Montenegro recorded a decline in tourist overnight stays in collective accommodation during February and March 2025, according to data released by the country’s Statistical Office (Monstat).
In February 2025, tourists accounted for a total of 87,842 overnight stays in collective accommodation. Of this figure, 77% were made by foreign visitors, while 23% were domestic. These numbers reflect a decrease compared to February 2024, with a noticeable decline in the share of foreign tourists.
A similar downward trend continued in March. During the month, collective accommodation registered 54,965 tourist arrivals and 127,677 overnight stays. Foreign tourists accounted for 76.8% of the total, and domestic tourists made up 23.2%. Most overnight stays were concentrated in coastal areas (72.5%), followed by the capital Podgorica (18.2%), other towns (6.3%), and mountain resorts (2.9%).
While January showed a modest increase in overnight stays year-on-year—reaching 73,867—it still represented a decline compared to 2023.
Budva leads, Mojkovac lags
In terms of municipalities, Budva recorded the highest number of overnight stays in March with 52,824, while Mojkovac reported the lowest, with just 33. Podgorica ranked second with 23,297 overnight stays, followed by Herceg Novi, which trailed by nearly 3,000 stays. This distribution remained consistent across January and February, with Budva, Podgorica, and Herceg Novi leading in numbers.
Tourist origins: Serbians, Chinese and Turks among most frequent visitors
January data shows that the majority of overnight stays were made by visitors from Serbia, totaling 10,595. Guests from non-European countries made up 11,102 stays, with the largest share coming from China.
In February, regional tourists—particularly from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina—dominated again, alongside an increase in visitors from Turkey. March saw a notable rise in German tourists, totaling 10,026 stays, while Serbian nationals once again topped the list with 11,998 overnight stays.
Opposition criticizes government over tourism decline
Commenting on the data, Mirko Stanić, President of the Main Board of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a representative of the European Alliance, stated that the drop in overnight stays mirrors what is clearly visible on the ground.
He emphasized that the situation in private accommodations is likely even worse, attributing the overall decline in tourism to poor infrastructure conditions, prolonged construction projects, rising prices, and increased taxes and excise duties.
“When you have this kind of restricted air traffic, endless construction, and rising costs, tourists increasingly choose to go elsewhere,” Stanić said on the social media platform X.
