Barely 90 ski days at both ski centers during the entire past season due to a lack of snow and, consequently, a meager number of overnight stays in Kolašin accommodation, is the balance of the tourist winter. However, tourism workers in that town have been intensively preparing for the summer season for almost a month now.
No one has yet announced the exact losses of the past months, but the consequences are most obvious at the state-run ski resort, where there is a lack of money even for employees' salaries. The Kolašin 1600 ski center was plagued by numerous infrastructure challenges, and throughout the winter, the shortcomings of the K7 ski lift, which connects all the ski infrastructure on Bjelasica, were not eliminated. Of course, not even 10 kilometers of ski trails that follow that six-seater were in operation, and the operating permits for two new ski lifts arrived when there was no more snow on Bjelasica. As they previously announced, there were only 20 days for skiing at that ski center.
As he explains Zorica Milašinović, director of the local Tourist Organization (TO), that is why in recent months, guests of Kolašin have mainly used the infrastructure of the private Ski Center Kolašin 1450, where there is an artificial snow system and where there were about 70 ski days. As she told "Vijesti", the number of guests in Kolašin was satisfactory until January 18, and then "it all came down to weekend stays."
A lot is expected from the off-season, and then from the tourist summer, in Kolašin.
"As has been repeated many times, the bad tourist season is behind us. However, we have been preparing for the summer season for more than a month. In mid-April, we will hold a series of meetings with hoteliers and accommodation providers, as well as representatives of local government, municipal companies and services. So, with everyone who needs to participate in the preparations. In order to coordinate activities and create a calendar of events, we will also have intensive agreements and cooperation with NGOs that take part in organizing the events that Kolašin is famous for in the summer," says Milašinović.
Part of the activities will be aimed at those involved in rural tourism. According to the director of the Tourist Office, in the past two years, the largest number of foreign tourists were interested in spending the summer in rural households, eco-katuns or camping.
"We will discuss with the owners of this type of accommodation how we can help and improve their business. This will, as before, actively promote sustainable tourism and natural beauty. We are already preparing bicycle and hiking trails, the damaged signage will be replaced, and the marking of new trails is also planned. I would like to remind you that last year, through the Ministry of Tourism's incentive measures project, we marked 40 kilometers of new trails in Sinjavina, and now their promotion will follow," announces the director of the Tourist Office.
Milašinović promises a good non-boarding offer in the city this year as well, so a rich music program will be organized during the summer, as well as traditional events that have long had an international character. In recent years, TO has paid special attention to activities for the youngest, and this will continue to be the case during the upcoming summer, the director announces.
High online reputation
Despite two failed winter tourist seasons, tourists clearly recognize the efforts of the people of Kolašin and those responsible for tourism, so the online reputation of the city, based on 5.224 guest opinions, was rated a high 88/100. The National Tourism Organization of Montenegro (NTOCG), as part of the Integrated Quality Management in Destinations project, conducted a measurement of the online reputation of Kolašin, in cooperation with the local TO and the company Feel IQM. The highest score (100/100) when it comes to quality was given to travel agencies and campsites (97/100). Private accommodation received a score of 93/100, and cleanliness and service were the most positively rated aspects, while Wi-Fi stands out as an area that needs further improvement.
"According to data for 2024, Kolašin's overall online reputation was rated a high 88/100, based on 5.224 guest reviews. Hotels recorded a score of 86/100, with a slight increase in quality and 40 percent more reviews, compared to the previous year. There was also an increase in the response rate to reviews, and hoteliers are encouraged to continue in that direction. Restaurants were rated 85/100, with a quality increase of almost three percent. Guests praise the ambiance and quality of the food the most, while they see room for improvement in the beverage offering," recalls Milašinović.
She explains that the analysis shows that guests in Kolašin are most satisfied with the service and overall atmosphere, while the quality of the Wi-Fi network and the offer of drinks stand out as segments for improvement. The TO director assesses that the complaints related to internet coverage are justified, and that, as she says, "more needs to be done to improve the content in the city center."
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