Minister  Djurovic, The Man behind Montenegro’s Tourism Success

Why is Montenegro hiding its tourism potential was the question Aleksandra Gardasevic-Slavuljica, General Director for Tourism in the Government in Montenegro asked in September.

eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz visited Montenegro recently and confronted the man in charge of Montenegro Tourism, the Hon Minister Goran  Djurovic.
Clearly showing his love and passion for his country and for travel and tourism, he responded.

Mr. Djurovic has been a prominent European tourism minister having a vision for his country, and leading activities for the future of Montenegro Tourism at major events, including the World Travel Market in London and at the UNWTO ministerial summit.

Although Montenegro is a small and proud country, it is incredibly diverse.

From the luxury One and Only Resort complex in Portofino, the stunning scenery cruise lines put as a top highlight on their route, the bay of Kotor, to remote mountain and medieval villages to the vibrant capital city of Podgorica – this country incorporates many climates and sceneries in one. Montenegro borders Croatia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Serbia, and Albania and therefore is a cushion between the European Union and the non-EU Balkan region.

Tourism is big business in Montenegro, and the man in charge of this sector is the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism of Montenegro Goran Djurovic. 

Goran Đurović was born June 5, 1972, in the city of Bar. He is an economist by profession.

Mr.  Djurovic was the executive director of Cerovo. In his work, he is constantly dedicated to philanthropic activities. The company headed by him has won the highest award in the field of social responsibility.

Here is what the Honorable Minister told eTN publisher Juergen Steinmetz.

Tell us a little about you, your history, your goals, and your wish list for Montenegro tourism.

I became the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism of Montenegro in late April, this year.

Before that, I was the executive director of the family company “Cerovo”, which has been successfully selling construction materials for more than three decades. As a person who comes from the world of business and entrepreneurship, my goal has always been constant progress and improvement.

I am trying to bring that “business mindset” into the state administration by persistently working on increasing its efficiency, orientation towards citizens and companies, and creating conditions for a better business climate and investments.

When we talk about tourism, it is important to say that together with the service sector, it makes up a third of Montenegrin GDP, so it is one of the biggest drivers of our economy.

As someone who comes from the tourist coastal town of Bar, I have always wanted Montenegro to be a world-famous, year-round tourist destination because it really has a lot to offer:

• magical nature
• historical and cultural monuments
• numerous events
• unique gastronomy
• good service.

What would you like a tourist to look for when considering visiting Montenegro?

Although one of Europe´s smallest countries, Montenegro has a lot to offer to its visitors.

One of its main characteristics is that landscapes and nature, but also history and cultural tangible and intangible heritage, are very diverse so the country has something for everyone.

What no one should miss seeing are our five national parks, which have a lot of activities to offer.

Among them are Skadar Lake (the largest lake in the Balkans), nature parks as well, UNESCO sites, and the second-largest canyon in the world.

Tara canyon with one of the most beautiful, turquoise, and clear rivers, also known as “The tear of Europe”.

Moraca canyon is also something that should be experienced. Visitors will experience deep, breathtaking, almost vertically formed cliffs and rocks which make it quite interesting for filming. 

Up north, there are spectacular mountain massifs such as Prokletije, Komovi, Durmitor, and Bjelasica with picturesque villages and katuns where a visitor can stay in our rural households, experience country life, get to know their hosts and taste traditional Montenegrin cuisine. To be frank, our cuisine is sometimes hard to resist.

Tourists shouldn´t also miss seeing Boka bay and our Austro-Hungarian fortresses, Porto Novi marines, and Porto Montenegro, as well as Lustica Bay.

It offers luxury restaurants, shops, and hotels.

Then, going further south, you will come along the old towns and a hidden pearl of our coast, the magical town of Ulcinj.

The town has one of the longest sandy beaches in Europe. It is around 13 km long and the sand has a positive health effect.

