Travel

08 Jul 2020, 18:56 PM
July 8, 2020 - Air connections are becoming all the more frequent between airports in Tivat and Podgorica and European cities. Ryanair is flying to London from today, flights to Barcelona and Brussels have been announced for tomorrow. Also, the national airline of Luxembourg - Luxair starts flying to Montenegrin airports this month.
 
The budget airline Ryanair began flying again on the Podgorica-London route today. From Podgorica, Ryanair flights will also be available to Barcelona and Brussels as of tomorrow.
 
Luxair establishes connection with Montenegro for the first time
Luxair - the national airline of Luxembourg, will establish a regular route between Luxembourg and Montenegro on Sunday, July 19, for the first time in the history of Montenegro Airports. Luxair will be introducing a seasonal line Luxembourg-Tivat-Luxembourg on which it will fly once a week with its regional aircraft type "Bombardier Q400".
 
The plane with a capacity of 76 passengers from Luxembourg will leave every Sunday at 8.20 am and arrive in Tivat at 10.50 am. The return from Tivat to Luxembourg will be at 11.35 am, arriving at its destination at 2.10 pm.
 
The Luxembourg-Tivat line, as announced, will function until September 20. Moreover, Luxair is the first foreign airline to arrive this year at Tivat Airport. From mid-March until today, the volume of scheduled and charter air traffic has been decimated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in Montenegro in mid-March until today, only a minority of the previously most popular regular seasonal routes to Tivat from the German and Ukrainian markets have been renewed by Montenegro Airlines, Eurowings and a Ukrainian charter company hired by the local tour operator ALF.
 
Source: Boka News
08 Jul 2020, 15:51 PM
July 8, 2020 - The National Tourist Organization of Montenegro and the national airline Montenegro Airlines, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, have launched a campaign to form attractive tourist package arrangements in order to improve tourist traffic. The idea is to carry out joint activities to face the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this tourist season.
 
To increase competitiveness, Montenegro Airlines has offered promotional ticket prices for package deals on all available routes, which are valid only with an accommodation voucher. This offer will be available for passengers coming by MA flights from Slovenia (Ljubljana), Austria (Vienna), Germany - Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hanover, and from August 3 Munich and Leipzig, France (Paris, also Lyon from July 25), Denmark (Copenhagen) and Switzerland (Zurich), they explained in the announcement.
 
"Bearing in mind that these are low prices for return air tickets, ranging from 99 euros on the route to Ljubljana, to a maximum of 164 euros on the Paris route, including all taxes, all interested hoteliers in Montenegro are invited to create an equally attractive special offer of accommodation and accommodation services. The National Tourist Organization is forming and promoting package deals, which will be available for sale to all travel agencies in Montenegro and partners in target markets," the statement said.
 
"Interested parties should provide a single price for a stay on a half board or full board basis valid for the period until November 1 and send to NTOCG at the e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than July 10, 2020," the statement concludes.
04 Jul 2020, 20:52 PM

Charters to run almost every day from Ukraine to Montenegro

 During the forthcoming season, Ukrainian tourists are to be arriving in Montenegro almost every day, it was announced after the first charter flight from Kiev landed at Tivat Airport with 153 passengers on board.

The Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Ukraine, owner of tour operator ALF and leader of around 40 travel agents who today came to visit Montenegro, Olga Oleksienko, said that she hoped that there would indeed be a summer season this year, at least when it comes to Ukrainian tourists.

"‘Welcome’... we have been waiting for those words for a very long time ...I myself have fallen in love with Montenegro, and I hope that there will be flights from various Ukrainian cities at least four times a week. "Agents also love your country, and after visiting it they will offer some really great deals for tourists," Oleksienko said.

She thanked the embassies of Montenegro and Ukraine, the Airports of Montenegro and the National Tourist Organization for the positive cooperation that resulted in today's flight and the impressive welcome given to passengers and tourist representatives.

NTO Director Željka Radak Kukavičić highlighted that the organization of the first charter flight and the agreement for those to follow is an expression of trust by the people of Ukraine towards institutions in Montenegro.

"We have proven to be responsible partners and their arrival in such large numbers leads us to expect that we will have a flight almost every day," said Radak Kukavićić.

