If we continue on the current path, in the end we will have "neither kid nor money" in Budva and Montenegro. We will be left without a significant part of the cultural and natural heritage, we will devastate villages, the coast and space, uproot old olive trees... After some time, we will realize that tourists, especially high-paying ones, are not interested in our bulky condo-hotels, studded residential buildings in Budva and Petrovac, construction sites , concrete coast, devastated Miločerski Park, polluted sea and environment.
This was said in an interview with "Vijesti" by a representative of the Bankada Foundation and a long-time civic activist, a resident of Pržno. Blazo Kazanegra.
He assessed that we will also understand that tourists are not interested in wind farms in the hinterland of the coast because they have them on every corner in their countries, so they are fed up with "artificial landscapes".
"Then we might realize that we made a mistake when 'choosing the path' (the so-called "path-dependance" effect) and that we can hardly go back. But, well, we will come to terms with the fact that we have become a destination for transit tourism, that is, a transit zone, a stopover for Croatia, Greece and possibly Albania. And this is exactly the scenario that we are fighting against, because we want to be a quality tourist destination, even as sustainable as Dubrovnik, which would not be so bad. A lot has been destroyed, but there is still time to save what can be saved", Kažanegra warned.
They are not against investments
He stated that groups of citizens and related NGO organizations and the Bankada Foundation all these years have been directed mainly towards the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, as well as the environment.
"However, this does not mean that if we are fighting for the preservation of heritage, we are against economic progress and investments, quite the opposite. It is a misinterpretation that is noticeable among a certain number of people. It is important to emphasize that the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, in a small country like Montenegro, which has been extremely dependent on tourism and related industries for more than half a century, is the basis for adequate economic development. Such economic development is nothing but what is popularly called 'sustainable development'. Therefore, all that we do in order to protect our heritage, we do not do it out of some 'stupefaction' and aversion to development, innovative solutions and changes, but for carefully selected goals with multiple long-term effects for the local community, as well as society and the country as a whole ".
According to him, we see that in recent years, in various agendas and strategic development plans, whether at the local or national level, the phrase "sustainable development" is often mentioned.
"One gets the impression that everyone already knows what this means concretely. However, when it comes to the practical level, solutions and acts are often adopted that have nothing to do with this type of development model. One is written in agendas and defined goals, while something else is implemented in practice. The United Nations website states that sustainable development is "development that meets the current needs of society without impairing the ability of future generations to meet their needs." In this context, the importance of three key elements of this development concept is emphasized: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. Seen from the point of view of sustainable tourism development, i.e. what is relevant for us, it is the development that is based on the preservation of our cultural and natural heritage, as tourist resources, and their adequate tourism valorization, because precisely this heritage is an integral part of the environment, but and social inclusion, because everyone should have the right to access heritage, as required by numerous international conventions".
On the contrary, as he points out, "unsustainable development" is the development model that is currently gaining momentum in our country and is being fought against.
"Not because we supposedly don't like progress and profit, but because we know that in the long run we lose income and resources in this way, depriving the next generation of various opportunities. Unsustainable development would be that development which is based on the irreversible destruction of natural and cultural resources (e.g. uprooting and felling of old olive trees in Budva, demolition of old buildings and felling of pine trees in Miločer), the environment, discrimination of people on various grounds (access to St. Stefan) , the devastation of nature and heritage, i.e. its sacrifice for the sake of profit. In the long term, such development, which may lead to increased growth in the short term, at least for individuals, causes a decline in the quality of the environment and therefore the quality of the tourist offer, which results in, among other things, a change in the structure of guests and a drop in income. The question of development, sustainable or unsustainable, is related to the dilemma of choosing between two development paths - that now, in the short term, we have a certain (increased) economic income with the irreversible destruction of nature, the environment and cultural and tourist resources, which will later lead to to a drop in income, or another - that we now have a slightly lower economic income, because we preserve nature, the environment and cultural and touristic resources, which, however, will lead to stable and continuous income growth in the long term".
Jare i(li) pare
As he adds, sustainable development is linked to this second choice, which takes into account long-term aspects.
"He implies to some extent that after a certain time, in popular terms, we have 'both goat and money', i.e. money and natural resources, cultural goods and a preserved environment, but of course on the condition that we have a little self-control, patience, reason and respect, how themselves, as well as others, including future generations".
