Hoteliers are reporting that high prices, ongoing infrastructure projects, and a shortage of flights have led to a less successful season in Montenegro compared to last year. Nikola Pejović from the Association of Hotels Montenegro remarked that the ratings for this season are disappointing.

“This season has underperformed by 20 percent, which is worse than last year,” Pejović stated, highlighting issues such as a lack of preparedness and inadequate involvement of government officials in the tourism strategy, as reported by MINA agency.

Data from tourism organizations in Budva, Ulcinj, and Herceg Novi provide a clearer picture of the coastal situation, revealing variance in tourist numbers across different cities.

Local administrations are urged to engage the economy and tourism worker associations in the decision-making process to address seasonal challenges more effectively.

Many are looking forward to the latter part of the season, hoping it will validate their optimism.

“The peak season is late, preparations fell short, and we haven’t seen Vladimir Martinović during his tenure,” Pejović remarked, adding that many tourism professionals are not being candid, believing everything will be assessed at the season’s end.

According to recent analysis by the Tourist Organization of Budva, approximately 40,000 tourists are currently in the Budva Riviera, with around 22,000 in private accommodations and 17,000 in hotels, while others are in hostels and camps.

“When comparing current visitation to last year, there’s a six percent increase, up from five percent, and according to projections, hotels anticipate a better tourist season by about five to ten percent, even with a price correction of up to 15 percent on hotel accommodations,” Pejović noted.

Conversely, Jovan Rošić from the Association of Private Accommodation Providers expressed satisfaction with the season.

“Owners of private accommodations, particularly those actively involved with tourist organizations, are seeing growth. They are increasingly relying on last-minute bookings, whereas in the past, most capacity was sold for July and August. Traditionally, the late season is well-filled, with promising forecasts for late August and September,” Rošić stated.

The post-season’s success, he clarified, will significantly depend on the weather, but expectations remain positive for good results.