Montenegro has experienced unplanned development of tourist facilities and residential areas along its coast, leading to adverse effects on sustainable tourism growth, overburdened transport and communal infrastructure, and degradation of both nature and quality of life in high-traffic tourist centers. This information is outlined in the Spatial Plan for Montenegro up to 2040, which the Government adopted last Thursday.

The Plan emphasizes the need for municipal spatial and urban plans to restrict new residential constructions within a thousand meters of the shoreline. The aim is to preserve remaining attractive undeveloped areas, promote luxury hotel complexes with sports and recreational facilities, improve infrastructure and green spaces, and protect cultural heritage alongside natural protected areas.

Aiming for a High-Quality Tourist Destination

The overarching goal of the proposed measures in the Spatial Plan is to transform Montenegro into a high-quality tourist destination that offers a diverse array of tourism options. This would enable the tourism industry to have a more significant impact on increasing the gross domestic product and enhancing the living standards of Montenegrin citizens, which aims to align with the average quality of life in the EU by 2040.

“Development should concentrate on high-value products and services that reflect the local peculiarities and regional characteristics of Montenegro, aligning with the economic development needs. Successful advancement requires finding a balance between the private sector’s interests in commercial success and the public interest focused on preserving and maximizing a finite resource. Achieving this balance addresses the two key strategic challenges: improving the competitiveness of the tourism offering and protecting valuable land resources. Unfortunately, this balance has been disrupted, reflected in the unplanned construction of tourist facilities and secondary housing along the coast, compounded by inadequate transport and technical infrastructure, along with negative environmental impacts and reduced living quality in heavily trafficked tourist areas,” concludes the Spatial Plan.

No Public Benefit from Growth in Private Accommodation

The report also indicates that residential construction along the coast has not bolstered tourism revenue, primarily due to the extensive shadow economy in this sector. Moreover, it has led to environmental degradation, encroachment on luxury tourism sites, infrastructure strain, and various ecological issues.

“Spatial plans across all regions and municipalities in Montenegro should guide the development of accommodation capacities toward diversification and quality. This presents a unique challenge in managing the rapid growth of non-commercial private accommodations, particularly in coastal areas, which stresses existing infrastructure and can result in various negative consequences like heightened seasonality and a decrease in overall product quality. Protecting the land, as a fundamental developmental resource, is paramount for strategically defined growth in line with destination positioning and sustainability principles, thus minimizing environmental impact. In regions with specific protective designations, investments in new or expanding capacities and tourism infrastructure must adhere to unique spatial and urban planning regulations,” the recommendations suggest.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to ensure that planning and development in tourist regions safeguards the public interest concerning environmental conservation, cultural heritage, and local socio-economic needs.

“Projects within tourist zones must integrate well with the overall ambiance of their destinations, offering positive impacts on local development and sophistication. The absence of essential infrastructure like roads, sewage systems, water supply, electricity, and internet significantly hampers tourism projects; therefore, establishing robust general infrastructure is a key prerequisite for controlled and sustainable tourism development,” asserts the Plan.

Target of 7,000 New Beds in Luxury Hotels

Regarding tax policies, it is advised that higher taxes should deter the conversion of agricultural lands and attractive tourist sites into construction zones for commercial apartments, while lower taxes should incentivize the development of tourism-related productive facilities.

“In the Primorje region, the main growth focus will be on hotel capacities, with plans for 7,000 new beds exclusively in the four and five-star category, while a decrease in lower-tier accommodations is projected. Due to the prevalence of unregistered accommodations, the Primorje region faces substantial challenges during the summer, including traffic congestion, water supply issues, wastewater management, energy deficits, and other related public service challenges. It’s crucial to prioritize infrastructural improvements in the urban centers of municipalities to facilitate the planned tourism expansion,” the plan outlines.

The recommendations also advocate for enhancing transport infrastructure, elevating the quality of offerings, invigorating the northern region and rural areas, and leveraging spatial assets for developing culture, religion, sports, and other specialized tourism sectors.

Moreover, there’s a pressing need to improve healthcare infrastructure and promote health tourism, coupled with the development of tourism-related sectors to mitigate import dependency (such as food production, agriculture, business services, construction, and transport infrastructure), as well as to address seasonality and diversify the tourism offerings.

Lastly, the plan calls for enhancing systems for measuring and monitoring tourist capacities and traffic through advanced digital technologies.

Sanitary Recommendations for the Budva Area

For the coastlines of Budva, Bečići, and Petrovac, rehabilitation efforts are recommended, with warnings about the questionable quality of construction regarding seismic risks.

“It is advised to address urban issues stemming from concentrated residential and tourist development in narrow coastal zones (Budva, Bečići, Petrovac) while implementing evaluations, particularly considering pronounced seismic risks and other disaster-related threats. Planning and construction should adhere to coastal setback guidelines, ensuring the protection of beaches and marine environments from pollution,” the coastal recommendations specify.

Special measures are intended for various tourist locations.

“More detailed planning must focus on ecologically valuable areas such as Buljarica, the islands of Sveti Nikola, Sveti Stefan, and Miločer, where tourism can contribute to development while preserving the unique natural characteristics and recognizing restrictions aimed at safeguarding natural and cultural assets through sustainable practices that align with all ecological principles,” the Plan asserts.

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