Montenegro is preparing for the upcoming tourism season with heightened ambitions and realistic expectations, while also being aware of the limitations imposed by budget constraints. The Director of the National Tourism Organization, Ana Tripković-Marković, discussed the key challenges and plans for enhancing the country’s tourism offer and promoting it on the global stage in an interview for Pobjeda.
Although the budget for 2025 has seen a slight increase, it is clear that it will not be sufficient to make significant progress across all areas of promotion and development. Tripković-Marković emphasizes the importance of additional investments to ensure that Montenegro can compete with destinations like Greece, Spain, and Turkey, which already invest heavily in promotion, infrastructure, and innovation.
Facing competition
Faced with international competition and increasingly demanding markets, Montenegro is working intensively to strengthen its air connectivity, innovate its tourism products, and adapt its promotional strategy to keep pace with global trends.
“When it comes to the budget for this year, we are aware that last year’s budget could not meet all expectations, especially given the increased challenges in the international market and the need for stronger promotion of Montenegro as an attractive tourist destination. Based on current information, we expect that the 2025 budget will be somewhat larger, but not to the extent that would allow for a significant leap forward in all key areas of tourism promotion and development. Still, it is clear that additional investments are necessary for us to compete with the most developed tourist destinations and effectively respond to their strategies,” said Tripković-Marković.
She adds that Montenegro is facing challenges from international competition, where it competes with destinations like Greece, Spain, and Turkey, which invest enormous resources into promotion, infrastructure, and innovative offerings.
“This requires not only adapting our promotional strategy but also continuously improving our tourism offerings and infrastructure to differentiate ourselves and attract the attention of increasingly demanding markets,” Tripković-Marković stated. Regarding revenue, she mentioned that data for the first ten months of the previous year, according to information published by Monstat, shows results ranging from 97% to 99% in comparison to 2023 and 2019.
“However, to accurately determine the difference between the revenue achieved and the total turnover, a more detailed analysis is necessary. This is crucial for understanding the true picture and making decisions that will enhance the efficiency and outcomes of our tourism industry,” Tripković-Marković said.
Air connectivity
Talking about air routes, the National Tourism Organization has implemented a program of incentive measures aimed at improving organized air arrivals, which are key to strengthening air connectivity and accessibility to Montenegro.
“Last year, we successfully applied for the introduction of new routes, which will directly contribute to increasing tourism traffic. For 2025, we plan to continue this program, focusing on introducing new lines and expanding existing routes, as air connectivity is crucial for the development of the overall tourism product. We are working intensively on this front because we believe that accessibility to Montenegro is key to attracting more tourists and achieving better results in the future,” Tripković-Marković concluded.