Montenegro is attracting luxury tourism in different ways as it is slowly establishing itself as the new kid on the luxury tourism map. The yachts of the rich and famous to destinations such as Porto Montenegro and Lustica Bay are the most visible source of Montenegro's luxury tourists, but May next year will see an entirely different luxury tourism event debut in Montenegro, as the Nikola Tesla EV Rally will take place in both Montenegro and Croatia.
Much more than a rally showcasing electric cars, the Nikola Tesla EV Rally has become a symbol of change and forward thinking in the five years it has been held in Croatia, and the organisers have really pushed forward Croatia's electric vehicle infrastructure since 2014 when the rally back then.
In January, 2014, there were just five electric cars registered in Croatia and only four charging stations, hardly the most ideal conditions for hosting a rally. The organisers, Tina and Igor Kolovrat, were determined to push the boundaries, develop the infrastructure and show the natural beauty of Croatia to their international rally participants. From those humble beginnings, Croatia now has an impressive 300 charging stations, and rally participants have included Maye Musk, mother of Mr. Modern-Day Tesla, Elon, Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobili, which make the fastest and most luxurious electric supercars in the world, and Paul Runge, the first man ever to buy the Rimac Concept One for a cool one million dollars.
There is no denying that the future of cars is electric, with the majority of cars in progressive countries such as Norway already electric. The electric charging infrastructure is in its infancy in the Balkans - indeed, Jugpetrol recently announced its intention to build the first charging station in Montenegro. By hosting the rally, which this year included 42 Teslas and two electric scooters on an 8-day, 1550 km luxury tour of five islands, five national parks and 15 Croatian towns and cities, Montenegro will appear on the electric vehicle map for the first time - an important future source of luxury tourism in the future.
Next year's rally will take place in May and will start in Novi Vinodolski, before heading to Dubrovnik and into Montenegro and then heading to the finish in Zagreb. More details as we get them, but in the meantime, check out the video of the 2017 rally in Croatia below.
You can learn more about the Nikola Tesla EV Rally on the official website.
