21 April 2019 -As part of their tour, musical band Wings of Dixie will perform in the Montenegrin cities of Bar (April 21) and Kotor (April 22).

The U.S. Embassy Podgorica is excited to bring the musical band Wings of Dixie to Montenegro!

Wings of Dixie, which is part of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band, is an 8-member ensemble that epitomizes Americana with every performance.  The band’s repertoire covers the full spectrum of American music, including jazz, Dixieland, the blues, modern pop, and rock hits. 

The group provides a high-energy show that is instantly identifiable as American music.  The only ensemble of its kind representing the United States Air Forces in Europe, Wings of Dixie has been entertaining audiences for more than three decades. 

The band will perform in Bar on April 21 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Promenade of King Nikola. The second performance will take place on April 22 in Kotor at the Square of Arms from 7 pm to 9 pm. The U.S. Embassy invites all locals and tourists to come and enjoy the wonderful music created by the ensemble.

19 April 2019 - Infinity Board & Paper, a Tivat-based company, is going to build three residential structures in the Kavač settlement in Kotor, using Turkish capital. The total gross area of the structure amounts 2.046 square meters, and the residential structures will have 63 apartments intended for tourists, reports Pobjeda Daily.

Current Acting Chief State Architect Dušan Vuksanović gave his consent to the preliminary design for these housing projects. The founders of the Tivat company are Buse Ozant and Semih Adikutlu, who is also the Executive Director. The designer of these facilities is Kotor-based company Enforma, whose founder and executive director is Nikola Novaković.

The planned complex will consist of three buildings, which will have a basement, ground floor, and two floors. The project includes the construction of a two-level underground garage and a plateau with swimming pool and free surfaces.

As stated in the preliminary project documentation, object A will contain 23 residential units, object B will have 16, and object C will include 24 residential units. Access to the facilities will be provided from the main parking lot, which leads to an open parking lot and the entrance to the underground garage. There will be 40 parking spaces in the garage and 22 in front of the building. The complex is formally disassembled and consists of three objects that are aligned with the fall of the terrain. There will be a warm linkage between the first level of the garage and the basement of the building A. Objects B and C are accessed by separate external stairways. Basement facilities will be covered with stone, and facade walls represent a combination of stone, wood and bavalite facade material with warm colours.

April 18, 2019 - Kotor is a member of numerous international organizations and has twin cities around the world. In the context of regional cooperation, cooperation with Dubrovnik, Split, Mostar, and Ohrid has intensified in the past period. Kotor is also a member of international associations of cities that are based on UNESCO's principles of development for the areas of universal importance, multiethnic principles of spreading the culture of peace and the integrating principles of the European Union.

April 15, 2019 - Springtime makes the nature in Boka Bay play with no break, always offering new breathtaking scenes.

Yesterday in Kotor Bay

April 15, 2019 - Several hundred citizens gathered on Sunday, 14 April in the Arms Square in Kotor at a protest gathering "Who is handing over Kotor?. The protest is against the shift of Mayor Vladimir Jokic (Democrats). They called on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to give up its initiative for his resignation until the creation of conditions for fair and free elections.

With harsh disapproval and whistles on each mention of the party and its members, demonstrators have called on the SDP to fulfill its obligations in the ruling coalition with the Democrats, the DF, the URA, and the SNP. Protestors called SDP constituents to cease to sabotage the work of the majority in the local parliament, which Ranko Krivokapić's party has been doing for months now.

Otherwise, as heard at the meeting, the citizens of Kotor and the rest of the local governmental councilors believe that the SDP opened a coalition with the opposition DPS, SD, and HGI in that city and thus overlapped the electoral will of citizens from the last local elections in 2016. Acting this way, SDP also fails its signature on the recently-concluded Future Agreement with the rest of the opposition and organizers of civil protests #ODUPRISE.

