Tourists with pets bypass Montenegro

Montenegro is a great country to live and travel, but this is not the case, and this experience is not shared by those who would take their pets on trips and vacations, and Montenegro is losing a significant market there.

This was, among other things, the message from the initial event on animal welfare held yesterday, which was organized at the European House in Podgorica as part of the National Environmental Campaign "Take Care, Let It Take Care of You".

She spoke about Montenegro's potential for tourism. Kirsi Hyvaerinen from Finland, who has been working and living in Montenegro for several years, in Pošćenje, near Šavnik.

"Those places that are good for people and animals are also good for visitors. There are 46 million trips with dogs in Europe every year, and Montenegro attracts almost none of them," she said.

By 2030, she added, the pet travel market in Europe is expected to reach a revenue of around $1,16 billion.

Hyvaerinen also said that there are 90 million registered dogs with responsible owners in the European Union (EU), and that in the German-speaking area alone (Austria, Switzerland, Germany), 10 to 15 billion is spent annually on travel with dogs.

"More than half of pet owners in the EU (53 percent) take their animals on vacation, and in Germany it is even higher - 93,5 percent, which is ten million trips per year. Montenegro is promoted to nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, hikers... but the reality is that those who have dogs bypass Montenegro. They stay in Slovenia, Croatia, the Netherlands, and not Montenegro, despite its superior nature, is the number one destination in this sense," said Hyvaerinen.

As she added, there are several reasons why Montenegro is losing that market. According to her, Montenegro has competition from other countries, where bureaucracy is simpler. Hyvaerinen also adds that the rules for entry and exit in Montenegro are stricter than with competitors from the EU.

"There is no infrastructure for dogs - beaches, pet facilities, and few services that are pet-friendly," says Hyvaerinen, adding that public transport is not friendly either, and even where it is possible, such as train transport, one often comes across the question - is it really necessary?

Both Hyvaerinen and other conference participants pointed to the poor treatment of stray dogs, which, they added, is not unknown in Europe and which deters dog owners from visiting Montenegro.

They point to cases of poisoning, and even risks of disease. Hyvaerinen also pointed to the frequent shifting of responsibility between institutions, when hours pass before jurisdiction is determined and help is provided to the animal. As one example, she recounted a case from 2024, when she waited 12 hours for help for a mare in the vicinity of Šavnik...

He also cites positive examples of foreign citizens adopting dogs from Montenegro, but points to long procedures and complex bureaucracy, so adoption takes several months and often costs the adopters several thousand euros.

The example of the Vučje Tourist Center, in the Nikšić municipality, was presented as a positive one, where not only are pets welcome but, according to the director, Andje Vukcevic Zoric, they also take care of strays.

"In Montenegro, there are facilities that are pet friendly, but then you hear that dogs can stay on the terrace, and not in other parts. With us, they can stay everywhere, because pet friendly means that you are friendly towards animals to the fullest," she said.

Johann Sattler, the European Union Ambassador to Montenegro said yesterday that improving animal welfare is not just an animal issue, but a people issue.

"It's about safer streets, healthier communities and a stronger sense of responsibility. That means teaching younger generations empathy and respect. That means building trust in institutions that act fairly and efficiently. In that sense, animal welfare is deeply connected to overall social development," he said.

Vladimir Jokovic, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in the Government of Montenegro said that the time for action is "now":

"The problem of abandoned dogs in Montenegro has long been not only a matter of animal welfare, but also of citizen safety, a burden on local budgets, an impact on tourism and the overall image of the country. That is why its solution must be based on systemic measures, primarily mass sterilization and castration, but also on the clear responsibility of all stakeholders, because it is also our obligation on the European path and a test of our readiness to achieve the high standards required by the EU."

Participants emphasized that the issue of animal welfare and stray dog ​​population management has broader social significance, as it directly affects the safety of citizens, public health, the functioning of local governments, but also the overall image of Montenegro as a tourist destination. They agreed that a responsible and systematic approach to this issue represents an important step towards building more orderly and sustainable communities.

In the context of the EU accession process, it was emphasized that Montenegro faces concrete and binding changes in the field of animal welfare.

The EU is in the final stages of adopting a comprehensive regulation that will, for the first time, introduce uniform standards for the breeding, keeping, care and treatment of dogs and cats, including animals in shelters. It has been emphasized that this regulation will have direct legal force in all member states, so Montenegro will be obliged to apply it in full from the date of accession to the EU.

During the discussion, challenges in implementing existing policies at the local level were also highlighted, including the need for stronger coordination between institutions, a more uniform approach among municipalities, and further strengthening of administrative and professional capacities.

The meeting was organized as one of the accompanying events of the national environmental protection campaign "Protect and let it protect you", which brings together a broad coalition of institutions, businesses, the non-governmental sector, the media and individuals, with the aim of promoting a responsible attitude towards the environment and common resources.

They will dance for dogs again this year

Michael Bader, a German who has been living in Montenegro, in Bar, for 17 years, announced that this year, on June 13, a party will be organized in Ulcinj, where funds will be collected for the sterilization of strays, paperwork for adoption...

Such a party was organized last year, with participants buying vouchers for a prize game, and 5.500 euros were collected then, so this year, Bader says, they expect their "dance for dogs" to be successful.