Montenegro’s tourism industry faces a potential 20% decline from key markets due to the introduction of visa requirements for Russia and Turkey, as well as the broader impact of the war in Ukraine and EU accession-related policy changes.
Economic analyst Davor Dokić warned that the new visa rules will significantly affect individual travel from these two countries, although procedures for group travel will be simplified. He noted that Montenegro delayed introducing visas for Turkish citizens despite EU requests, which temporarily softened the impact on tourism. A similar approach, he said, could help minimize losses from the Russian market.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only 50 Turkish citizens applied for visas in the first eight days after the new policy took effect, indicating a limited short-term impact.
In 2024, Montenegro recorded around 2.6 million tourist arrivals and 15.6 million overnight stays, 96% of which came from foreign guests. Tourists from Serbia accounted for 23.5% of overnight stays, Russia 18.3%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.4%, and Turkey 4.9%.
If tourist arrivals from Russia and Turkey drop by 20%, Montenegro could lose about 718,000 overnight stays annually, or roughly 4.6% of total overnights. This would cause a noticeable decline in tourism revenue and have a ripple effect on accommodation, hospitality, transportation, and seasonal employment.
Žarko Radulović, president of the Montenegrin Tourism Association, said that visa requirements for key markets such as Russia and Turkey could seriously harm the sector. He emphasized that tourism in Montenegro depends on flight accessibility and visa-free travel. Radulović urged the government to negotiate with the EU to seek flexibility, as Croatia had previously maintained a seasonal visa-free regime for Russian citizens before joining the Schengen Zone.
He warned that reciprocal measures from Turkey or other affected countries could further damage Montenegro’s tourism industry unless visa procedures are simplified.