He states that there are many positive examples of sustainable development in the world, and that one of them is Dubrovnik and its surroundings, which is geographically closest to us.
"In Dubrovnik and its surroundings, they don't have nearly the beautiful and large beaches that we have in Budva, and their income from tourism is many times higher (not counting public income from the collection of utilities for construction and real estate tax). Why is that so? Isn't the essence of tourism in the sun, beaches and sea? Apparently not. Nor is it 'crazy night time' and discos, because in this regard we are also more 'advanced' than Dubrovnik. So what is at stake? Well, tourists, especially the so-called high-paying ones, go there mostly because of the cultural and natural heritage that is preserved and adequately valorized, both in the old town of Dubrovnik and Cavtat, as well as in the hinterland (Konavle) and on the nearby islands.
As he says, an adequate combination of cultural and natural heritage is precisely what brings Dubrovnik such high income from tourism.
"The old town of Dubrovnik is a treasure of cultural heritage with many museums, good restaurants and other facilities. In the hinterland, various cultural routes are promoted that connect various cultural sites (Knežev dvor, Sokograd, etc.), local gastronomic offer (e.g., restaurant "Konavaoski dvori"), numerous wineries, rural households, museums, hiking trails through villages, archeological sites, tumuli, small houses, and more. High-paying guests love "heritage", tangible, intangible, gastronomic or any other; they enjoy exploring the traditions and history of a climate, while tasting local wines and other specialties; they like to enjoy the cultural offer, hiking trails, various events, and they are ready to pay a high price for that. As the architect says Slobodan Bobo Mitrović, former director of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, 'heritage' raises the price of accommodation in hotels and services in restaurants. The people of Dubrovnik are aware of the negative impact of wind power plants on rural tourism and 'heritage', and they did not allow one of these to be built near Dubrovnik".
They want in Budva what they couldn't do in Dubrovnik
However, as he states, now the same company, whose regional headquarters is in Dubrovnik, wants to do in Budva and Crmnica what it failed to do in Dubrovnik - to build a wind power plant, in the middle of a zone that has great potential for rural, cultural, archaeological , wine and agro-tourism.
"Their nearest wind farm is about 65 kilometers from Dubrovnik, that is, about 35-40 kilometers as the crow flies. Although green energy is part of the sustainable development agenda, it must not be planned in a way that threatens the key elements of that concept, such as the environment and social inclusion, as it is in our case. This is precisely why, among other things, we are fighting against the construction of a wind power plant in Brajići and Paštrovska Gora, which threatens to threaten the potential for rural tourism in over fifteen Brajići, Paštrovska and Crmnica villages, and thus the perspective of sustainable development. All in all, in this way, through the adequate valorization of its cultural and natural heritage, Dubrovnik today has both 'springs and money'. He preserved his heritage, valorized it adequately in such a way as to be attractive to guests, especially the high-paying ones, while the income is growing steadily from year to year. Therefore, such development is sustainable, i.e. socially balanced, inclusive and fair, because it preserves the legacy of the past, i.e. 'heritage', space, nature, while profit grows in the long term precisely because of this 'heritage', i.e. heritage that remains for the next generations to are preserved and improved for the benefit of the entire community", stressed Kažanegra.
Sveti Stefan to be conceived as a Mediterranean city-hotel
Kazanegra points out that in 2025, their group of citizens and related organizations will continue to fight even more strongly for the principles of sustainable development, through the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, despite all "obstacles and sabotage from interest groups".
"We will fight for the preservation of the hinterland in our municipality, and accordingly also against the construction of a wind farm in that area, precisely because of the negative impact on rural tourism and the environment. We will advocate that Sveti Stefan be conceived as a Mediterranean city-hotel, open all year round for locals, citizens of Montenegro and tourists, with numerous museums, restaurants, galleries and other facilities, because only such Sveti Stefan can be a successful example of a model of sustainable development. Therefore, sustainable development implies a little patience, respect for other people and their rights..., social inclusion, respect for the law and some basic principles, dialogue, transparency, care for the next generations, so gradually, little by little, with God's help, we will it is said, to have our rich natural and cultural heritage preserved, and at the same time growing incomes with stable economic growth. And that's exactly what sustainable development is, when we can have 'both kids and money', i.e. and money and a quality environment, with preserved natural resources and cultural assets"
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