Severely warm and rainy conditions have nearly disrupted the peak winter season at the state-run ski resorts of Bjelasica and Durmitor, resulting in millions of dollars in damages and underscoring the necessity for artificial snowmaking systems to ensure the viability of ski centers.

For the last ten days, the Kolašin 1600 ski resort has only been able to provide guests with panoramic cable car rides and dining options, as the slopes are devoid of snow. A similar situation is observed at the Savin Kuk ski resort in Durmitor, where skiing was only feasible yesterday due to adequate snow on sections of the slope under the namesake peak…

Since the onset of the winter tourist season on December 21st last year, Kolašin 1600 has only recorded 1,600 ski days. Following the rain and dry spells in Bjelasica and Durmitor, there has been a significant cancellation of bookings, particularly in private accommodations, coupled with a decreased number of visitors to the ski resorts.

The atmosphere in Kolašin and Žabljak these days evokes memories of the 2023/2024 winter tourism season when an extraordinary snow shortage led to millions in losses and zero recorded ski days.

The start of the winter tourist season seemed promising and raised hopes of recouping some losses. At Kolašin 1600 in early January, an impressive 1,250 skiers enjoyed the well-prepared slopes daily, while the Savin Kuk resort was unreachable by car after 11 am.

Regrettably, the fully booked accommodations, bustling ski resorts, and winter bliss only lasted until mid-January when a strong southerly wind disrupted plans.

Instead of optimism, Kolašin 1600 now echoes last year’s sentiments, as manager Bojan Medenica states, “It’s evident that we cannot welcome the next season without artificial snowmaking.”

“The slopes served by the K8 ski lift operated for merely 15 days. The beginners’ slope managed 31 days of operation. We are currently closed due to insufficient snow. Naturally, I cannot take satisfaction in such a low count of ski days. Since January 22, the slopes linked to the K8 lift have been closed, leaving visitors only the option of a panoramic ride. It is crucial for everyone to work towards ensuring we don’t face the next season in the same predicament. The ski center has no future if artificial snowmaking isn’t implemented,” Medenica remarks.

The impact of artificial snowmaking amid global warming is clearly illustrated by nearby ski resorts – Jahorina and Kopaonik, where skiing remains possible today, irrespective of the warm weather and lack of natural snowfall…

Weekend Activity

The conclusion of school holidays and subsequent rainfall have also led to a decline in private accommodations in Kolašin. Currently, according to the director of the local Tourist Organization (TO), Zorica Milašinović, only excursion tourism is on the table.

“The occupancy rate was excellent during the holidays, then the rain came, the snow disappeared, and numerous reservations in private accommodations were abruptly canceled. Though we still see weekend visitors, mostly short-stay guests from Montenegro, we cannot discuss longer stays at this moment. There’s also a notable presence of tourists from Albania in Kolašin, who stay for a few days regardless of snow conditions. This is far from what we anticipated for the season,” explains Milašinović.

According to her, lacking snow renders efforts to diversify non-ski offerings largely futile. “Events cannot replace snow,” she asserts.

Her sentiments resonate with private accommodation owners, who have shifted their focus from expectations to urging that authorities must devise a solution, at least for the upcoming winter tourism season. They all agree, the solution lies in artificial snow.

Minister’s Statement and Challenges Ahead

The tourism department has yet to respond to the significant issues the warming has brought to ski resorts in late January, which have undoubtedly caused substantial losses.

The assertion made by the Minister of Tourism, Simonides Kordić, at the season’s onset suggesting guests could bicycle if snow was insufficient at the ski resorts hints at the government’s “concern” towards winter tourism in the northern regions.

Yet, it would be incorrect to assume the lack of snow is the only challenge facing the ski resort and the state-owned company Skijališta Crne Gore (SCG), which oversees Kolašin 1600. Various portions of the ski infrastructure on Bjelasica weren’t operational even when adequate snow was available. Owing to required additional rehabilitation of the soil around pillar number 4, the six-seater K7 lift, servicing 10 kilometers of slopes, is deemed unsafe. This lift connects the facilities of state and private ski resorts, Kolašin 1450, into a combined offering of around forty kilometers of slopes, costing citizens roughly nine million euros.

The Board of Directors (BOD) of SCG announced in early January that they were uncertain how long the land remediation would require, nor when the cable car could resume service. A statement issued at that time by the BOD president Miličko Bulatović noted that an expert team was engaged to assess the condition of the pillar and surrounding land, with recommendations meant for forthcoming actions.

“We received the expert team’s feedback on December 31st, which advised further rehabilitation of the soil surrounding pillar 4 of the K7 lift to secure the foundations completely. Additional safety measures were also recommended. As safety remains our utmost priority, we will proceed with all suggested actions. Currently, we cannot estimate the duration for additional remediation and accompanying works,” stated the OD.

The same statement reminds that the manager of Kolašin 1600 had informed the executive director of SCG on May 24th of last year regarding issues surrounding the cable car pole due to operations by a private company, which “Vijesti” reported multiple times. Yet, an appropriate response was noticeably absent, leading experts to determine only at the start of winter that the cable car was unsafe for operation.

Moreover, two “sidro” and “tanjir” type ski lifts installed at the resort last year have remained non-operational throughout January due to a lack of operating permits.

Bojan Medenica informed “Vijesti” around fifteen days ago that he expects part of the skiing infrastructure, newly included in the offering, to become operational soon.

The new lifts will service 1.2 kilometers of trails. Almost a year ago, the Capital Projects Administration issued a public call for proposals for designing and building two ski lifts within the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center. Approximately 3.5 million euros have been allocated for this project.

In contrast to the infrastructure on Bjelasica, where tens of millions have been invested, Savin Kuk has seen little investment over the decades, creating significant issues even on snowy days. While Bjelasica grapples with how to secure sufficient water necessary for artificial snowmaking, Durmitor has effectively addressed this issue with the construction of an artificial lake located a few hundred meters from the ski resort, yet artificial snow is still absent…

At the start of November last year, the government decided to provide non-refundable financial assistance of 100,000 euros to Serbia and Montenegro. According to the announcement at the time, these funds were essential for the company’s regular operations in light of losses sustained during the 2023/2024 season.

The government had also authorized an aid package of 200,000 euros for the company in April last year to cover salaries for that month.

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