Montenegro’s Skadar Lake National Park generated around €671,000 from entrance tickets, water-use charges and fishing permits through, while inspections continued to identify irregularities in tourism activities.
Revenue from tickets and permits
The National Parks company collected approximately €615,000 from entrance tickets between January 1 and September 20. A further €56,000 came from water-use fees and fishing permits. Paid admissions were about 20% lower year on year, although the national park continued to generate significant tourism-related revenue.
Inspections identify tourism irregularities
Authorities conducted 47 tourism inspections, identifying irregularities in 32 cases. Officials reported that some tourism operators were bypassing ticket checkpoints, affecting formal revenue collection and making visitor management more difficult. Around €115,000 was invested during the year in maintenance, buildings, vessels, engines and other equipment at the park.
Tourism formalisation remains a wider issue
The situation at Skadar Lake is also linked to broader challenges in Montenegro’s tourism sector, where visitor demand remains strong while formal registration, revenue collection and enforcement do not always keep pace with activity. A similar issue exists in private accommodation. The government is preparing a new national tourism information system intended to improve the registration of accommodation activity and tax collection.
Tourism activity and environmental protection
Tourism at Skadar Lake also has to be managed alongside environmental protection. Increased boat traffic, fishing and visitor numbers can affect sensitive habitats when commercial activity expands faster than regulatory controls. Enforcement therefore affects both tourism revenues and environmental management. Operators complying with fees and regulations can face competition from businesses that avoid checkpoints or operate outside the formal system.
Improved control could increase public revenue through better collection of existing fees rather than higher charges.
The park has also received investment in infrastructure and equipment, including access facilities, vessels and visitor-related assets. The €671,000 in collected tourism-related revenue indicates an established commercial base at Skadar Lake, while inspection findings point to continued gaps in the formalisation and oversight of tourism activity.