Assistant Director of Commercial Policy at Airports of Montenegro, Aleksandar Mitrović, pointed out that during the entry checks of Ukrainian passengers, all the recommendations of the National Coordination Body, ie the Institute of Public Health, were followed.

"I must stress that all passengers arrived with a negative PCR test, in line with the required health procedures. The airports in Tivat and Podgorica have all the necessary equipment, from masks to disinfectant. In this way, we are showing that we are protecting the health of employees and citizens and instilling confidence in passengers who come to Montenegro," said Mitrović.

Ukrainian dispatcher Natalija Fijalka once again thanked the Montenegrin side for organizing the flight and welcoming the passengers, emphasizing that the Ukrainian people are increasingly interested in coming to Montenegro.

Last year, over 60,000 tourists from Ukraine stayed in Montenegro, spending a total of over 460,000 nights. Almost 89 thousand passengers from a total of 543 aircraft landed at Tivat Airport from Ukraine.

03 Jul 2020, 13:03 PM
July 3, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic first hit the tourism sector, which, on the one hand, is disastrous for economies like ours, yet it could also be a new, real development opportunity. When it comes to the development of sustainable tourism through various specific types of tourism - Montenegro has inherited considerable potential. Through its 20 years of work, the professional NGO Expeditio - Center for Sustainable Spatial Development from Kotor has been looking into this potential. Its most recent task is that of publishing five books that represent the beginning of the edition "Cultural Routes of Montenegro."
 
The rich and diverse cultural heritage of Montenegro is recognized as an essential factor of national identity and a long-term resource for sustainable development. Although the presentation of aspects of cultural heritage is dealt with through the activities of both institutions and the civil and private sector, the need to improve its promotion and interpretation is certainly evident, especially given the exceptional richness of Montenegrin cultural heritage, in many areas not yet identified and protected. Those were the initial premises that inspired Expeditio to design a further project based on cultural heritage - "PATHS OF HERITAGE - the potential of cultural heritage to create cultural routes in Montenegro," which the Ministry of Culture supported within the competition "Diversity of expressions in the independent cultural scene" in 2019.
 
The project coordinator, architect-custodian Aleksandra Kapetanović, explains:
 
"One of the possible and practical ways to promote cultural heritage is through cultural routes, which include thematic and spatial connection of cultural heritage sites through a joint presentation, interpretation, and tourist promotion. Cultural routes can be especially important for discovering and promoting lesser-known sites. The opportunity to reawaken various cultural pathways in Montenegro, which inherits rich and diverse cultural heritage, is still not sufficiently used.
 
At the European level, there are several initiatives related to cultural routes, which Montenegro currently uses only to a minor extent. It may be necessary for the inclusion of Montenegrin heritage in these more extensive networks and joining regional and European cultural routes. However, in parallel with the recognition of cultural heritage sites in Montenegro as part of European cultural routes, there is great potential for the formation of cultural routes within Montenegro, at the national, regional and local levels. Through all these activities, one can contribute to the promotion of goods with potential cultural values, ​as well as to that of diversity of expression, and finally to the creation of something really unique for tourists."
 
Within the project, five books have been published, representing the beginning of the edition "Cultural Routes of Montenegro". The edition includes new, redesigned versions of previously published Expeditio publications, translations, and new titles. The following books have been published:
 

• Palaces of Boka Kotorska

In the area of ​​the Bay of Kotor, there are a large number of palaces and other significant houses with distinct cultural-historical, artistic and architectural values ​​that represent one of the crucial segments of our cultural heritage. These houses testify in the best way to the level of social, economic, and cultural development and speak about the culture of housing and the lifestyle of an entire environment.
In the publication "Palaces of Boka Kotorska", all palaces and other famous significant residential houses in Boka are presented in one place, which is one of the potential exciting cultural routes.
 
vila verona
 Palace Verona, Tivat, Photo by Antonela Stjepčević
 

• Perast - The Outstanding Boka Kotorska

An array of quality photos accompany the engaging book Perast - The Outstanding Boka Kotorska, which presents the city's cultural and historical sights and contains information about the location and history of Perast, important buildings (churches, palaces, fortresses, etc.) and traditional events.
 

