a problem created by lack of communication between the authorities and businessmen. With all these problems in the background, we can be satisfied with the season so far, the number of visitors, but we should definitely sit down at the table and talk about the problems that can be solved," said Antonioli.
The best results are achieved by those with a quality online presentation and good guest reviews.
Džoganović emphasizes that in private accommodation, the best results are achieved by facilities that have a quality online presentation, good guest reviews, and actively manage their business.
"At UISCG, we do not measure the success of the season only by the number of guests and overnight stays. Equally important to us is the sustainability of the hosts' business, that is, how much value they create and how much profit they end the season with. From the hosts' perspective, the most important thing is not that all guests arrive in the two or three weeks of the main season, but that they have continuity of reservations throughout as much of the year as possible. This is exactly the pattern that could develop this year. We cannot evaluate the season only based on the number of arrivals and overnight stays, but also through whether we are building a more resilient and sustainable tourism system that will bring results throughout the year. We see the greatest development opportunity in this," said Džoganović.
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