SDP had formally launched the Jokić dismissal initiative ten days ago, accusing him of being autocratic, failing to meet strategic development plans and causing damage to Kotor. Their effort was supported by the DPS, SD and HGI delegates, and a session of the Assembly that is scheduled for their request, which will address the issue of trust to the Mayor, is scheduled for 24 April.

Mayor of Kotor, Vladimir Jokic and the president of Democrats, Aleksa Becic, Photo by Sinisa Lukovic

An informal group of citizens organized Sunday's protest against the intentions of SDP, DPS, SD, and HGI to rid Jokić, and support was provided by numerous activists of the movement "97,000 - Odupri Se".

The leader of Democrats, Aleksa Becic and the party functionaries Boris Bogdanovic and Danilo Saranovic, President od Crnogorska Vladimir Pavićević, mayor of Herceg Novi Stevan Katić (Democrats), Deputy Prime Minister of Kotor, Mišo Samardžić (PzP), President of Kotor Parliament and President DSS Dragica Perovic and numerous civic and NGO activists attended the protest. There were also members of the SNP headed by the former delegation of that party at the Montenegrin Assembly Snežana Jonica.

Among the citizens of the Arms Square were some of the members and functionaries of the Kotor SDP: Mladen Lučić, the current director of the Utility Company, the president of the Women's Forum SDP Kotor Jelena Milić, vice-president of the Women's Forum SDP Kotor Danijela Vidović.

Speaking to the gathering, Perovic said that the session of the local parliament on April 24 will not be the Assembly for which they voted and who expressed the will of the citizens from October 2016, for which the attendees invited them to the square to declare whether they are for or against the shifts Mayor of Jokic.

"I find that the proposal for the dissolution of the President of the Municipality of Kotor has been strongly rejected," Perovic said following the crowds presenting support for Jokić and the rejection of the SDP initiative.

The president of the Assembly of Kotor, Dragica Perovic, Photo by Sinisa Lukovic

"All of your efforts to end the election of thefts, intimidation, pressures, and political corruption, have resulted in the withdrawal from the Montenegrin regime in Kotor. Who is trying to bring that cremated ghost back to the political scene? Who wants to go to Kotor? Is our memory so short that we have forgotten everything they did - all the damage, all the lawlessness, the devastation of our environment and our lives, and which individuals are trying to rehabilitate in the last half of the year?"Perovic said, pointing out that "the time of the carnival has passed, so the political masks in Kotor should drop."

"The obsession that has been following us for the last thirty years is a great burden for each of us, especially for our children, our youth that is happy, prosperous, and humane," said Milica Ilic, one of the organizers of the civil protest.

"I sincerely believe in the love and dedication of Vladimir Jokic to Kotor. That's why I'm here today. I want to save the forces, the will, and the character of Kotor, a bastion of freedom, for our children and us," she said.

Dr. Goran Jovanovic (Timur Tmurni), Deputy of Democrats in the Assembly of Kotor, poet, satirist, and musician reminded that citizens of Kotor recently burned this year's carnival Tranjo Djudice Montanaro, who alluded to the leader of SDP Ranko Krivokapić.

"In this kind of Montenegro, politics is reduced to infinite obstructions, raids, blackmails, attempts to take you back to the barracks; to be with them in the same mud. They are constantly knocking on their chests, calling for everlasting consistency, repeated phrases that differ from promises and acts, and support the survival of collective amnesia and collective madness," Jovanovic said, and added that "the biggest devastator of Kotor's mafia and thug regime Don Milo Corleone Djukanovic, his satellites and partners in holding a thief bag."

"Some still keep the sack, and some have kept it for a while, so maybe again," said Jovanovic, adding that "Kotor is undone and wounded, abandoned by many worthy and disappointed, but still has the power to resist and will resist."

Source: Sinisa Lukovic/ Boka News

April 14, 2019 - Protest of support for President of Kotor Municipality Vladimir Jokić will be held on Sunday at 11.55 am at the Arms Square in the Old town of Kotor. A protest call titled "Who is handing over Kotor?" on the social network Facebook sent a group of citizens called Kontrafor. 