• Medieval Towns of Montenegro

The publication "Medieval Towns of Montenegro" is the first step towards the inclusion of medieval cities, as a unique thematic unit, in the cultural and tourist backdrop of Montenegro. The publication was based on the book by prof. Pavle Mijović and Mirko Kovačević "Medieval towns and fortifications in Montenegro".
 
Old Bar lonelyplanet
Old Bar, Source: Lonely Planet
 

• Godinje - Exceptional Rural Heritage of Shkodra Lake

The book "Godinje" presents the research carried out within the workshop of architecture students in the village of Godinje on Skadar Lake.
 
Godinje outdoorandmore
Godinje, Source: outdoorandmore.me
 

• World War II Monuments in Montenegro

The book "World War II Monuments in Montenegro" is intended as a guide to this valuable segment of Montenegrin and regional cultural heritage. It presents 11 monuments with a particular emphasis on five that have already been recognized at local and international levels (Dola, Trebjesa, Barutana, Jasikovac, Memorial House in Kolasin). The book aims to identify monuments dedicated to World War II, their recognition and affirmation as an essential segment of the entire cultural heritage of Montenegro, and thus their promotion as a broader, regional cultural and tourist product, i.e., part of the cultural routes of Southeast Europe.
 
monument of fallen solders
Monument of Fallen Solders, Barutana, Podgorica Photo by Ivan Botica
 
"We have produced four publications in English. The idea is to be available to tourist representatives and tourists themselves in discovering the rich heritage of our country, "explained Aleksandra Kapetanović.
 
In addition to the printed editions, which will be partly available for free sale, these publications will soon be available online on the project website: www.culturalroutes.com.
02 Jul 2020, 19:21 PM
July 2, 2020 - The national company Montenegro Airlines will once again be flying to Paris from July 4. At the weekend, charter flights will resume to the south of Italy, and most likely from August 1 to Israel, according to Executive Director Vlastimir Ristic, speaking to Radio Montenegro. He notes that for now, there are no indications as to when traffic with Belgrade will resume.
 
According to the RTCG portal, Ristic expects that the Law on Investment and Consolidation will soon enter into force. It will oblige the domestic airline to pay its debts for taxes and contributions to the state and the Airports of Montenegro, a total of 60 million euros.
 
"Montenegro Airlines has shown social responsibility, and by connecting the routes in complex conditions, it has connected Montenegro with Europe and the world," Ristic said.
 
He announced that the company's planes would fly to Paris again from July 4, but not every day as is usually the case in the earlier period for the summer months of July and August.
 
"That decision is limited to 14 days. That means that the epidemiological situation in our country must remain within the framework required by the EU so that after those two weeks, we will be able to continue flying," Ristic said.
 
This weekend, he stated, charter flights to the south of Italy-Bari and Naples will be re-established, and in the second half of July to Rome, but not with Lisbon, which was previously planned. A charter flight to Tel Aviv is also arranged.
 
"We have serious interest, and we can deliver on it, we hope, from August 1. This will be important for us. It is a long-distane connection that affects our operation. It is highly preferable to have charters that are so far away and are reliable partners," said Ristic.
 
According to Ristic, the restarting of flights to Russia is also of interest. He is optimistic that this could happen in August and then extend to the post-season.
 
"It is not realistic to expect Russia to be within our sights in the peak season. I hope, however, if the weather conditions help us to move the season to the post-season we will be able to benefit from the market there," stated the Head of MA.
 
The ban on landing Montenegro Airlines planes at Belgrade Airport is still in force. They are in communication with the Nikola Tesla Airport and with Air Serbia, but Ristic notes, there is no concrete agreement yet.
 
"We cannot rush into things. We must be patient and wait for the epidemiological situation to stabilize and then start moving. This is the one we're waiting for, because it is the most important regional line for us and Air Serbia," Ristic said.
 
For now, says Ristic, the flights, which were established with Ljubljana, Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich, and Copenhagen are not profitable.
 
"There is a low factor of 30, 45 or 50 percent at some points. And that is not profitable, but we are now in a situation where we need to be socially responsible, so profitability takes second place," stated the Executive Director of Montenegro Airlines.
 
