Professor and tourism expert Rade Ratković warned that Montenegro’s tourism sector is slowly declining due to poor destination management. He pointed out that many hotels are being converted into apartments, with secondary homes now making up nearly 80% of the accommodation structure. This shift creates a problematic pattern that prevents the development of a long tourist season.
Ratković highlighted Albania’s success as a contrast, noting that cities like Durrës have 200 hotels, while Montenegro struggles to open even a single seasonal information point. He attributed this to a lack of coordination between the private sector and government authorities in Montenegro, as well as ongoing political disagreements that distract from national development goals.
He criticized Montenegro’s recent closure of its national airline and the ongoing disputes over airport concessions, warning that handing airports to private operators might prioritize their interests over those of tourism and the local economy.
Ratković also explained that official tourism statistics only cover collective accommodation, while secondary and complementary lodging hasn’t been properly recorded since 2016, leaving a large part of the sector unmonitored. He estimates there are over 550,000 beds in Montenegro across all accommodation types, with secondary homes being the dominant and most problematic category, posing a significant risk to sustainable tourism development.
In conclusion, Ratković emphasized that without urgent reform in destination management and political will to focus on tourism and European integration, Montenegro’s tourism industry risks further decline.
