The Skadar Lake National Park (NP) was visited by 10 thousand visitors until October 66, which is four thousand less than last year, it was announced at the first working session of the Socio-Economic Forum of that NP.
The director of the National Parks of Montenegro (NPCG), Azra Vuković, and the adviser for protection and development, Veselin Luburić, informed those present about the results of this year's tourist season, and proposed cooperation to the members of the forum in order to overcome the challenges of this year's season.
Vuković said that, despite the aggravating circumstances that entailed personnel changes in the management of the company and in NP Skadarsko jezero, she is satisfied with the results of the tourist season.
As stated, Luburić informed the members of the forum about the results of the tourist season, i.e. the number of visitors, which this year in Skadar Lake National Park was less than last year.
"Until October 10 of this year, we recorded about 66 visitors in Skadar Lake National Park, which is about four thousand less than in 2015," specified Luburić.
He assessed that, given that the park is located between two economically highly developed entities - the Montenegrin coast and the capital city, the number of visitors should be higher.
As Luburić said, the circumstances that followed them since the beginning of the season did not affect the number of visitors at the level of all parks, and he stated that so far they have recorded an increase compared to the previous year.
"Nevertheless, this is an indicator that we should all work together to improve and complete the tourist offer of Lake Skadar, to work on the quality of services and to welcome guests more readily next year," said Luburić.
NPCG representatives stated that more than 13 people live within the borders of Skadar Lake NP, and that this represents a great pressure on the park and causes great difficulties in the management of the park by companies.
As announced, the representatives of the tourist industry in Skadar Lake National Park as some of the problems and suggestions for the future period pointed out better maintenance of the cleanliness of the park, consideration of the possibility of issuing licenses for carrying out activities within the park, improvement of traffic signals near the park, but also the need for standardization some services in NP.
"At the session, it was agreed that it is not necessary to tie the success of the tourist season to the number of visitors, but to the quality of the service offered to them," the announcement says.
Vuković, answering the questions of the members of the Forum, said that the issue of waste is the most complex in Montenegro in the area of the environment and assessed that it is also a problem in national parks.
"I am afraid that a longer period of time will be needed to resolve the issue of waste and that, along with strengthening citizens' awareness, a better infrastructure for waste management is needed. What we can do together, above all with the local population, is to try to reduce the number of landfills in parks," explained Vuković.
In this way, as she added, NP Skadarsko jezero, citizens, as well as all those who link their business to the park will also benefit.
The members of the forum proposed, as stated, the possibilities of better development of tourism and offers in the area from Godinje to the border with Albania, as well as in the area of Podhum - City Municipality (GO) Tuzi.
Vuković, it is added, expressed her willingness to cooperate with all interested citizens, local communities and associations who are ready to jointly participate in the valorization of NP Skadarko jezero in a sustainable way and its protection.
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