Record revenues from the residence tax set the stamp on the current course of the season in Ulcinj, which, however, did not meet all the expectations of businessmen.
And while the Tourist Organization (TO) expects that the income from the tourist tax will exceed one million euros for the first time in the city's history, the president of the Association of Tenants of Ulcinj Baths, Prelja Škrelja, says that the impressive figures from the cabinet do not mean much on the ground.
"We don't have a magic wand to cover the holes from May, June and July with a good August result".
According to Škrelja, the real season started only twenty days ago, after Eid.
"It is not fair because we are informed every day by various offices that we have five, ten or fifty percent more guests than last year. More efficient registration of guests and collection of residence tax is one thing, but the real situation on the ground - completely different".
Škrelja is also a tenant of the famous Kopakabana swimming pool and points out that he is struggling to meet all his obligations. He has about 40 employees, whom he says he has to pay whether they have a job or not...
In THAT, however, they shine - director Fatmir Đeka expects more than two million overnight stays and one million euros from the tourist tax.
"We started from a standstill. This is just to see the potential of Ulcinj, but don't get carried away. There is no euphoria, we are just at the beginning of the work. The next season will give some more answers".
When he notes that some businessmen still complain about the season, he shows the papers:
"The numbers say it all and deny it".
Đeka assessed that the great success was due to the municipal and state structures, especially the Police Directorate - the border sector.
"Time has shown that we are on the right path, but we have to do even better." However, Škrelja claims that the number of guests is lower than in previous years and explains that the financial effects on the beaches are at last year's level, because the prices are also 20 percent higher.
"This season, the public enterprise for the management of marine resources has increased the rental of our bathing areas by 30 to 50 percent. Because of this, we had to increase the prices of furniture and restaurant services by 20 percent, which had a negative impact on the visit. We have a lot of complaints". He also reminds that the weather conditions were not favorable.
“May was rainy and later we had a storm when we all suffered a lot of damage. To date, we have not received feedback from the Ministry and JP regarding the requested assistance. Unofficially, I learned that JP will lower the rental prices of the swimming pool by 20 percent next season."
The tenants of the swimming pool point out other problems which, they say, are not heard by Morski Dobr or the Government. It is the same with lifeguards, of whom, as Škrelja says, there are not enough. On Velika beach alone, he adds, 10 lifeguards must be employed at 200 meters.
"There aren't many rescuers and that's why some of them have the opportunity to condition us. This is a big problem because we have to have a lifeguard every 50 meters of the swimming area. If one of them leaves us, we are in trouble. That's why we struggle during the winter to provide the right crews, but it's getting harder," says Škrelja, reminding that previously lifeguards were within 100 meters of the beach.
The problem, he says, is the poor power supply, which is why almost every swimming pool on the Velika Beach has its own generator.
"During the whole season, the mains voltage is about 140 W. That's not enough to run a much larger device. The lack of watts is compensated by aggregates. And we think we live in the 21st century".
A big problem for tenants is the imperative provision that 50 percent of the beach must be free.
"Those tourists, as a rule, take the best parking spots, take food with them, and leave trash, we must have a lifeguard for that part of the beach as well." For us tenants, these are just costs. That's why it would be good for JP to take into account the specificity of Velika plaža and restore the ratio of 70:30, as it was before".
According to TO data, from January 1 to August 29, nearly 270.000 tourists stayed in private accommodation. That much more attention was paid to the registration of guests this season is also indicated by the fact that for the whole of last year, 145.000 were registered in private accommodation, and 102.000 the year before.
In private accommodation, guests from Kosovo dominate this year, accounting for 38 percent of the total number of overnight stays. They are followed by tourists from Germany, Serbia and Bosnia with 10 percent of overnight stays. By August 25, according to TO records, close to 1,4 million nights were spent in private accommodation.
Resulbegović: As much as we invest, we get a lot
The owner of the Palata Venezia hotel in the Old Town, Gani Resulbegović, said that Ulcinj has an opportunity that should not be missed. He highlighted the collection of the residence tax and the start of the Parking service and the introduction of order on the main streets as positive attributes of the season.
"We have proven that we can take the money that has eluded us for decades. I'm not going to talk about why it didn't happen before and where the money is. We also showed that we can bring order to the streets when we want to. We are left with garbage and noise on the Pier, because sound limiters are not the solution. When we solve these two problems, for which there are now all the prerequisites, Ulcinj will experience a new boom". Resulbegović also said "that as much as we invest in tourism, we get a lot from it".
"Believe me, the city does not have to invest a single cent in the season and will make a profit if both the locals and the authorities follow the law and the letter of the law."
Shkrelja: We pay for what God has given us
When he leased today's Kopakabana, Škrelj remembers, there were only six fenced private swimming pools on Velika Beach. Today there are 32 of them.
"For the lease of two beaches, back in 2003, I paid about 3.000 euros. For that same space, this year I had to allocate 77.000. And isn't it in the interest of all of us that our guests leave satisfied". Škrelja states that he allocates close to 20.000 euros per month just for salaries, without contributions, pays 9.000 to the Municipal Corporation for garbage collection, spends 50 euros a day on oil for generators, repairs damage from storms himself, prepares the swimming pool for the season...
"We pay the rent of the sea and sand, what God gave us. Everything you see on the beaches, the tenants paid for with their own money, starting with the complete infrastructure".
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