The suspension of air traffic caused severe losses to the company of up to 90 percent, although we did run some flights in March. There were also flights paid by the government in April, says Ristic. However, as he says, it is not enough for losses not to accumulate.
 
For now, the implementation of the Law on Investment and Consolidation of the national airline has been postponed, which provided for a state investment of 155 million over six years. Ristic hopes that, as he says, the law will be applied swiftly and that the money wil cover the obligations towards paying the taxes and contributions as well as the debt to Montenegro's Airports.
 
"When the two are added up, it is 60 million. And that is a large part of the package that is built into that law. However, the money must end up in the hands of the state company and the budget," said Ristic.
 
He also mentioned that the Law on Consolidation and Investment would enable the purchase of new planes and, as he concluded, now is the right moment for this, as the price of planes has dropped due to coronavirus.
02 Jul 2020, 18:24 PM
July 2, 2020 - Croatia has opened its borders to EU citizens. As of yesterday, citizens of 15 countries, including Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, can enter for business or tourist reasons, with a paid accommodation reservation, and without mandatory self-isolation, the Croatian government announced.
 
According to the latest decision, EU / EEA citizens and persons with permanent residence in the EU / EEA can enter Croatia without restrictions. All passengers must still fill in the ENTERCROATIA form upon arrival in order to ensure expedited border crossing and monitoring of contacts in case of infection. All other foreign nationals can enter if they meet certain conditions, or if they come for business or tourist reasons, with a paid accommodation reservation.
 
While there are no restrictions for EU citizens, third-country nationals can enter Croatia if they have a business or tourist reason, must travel for educational purposes, or for essential personal or medical purposes. Health workers and researchers, carriers, and passengers in transit are also exempted from the restrictions. The authorities appeal to passengers coming to Croatia to check if they meet the requirements before the trip, and to the e-mail the Border Administration of the Ministry of the Interior at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
 
If they meet the stated conditions, these persons can apply to the www.entercroatia.mup.hr application for easier and faster entry into Croatia, as specified in the decision of central government, Beta reports.
Third countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Croatia are Algeria, Australia, Montenegro, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, BiH, and Uruguay. Chinese citizens will also be able to enter, but on the condition that Beijing lifts restrictions on the entry of EU citizens.
 
Croatia has acted in line with the European Commission's recommendations on the gradual opening of EU borders to citizens of 15 non-EU countries as of July 1, including Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
 
The same rules on entering Croatia from those countries apply, as before June 24, when a measure of mandatory self-isolation lasting 14 days was introduced for passengers coming from Serbia, BiH, Northern Macedonia, and Kosovo.
 
The list of countries will be revised every two weeks following epidemiological criteria.
01 Jul 2020, 20:33 PM

1 July, 2020 - The Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Tivat, in cooperation with "Morsko Dobro" has, as part of the project Green Destinations, nominated Tivat for the 2020 Top 100 Sustainable Destinations. The application process comprised several key steps. Namely, through the use of the Green Destinations platform, information had to be entered and reports made on the 15 criteria required, and a good practice example had to be given. Tivat Nature Reserve “Solila” was chosen as this example from Tivat Municipality, focussing on sustainable principles, problem solving, and creating a good environment for nature, tourists and the local community.

Some of the 15 criteria are: tourism policy - the destination must have a publicly available, long-term tourism policy or strategy related to environmental, aesthetic, social, cultural and economic issues, as well as issues of quality, health and safety. Air pollution - air pollution is adequately treated,  and the effects of air pollution related to tourism are effectively controlled. Promotion of local products and services - the inclusion of local craftsmen, producers and service providers in the tourism chain in accordance with the principles of fair trade is supported; local and sustainable products that support nature, culture, local identity and the local economy are promoted. Sustainability Standards - Internationally recognized sustainability standards that comply with the GSTC criteria for tourism-related businesses are promoted by the destination or business sector.

Issues related to tangible and intangible cultural heritage, nature and landscape, waste treatment, etc are also included. The application for the 2020 Top 100 Sustainable Destinations was to be completed by 1st July, while feedback is expected on 1st September, and the official announcement of destinations on the final list will be made in October. Destinations selected for the Top 100 will also qualify for the Sustainable Destination Awards 2020, which will be presented at Global Green Days Destinations in the spring of 2021 in Bodrum, Turkey.

