According to Monstat data, Montenegro was visited by around two million and 415 thousand tourists in the first nine months of this year, which is five percent more than in the same period in 2024 and two percent more than in 2019.
The data was presented at a panel titled "The summer season is behind us. Looking back for a step forward." However, the economy, on the other hand, believes that the statistics do not reflect the real situation, emphasizing that the numbers are blurred and the problems are numerous.
The relevant Ministry assesses this year's summer tourist season as fair. In total, a little less than two and a half million tourists visited our country in the first nine months of this year, which is five percent more than the year before, and a higher number of tourists visited northern municipalities.
"I would say that this year we have an extension of the summer tourist season, as shown by the data from September and October. We have official statistics for September, when we recorded a 13 percent increase in the number of tourists and a six percent increase in the number of overnight stays compared to the previous year. This year in Kolašin, during the summer tourist season, we had a 25 percent increase in collective accommodation. In Žabljak, we can freely state that we had a record tourist season," said Olivera Blagojević from the Ministry of Tourism.
The economy, however, does not consider these figures relevant. They point out that the statistics also include overnight stays of those who came to Montenegro to work.
"As of today, we have absolutely no reports from Monstat on the number of overnight stays in private accommodation. At the moment, around 70 percent of the total number of overnight stays is in private accommodation, so I don't know on what basis we are forming this data on the increase in tourism. If we take the latest data due to this unfortunate incident that 13.380 Turkish citizens received work permits, multiply that by seven and you will get that that is one hundred thousand overnight stays shown as tourists," said hotel director Željko Cicović.
Official statistics are not the biggest problem in tourism, but the shortage of labor is, which is filled precisely from Turkey but also from other countries: Kazakhstan, Egypt, and even Mexico.
"I am not happy as a man who is strongly attached to Montenegro, which is already 70 percent of our people from abroad, but you have no bakers, no pastry chefs, no hygienists, not to mention what we are facing," said the founder and co-owner of the Šajo Group, Žarko Rakčević.
While the Ministry of Tourism assesses the season as successful, and the industry warns of the problems hidden behind the statistics, everyone agrees that sustainable tourism requires more precise data monitoring and a more serious approach to resolving the chronic shortage of labor, as well as infrastructure, communal order, and air accessibility of Montenegro as a tourist destination.
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