Montenegro’s tourism sector recorded moderate growth during the first seven months of 2026, although performance differed significantly across destinations. Bar and Herceg Novi registered double-digit increases in overnight stays, while Budva, Kotor and Tivat recorded declines.
Montenegro recorded 859,451 tourist arrivals in collective accommodation between January and July, an increase of 1.5% year on year. Overnight stays rose 2.4% to 2.94 million, according to preliminary data from statistics office Monstat. The figures cover hotels, motels, hostels, tourist resorts, camps and other collective accommodation, excluding privately rented houses, rooms and apartments, which represent an important part of the country’s tourism market. Foreign visitors accounted for most of the activity. Their arrivals increased 1.9% to 761,269, while domestic arrivals declined 1.8% to 98,182. Foreign tourists generated 2.59 million overnight stays, up 3%, whereas domestic visitors recorded 349,764 nights, down 1.7% from the same period of 2025.
Foreign markets remain concentrated
Serbia continued to be Montenegro’s largest foreign tourism market, with 507,985 overnight stays in collective accommodation during the first seven months. Britain followed with 221,470 nights, ahead of Germany with 155,472, France with 154,297 and Poland with 146,302.
The distribution of tourism demand across Montenegro, however, became increasingly uneven. Coastal destinations accounted for around 2.59 million overnight stays, representing growth of 2.6% year on year. Within the coastal region, individual municipalities recorded sharply different results.
Bar and Herceg Novi record strongest coastal growth
Bar registered 303,719 overnight stays, approximately 13.1% more than a year earlier. Herceg Novi also posted double-digit growth, reaching 506,198 nights, an increase of about 11.3%. Ulcinj recorded 221,148 overnight stays, up 2.2%. Recent August data from Bar also indicated continued momentum, with visitor numbers and hotel occupancy above year-earlier levels during the peak summer period.
Budva remains dominant despite decline
Budva recorded a more modest contraction, with overnight stays falling around 1.1% to 1.26 million. Despite the decline, Budva remained Montenegro’s largest organised tourism destination, accounting for approximately 43% of all collective-accommodation overnight stays recorded nationally from January through July.
Because of its scale, even relatively small changes in Budva’s visitor numbers, average length of stay or hotel demand can have a significant effect on tourism revenue and employment. Kotor experienced a larger decline, with overnight stays falling approximately 4.5% to 173,074. Tivat recorded 123,977 nights, representing a decrease of around 2.8%. The different results indicate that tourism growth during the period was not evenly distributed across the Adriatic coast. Higher increases in Bar and Herceg Novi offset weaker performance in several major destinations around Budva and the Bay of Kotor.
Mountain destinations gain ground
Tourism activity also strengthened outside the main coastal centres. Mountain destinations recorded 98,459 overnight stays, up 13.3% year on year. Areas classified as other tourist destinations registered 61,459 nights, an increase of 12.1%. Podgorica recorded a different trend, with overnight stays declining 8.9% to 180,792, compared with 198,454 during the first seven months of 2025.
July shows stronger seasonal performance
National tourism growth accelerated in July compared with the seven-month average.
Montenegro recorded 244,754 arrivals and 1.081 million overnight stays in collective accommodation during the month, according to Monstat. Arrivals increased approximately 4.4% year on year, while overnight stays rose around 3.9%. Foreign visitors generated 990,472 overnight stays, representing approximately 91.6% of the July total. Domestic tourists accounted for another 90,777 nights.
The seven-month figures point to overall tourism growth in 2026, while the differences between destinations indicate a changing distribution of demand along Montenegro’s coast. With Bar and Herceg Novi expanding at double-digit rates and Budva, Kotor and Tivat recording declines, accommodation capacity, accessibility, length of stay and visitor spending remain key factors for hotel operators, investors and municipalities across the tourism market.