The Tourist Organization of Tivat would like to thank all the associates and colleagues from the following organisations and businesses who helped with the application and whose cooperation made it possible for Tivat to enter the  TOP 100 sustainable destinations for 2020: The Secretariat for Investments, Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, the Secretariat for Communal Affairs and Transport, the Secretariat for Tourism and Entrepreneurship, the Secretariat for Culture and Social Affairs, and the companies DOO "Komunalno" Tivat, Brand New Tivat, as well as the Protection and Rescue Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, strategic partners Porto Montenegro and Luštica Bay and NGO Expeditio. 

The Top 100 Sustainable Destinations competition is being held for the sixth time in a row and aims to present tourism stories and examples of good sustainable development practice from local and regional destinations as inspiring examples to others, both travel organizers and tourists.

Through reporting on a variety of Green Destinations criteria and also using their internet platform, destinations can work on strengthening tourism sustainability, avoiding mass tourism, and also help promote tourism, warning destinations of hidden dangers associated with tourism development.

By publishing an annual list and sharing good practices and success stories of destinations, Green Destinations aims to identify initiatives that make tourist destinations more sustainable, responsible and attractive from the point of view of the tourist experience.

Source: Radio Tivat, Zora Krstovic

01 Jul 2020, 18:59 PM
July 1, 2020 - The EU decided yesterday to open its borders to citizens of Montenegro, leading Montenegro to act reciprocally; EU citizens are now allowed to come to to our country without any additional conditions. And they are only the first - it appears that the country will be opening up more and more. There are indeed all the more regular air connections. But when you enter the IATA interactive map and search for MNE, you find our country among those with the most highly restrictive policy regarding its borders and COVID-19 pandemic. So what does this mean?
 
There are many questions regarding entering Montenegro in the COVID-19 era, but not so many accurate sources to get detailed answers. Not because it is highly secretive, but because the situation is changing on a daily basis, especially since we have new COVID-19 cases after a pleasant break of 42 days without new patients officially reported. So, what's new, according to the International Air Transport Association?
 
 
Passengers are not allowed to enter Montenegro.
 
- It does not apply to nationals and residents of Montenegro.
 
- This does not apply to passengers who have been in Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (People's Rep.), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland (Rep.), Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea (Rep.), Kosovo (Rep.), Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palestinian Territory, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam or Zambia in the past 15 days.
 
 Nationals and residents of Montenegro are subject to self-isolation for 14 days.
 
- This does not apply to passengers who have been in Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (People's Rep.), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palestinian Territory, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam or Zambia in the past 15 days.
 
- This does not apply to passengers who have been in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Kosovo (Rep.), Turkey, or Ukraine in the past 15 days and have a medical certificate stating a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19) test result issued at most 72 hours before arrival.
 
Passengers who have been in Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Israel, Kosovo (Rep.), Turkey, or Ukraine in the past 15 days must have a medical certificate with a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19) test result issued at most 72 hours before arrival.
28 Jun 2020, 19:34 PM

June 28, 2020 - Specific dates for opening borders alongside measures introduced by competing countries have meant that some tourists, who would otherwise have preferred to come to Montenegro, have already opted for destinations such as Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Egypt and Tunisia.

Montenegro is currently open to more than 100 countries, but more than 70 percent of them are not the markets from which most guests come. According to the Association of Hotels and Apartments of the Municipality of Ulcinj, the more favorable entry measures introduced by Albania have led to up to 90% of their tourist capacity being filled, compared to last year.

The situation in Croatia is similar to Montenegro’s, yet as a European Union member it must adhere to the measures prescribed by the EU.

Criteria

Montenegro is currently open to countries with fewer than 25 active cases per 100,000 population. The problem with this criterion is that on any given day the criterion may be fulfilled, and yet in five days’ time it may no longer be. In the meantime, flights have been arranged, sales have been agreed, and packages sold to tourists, yet five days later everything has to be cancelled. In order to save the economy, the tourism industry is proposing the abolition of the PCR test when tourists enter, with stricter controls.