As the beach is exposed to the open sea, the favorable winds made it perfect as one of the most known kite surfing destinations.

The beach ends with the astonishing river Bojana, which forms the river island, Ada Bojana, a nudist resort, surrounded by the river and the sea on its south side.

On both sides of the river are cabins in which you can enjoy your stay in this masterpiece of Montenegrin nature.

There are also 4 panoramic roads in our country which give you a chance to see some of the most beautiful viewpoints. 

Montenegro is a member of 3 cultural routes of the Council of Europe: Iter Vitis, the Route of the Olive Tree, and Via Habsburg.

For those who want to explore WW II heritage, there are numerous monuments scattered throughout the country with quite interesting backgrounds.

Where are visitors arriving from?

In the structure of foreign tourists – the most overnight stays during the first ten months of 2022 were realized by tourists from Serbia, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, and the U.K.

 In the same period of 2019, the top 5 countries in terms of the realized number of overnight stays were Russia, Serbia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Instead of the Russian Federation, from which the number of arrivals decreased due to known reasons, the group of the first five countries was Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

In this way, with the continuously high participation of tourists from Germany, France, and the UK in 2022, as it was in 2019, we achieved a strategic goal of Western European countries becoming one of the most preferred emissive markets for Montenegro.

Last year after the pandemic that started in 2020, tourists primarily traveled to closer destinations.

The guests from the regions were dominant.

During the last two years, the number of guests from Israel and Egypt has increased, both on the Coast, and in the North of Montenegro.

At the same time, the interest of Saudi Arabian tourists has increased, as well as the number of guests from Western and Northern Europe, Germany, Great Britain, France, The Netherlands, and Norway.

With the neighboring countries and through regional initiatives, we have been engaged in activities creating preconditions for the more numerous arrivals of tourists from our distant emitting markets, such as China, Japan, or the United States.

In that way, we will avoid depending on a small number of emissive markets.

If we want to bring tourists from around the globe, before and after the peak season, we have to raise the level of attractiveness of Montenegro.

Tell us about new developments in Montenegro?

The main goal of the Government of Montenegro is to keep improving the business environment and ensure that investors recognize Montenegro as a safe destination for their investments. 

We would like to emphasize that a great number of high-class hotels and five ski centers are being built or upgraded in the Northern region of Montenegro, in our mountain regions of Bjelasica, Hajla, and Durmitor.

Around 100 million Euros have been invested in ski centers by the State so far, and the estimated value of the hotels that are currently being developed in Montenegro is more than 444 million Euros.

In the northern town of Kolašin, where popular ski centers are located, two new hotels will be put into operation for the winter season 2023/24, and thus the number of high-class accommodation units in this town will increase by almost 300.

The Government is also defining additional locations that will be valorized through models of a long-term lease or private-public partnership, as Montenegro is characterized by its unique nature, Its space and the environment are the most important resource. 

Our goal is to start investing in hotel facilities that were subjects of privatization in the previous period but had some implementation issues.

Worth mentioning is the location of the former Hotel Galeb, once very famous, in the southernmost seaside town of Ulcinj. It was recently purchased by a new owner, and therefore we expect a 5-star luxury hotel in this location in a short-term period. 

Furthermore, I would like to point out that during this season Montenegro got a new symbol of tourism, the Hotel- Island Mamula. Mamula is a luxury boutique hotel that was created through the reconstruction of an old fortress, in accordance with strict conservation conditions.

It is an investment that exceeds the value of 30 million Euros, and more than 100 people are employed in the hotel with 32 accommodation units.

In addition, we are particularly proud to point out that on July 12, 2022 construction works began on a special attraction the Cable Car Kotor – Lovcen, which will bring enormous new value to our tourism and economy.

How important is cruise business for Montenegro?
What is done to increase the amount spend by visitors when having a day ashore?

Cruise tourism in Montenegro, as well as in the region and beyond, is an important component of the tourist offer.