Last spring was a record for Montenegrins' interest in travel, preferably to Spain, Tuscany, the Cote d'Azur, Istanbul..., according to travel agencies.
Kolašinka and Kolašinci, judging by the conversation with them and representatives of travel agencies, neither were, nor will they be part of those statistics in the coming months.
Rajko Perović from the Atalas tour agency notes that the situation is similar in some other cities in the north.
"Although the agencies do not keep records of who is from which municipality, I notice that among the inhabitants of southern municipalities, the tradition of traveling is more pronounced compared to the north. We have a similar number of passengers from Kolašin as, for example, from Beran or Bijelo Polje. Although, it is also true that there is a slight increase in interest in foreign destinations... I hope that Kolašin will soon have the opportunity, with the opening of the highway, for faster economic development, and for the people of Kolašin to travel more".
Plans and wishes in that city when it comes to summer vacations and travel could be expressed in the simplest way with a sentence - they dream of Ibiza and Miami, and spend a few days on the Montenegrin coast.
However, in addition to the many for whom money is the main obstacle to getting to their "dream vacation spot", a few will be prevented from vacationing outside the city this summer by their obligations.
428 billion euros are spent annually on summer vacations by EU citizens, according to Eurostat data. The absolute record holders two years ago were the Germans, who spent 120 billion euros, followed by the French (71) and the British (61). About 45 percent was spent on domestic travel. On each trip, Europeans spent an average of 355 euros. According to last year's Eurostat data, Montenegrins are at the bottom of the scale and spend an average of 195 euros per trip. Lithuanians and Romanians spend the least money, 124 euros each, while citizens of the Czech Republic spend an average of 133 euros.
Among them is the President of the Municipal Assembly (SO) Milan Đukić.
"A small local self-government has big obligations, which increase during the summer months. I have very little time for summer vacations. Besides the usual stays in my father's village of Vranještica and picking fruit in the field in Slatina near Andrijevica, I will try to organize a stay at the sea for the children, at least for one weekend. The only thing that can be a challenge is that I didn't plan anything in time because of my obligations, so I hope that the children will not be 'cheated' and that I will provide them with at least a weekend in Čanj".
Đukić claims with local patriotism that Kolašin is ideal for a holiday. His dream vacation, as he says, would include "any place on the Montenegrin coast, without phone and internet for at least 20 days."
Theater director Zoran Rakočević will also not go on long trips due to obligations. He travels "not tied to seasons".
"I don't like to go 'to the sea', because the habit of sitting in a lounger or on a towel, spending the whole day on the beach - is not close to me. It's even extremely boring to me. However, this does not mean that I do not adore Ada and certain parts of beautiful Boka, our piece of paradise, which I hope will not be suffocated by construction and 'valuation'. Those parts of Montenegro are special, because capital has not yet 'got hold' of them and turned them into a quasi-fashionable concrete lounge of cemeteries". He remembers last year's stay on Hvar, when he barely managed to get by on seven days off. Rakočević prefers trips that include "new knowledge, cultures, sights..." He says that he hopes that around New Year he will be able to "get lost somewhere further away, for two weeks".
RTCG journalist Dragana Šćepanović says that she has not traveled for two years due to professional obligations. She recently became a mother and plans to make up for it with her husband and daughter. He likes to choose an unspoilt priotre for his vacation.
"Until now, we visited national parks on weekends, because we love untouched nature. When we don't go to another destination, our choice is Lake Biograd. We are planning to spend a few days in Bjelasica, where my family has a cottage. We will go to our coast... It doesn't matter where you go, but with whom and how much quality time you spend".
He would like to relax in Ibiza, but, hairdresser Mirko Vlahović is convinced, he will have a good time on the Montenegrin coast as well. He says he likes music festivals.
Middle-aged Kolašinka Vesna Kljaić is going to Igalo for summer vacation and rehabilitation.
"I work the hardest job to make it possible for myself, because with my income I wouldn't even be able to go to Sutomore once a month, and that by train. I would love to go to Miami. That's my dream. Unfortunately, distant exclusive destinations are only available to me 'virtually'. My peers in some happier countries certainly use this time of their lives to travel, we here have to come to terms with the fact that we have many luxuries".
A few days at the sea and as many on the mountain, as she says, is all that Vesna Vukićević Bulatović can afford this summer. He dreams of a summer vacation in Greece.
"I can only dream about that. I am a mother of four children. Politically ineligible and deceived by the state, so my options for summer vacation are in line with that situation."
Vdran would go to the mountains, not beaches and umbrellas
Photographer and student of the Faculty of Political Sciences Vedran Vujisić will spend the summer in his hometown.
He says that the Kolasin summer will be interesting enough for him - both professionally and personally.
I recommend that city for vacation to others.
"As a representative sample of Kolašinac, I really can't stand the heat. As in the previous year, I will spend the summer in Kolašin, where I live. For me, the best vacation is spending free time with my family, meeting famous faces on the streets of Kolašin, making up for missed moments with friends from high school, and photographing events held in Kolašin".
He says that the surroundings of Kolašin can be very inspiring and interesting for his peers. He recommends an active holiday in Sinjajevina and Bjelasica. It can also be, he claims, a "dream vacation".
"The ideal vacation for me is not lying on the beach under an umbrella, but hiking, enjoying nature and the landscape. I would undoubtedly return from such a vacation with a heart full of grace, lungs full of clean mountain air and undoubtedly with a full camera memory card".
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