Given this situation on the tourism market on the one hand, and the significant impact that tourism has on the economy of the country on the other, the tourism industry expects the competent institutions in Montenegro to find sustainable solutions that will allow economic activities to make the most of the rest of the tourist season.

As the "Fly Montenegro" agency claims, the current measure cannot be applied from the point of view of specifying flights, because countries that meet that criterion can be on the list of banned countries again by the time of the scheduled flight, e.g Poland and Israel.

"Competing countries (Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Egypt, etc.) do not have the criterion of 25 active patients per 100,000 inhabitants but have either fully open borders, with certain measures to implement distance and mandatory wearing of masks when entering (Albania, Greece, Croatia, Egypt, etc.), or carry out tests for incoming passengers (Turkey)," Fly Montenegro states.

According to their information, in addition to the aforementioned measures, Croatia and Albania have introduced filling in forms upon entering the country. The purpose of the form is to know where an individual will be staying, and the date of arrival and departure in order to monitor the situation and controls. In Tirana, forms are filled out manually during the flight, to avoid crowds on landing. Croatia has created a web application through which passengers can fill in the required information before arriving in Croatia in order to avoid waiting at the airport.

xTivat foto Boka News resize.jpg.pagespeed.ic.qUn8fKP8Yk

Tivat - Photo Boka News

The Association of Hotels and Apartments of the Municipality of Ulcinj recently appealed to the Government to open the borders and allow unimpeded entry and stay of persons from the countries of the region because, as they say, the economic situation is very difficult.

The President of the Association, Fuad Lunji, claims that in Albania, compared to last year, 80 to 90 percent of the capacity is currently filled and that they are doing fairly well, adding that many of their tourists had wanted to stay in Montenegro. 

“Tourists as tourists have an alternative and why would they go somewhere where it is closed and pay for a PCR test, when they can go somewhere that is completely open and pay nothing. We cannot be too smart and not be able to establish that,” Lunji stated.

He suggests that with increased controls at border crossings, tourists should be allowed to enter without tests.

 “Every person in Montenegro depends directly and indirectly on tourism, especially those of us on the coast who depend on tourists from the entire region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia - these are our markets. We were the only ones to make a PCR test compulsory. I agree that the situation is bad, and it is a pandemic, but I think we have a much worse economic situation heading towards us. I feel sorry for all the people who get sick, people who die, but believe me, a huge catastrophe awaits us when all this stops,” Lunji believes.

His hotel "Salina" in Ulcinj currently has no guests. While the borders were temporarily open without a test, he says they had full weekends of tourists from Kosovo. However, he now claims that their situation was better in November and December last year than now.

“We have to find a way out and make the best of the situation, whatever the disease turns out to be,” Lunji thinks.

Interest

Travel agency "Fly Montenegro" spoke to Pobjeda, saying that apart from the region, there is a huge interest from tourists from Belarus and Ukraine, from where about 100,000 tourists came to Montenegro last year. Flights from these countries are now being diverted to Albania precisely because of the measures.

“The fact is that due to the global crisis caused by Covid-19, we cannot expect significant numbers from Western European countries this tourist season, because they are telling everyone to spend their summers in their countries. So our potential traditional incoming markets remain primarily Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, our region, Poland, the Emirates, the Czech Republic, Israel and others,” claims Fly Montenegro.

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Herceg Novi during coronavirus

It is especially important, they say, to consider measures of competitors in the tourist market (Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Tunisia, Egypt, etc.), which over time are taking more and more tourists from the traditional incoming markets and are therefore decreasing  the chances for some sort of rescue for at least part of the tourist season.

“We already have seen a number of examples where flights from Belarus that were planned for Montenegro were redirected to Albania, where the first flight arrived on 12th June. The first flights from Minsk, which were planned and sold to Tivat in mid-June, were diverted and landed in Tirana. The flight was welcomed at Tirana Airport by the Minister of Tourism of Albania. Belarus is not yet on the list of countries from which it is possible to come to Montenegro because they have more than 25 active patients per 100,000 inhabitants, which is completely realistic considering that mass tests are performed in that country, between 15,000 and 20,000 a day,” states Fly Montenegro.

They add that for now, flights from Minsk to Tivat have been moved to start on 10th July.

“If a sustainable solution is not found, the airline Belavia will be forced to completely cancel flights to Montenegro this year and redirect all its flights to competitive markets. How important the Ukrainian market is is best shown by the fact that negative PCR tests for Ukrainian tourists are not required by Croatia, Albania, Greece, Turkey or Egypt,” said Fly Montenegro.

Barrier

As they explain, the last change according to which Ukraine was put on the list of countries from which tourists can visit Montenegro, but with the obligatory negative PCR test not older than 48 hours, cannot be applicable to tourist arrivals for two reasons.

plaža

Beach - tourism

“The first is of a technical nature because in Ukraine the minimum turnaround for PCR tests is 72 hours or longer, as the number of laboratories that issue PCR tests is limited. The second is economic in nature because the PCR test costs about 80 euros, which automatically removes us from the market as competing countries can attract them by not insisting on a negative PCR test. For example, a family of four has to pay over 300 euros for tests alone, and there are huge queues for PCR testing. In addition, no one can guarantee that the tests will be issued between the 48 and 72 hours as required by us, and therefore tourists opt for competing countries where there are no such requirements,” the agency clarified.

The outcome of this situation, they say, is that the planned flights from Ukraine to Montenegro from 1st July have been cancelled.

22 Jun 2020, 21:51 PM

June 22, 2020 - Last weekend, the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Tivat hosted representatives of a study group of media and travel agencies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and a group of influencers from Albania.

The visit of a group of media and tourist agencies from BiH to Montenegro was organized by the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, in cooperation with local tourist organizations along the coast. On Saturday, June 20, the group stayed in Tivat. TO Tivat, in cooperation with partners, designed an interesting programme to showcase what the area has to offer and present the potential of the municipality of Tivat as a tourist destination.

The programme included a tour of the Porto Montenegro marina resort, a walk along the Tivat Pine waterfront and a tour of the luxury complex Luštica Bay. The tour of Luštica Bay, accompanied by a guide, included a visit to “The Chedi” hotel, “The Rok” beach bar and “The Spot” restaurant, where dinner was organized in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The gathering was attended by representatives of the media: BHT1, TV Sarajevo, Face TV, Klix portal, Exclusive, SA Radio and portal, and Gracija magazine, as well as representatives of Relax, Sirius, Castanea, M97, Viptravels travel agencies.

Sunday, June 21st, was reserved for a visit by Albanian influencers, who were guests of the Regent Hotel in Porto Montenegro from June 19th to 21st. Well-known influencers from Albania had a full programme organized by the management of the Regent Hotel, with Sunday morning organized by TO Tivat. The tour organized by TO Tivat in cooperation with the agency “Montenegro Destinations” included a ride through the city in attractive tuk tuk vehicles, followed by a visit to the beach complex “Movida”, where after refreshments in the beach bar influencers had the opportunity for a walk and to take some stunning photos. The authentic taverna "Vino Santo" was a perfect spot with just the right atmosphere for the group to enjoy lunch, arranged to include tasting of fish specialties.

The previous Saturday, June 13, the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Tivat hosted a group of local influencers, also guests of the Regent Hotel, and in cooperation with Montenegro Destinations, organized a picnic in the atmospheric village of Gornja Lastva.

21 Jun 2020, 14:16 PM
June 21, 2020 - The first flights were seen at the airport in Tivat this morning, which also re-established commercial air traffic in this airport after the break caused by the coronavirus, the company announced.
 
A Montenegro Airlines plane took off again from Tivat to Hanover at 6:30 am, while at 11:20 am 70 passengers landed from the same German city, the statement said.
 
They add that from the beginning of May until June 21, about 300 passengers landed at Tivat airport with general aviation, i.e. small, private, planes, which is approximately the same number as last year in terms of non-commercial air traffic.
 
"These results are reminiscent of last year and, although we are speaking here about general aviation, it all gives us optimism that the air travel season is slowly warming up. As far as commercial traffic is concerned, in June and August, we expect a huge step forward compared to the previous period," said PR for Airports of Montenegro Marina Miketić Nikolić.
 
"The next flight from Tivat Airport is expected on June 23 and 30 to/from Dusseldorf, with Eurowings," the Montenegrin airport said in a statement.
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