12 April 2019 - Around 2.267 employees worked in seven of the most important hotels and tour companies in Montenegro last year, and they made a profit of 151 million EUR.

Maestral hotel and casino in Budva generated the highest profit of 36,6 million EUR. Next comes Luštica Development, with 33,3 million EUR. Budvanska Rivijera made a profit of 21,5 million EUR, HG Montenegro Stars – 20,7 million EUR, HG Belvi – 14 million EUR, Adriatic Properties – 12,9 million EUR and Beppler and Jacobson Montenegro – 1,8 million EUR.

Five out of seven companies finished the last year with a positive performance. Maestral made the highest profit – 10,7 million EUR. Belvi Hotel Group from Budva ended last year with a gain of 4,64 million EUR. Budvanska Rivijera made a profit of 2,6 million EUR, while Beppler and Jacobson Montenegro made a net profit of 1,52 million EUR. The profit of Montenegro Stars amounted 342.738 EUR whereas the Adriatic Properties was at a loss – 5,72 million EUR. Luštica Development also operated at a loss of 475.545 EUR.

Montenegro Stars company had the highest number of employees last year – 650. Budvanska Rivijera counted 585 and Maestral 357 employees. Adriatic Properties had 280 employees and Belvi Group had 214. At the end of last year, Beppler and Jacobson had 93 employees, and Luštica Development – 88. Budvanska Rivijera has the highest capital – 190 million EUR. The capital of Montenegro Stars amounts 80,37 million EUR, Beppler and Jacobson – 36,2 million EUR. The capital of Belvi amounts to 28,2 million EUR and Maestral had the capital of 20,56 million EUR. Adriatic Properties had negative capital amounting to 49,5 million EUR.

Owner of the Maestral hotels and casinos company from Budva is Fasamo, a company from Podgorica. President of the Board of Directors is Georgios Lychnos, while Christos Tsemperas is the CEO.

This company manages Maestral hotel, which was reopened in July of 2017 after being reconstructed. Luštica Development is the branch of Swiss Orascom Development Holding. Samih Saviris is the President of the Board of Directors and Daren Gibson is the CEO. This company is carrying out the Luštica Bay project. Last year, the first phase of the marina with 176 berths was opened in Luštica Bay, along with the first ultra-luxurious Chedi hotel and marina settlement with around 220 residential units.

Budvanska Rivijera is still mostly state-owned. Saša Radović is the President of the Board of Directors of this company. Katarina Kažanegra is the CEO. Founders, that is, co-owners of Montenegro Stars hotel group are Žarko Radulović and Viktor Ivanenko. Milan Vuković is the CEO of this company. Splendid is within this company too. Owners of Belvi Hotel Group are Branko and Predrag Ćupić and Selim Kolar is the CEO. President of the Board of Directors of Adriatic Properties is Petros Statis and Goran Bencun is the CEO.

Founder of this company is Aidway Investments from British Virgin Islands. Adriatic Properties is the long-term tenant of Sveti Stefan hotel, Miločer villa, and Kraljičina plaža hotel. Founder of Beppler and Jacobosn company is Lawson Trading INC. This company manages Avala hotel in Budva and Bjanka hotel in Kolašin. Nikola Kasalo is the CEO and Alexander Safian is the president of the Board.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

April 11, 2019 - The Municipality of Kotor, the Public Institution "Museums" Kotor and the Cultural Center "Nikola Ðurković" will organize a full day program to commemorate forty years since the earthquake (1979-2019) on 15 April.

Boka Navy Round Dance at the Square of Arms on 15 April 1979

Kotor and the Area Was Seriously Destroyed in 1979 Earthquake, 136 People Lost Their Lives

Kotor Immediately After the 1979 Earthquake, Archive Photo

April 9, 2019 - Kotor cannot develop a sustainable tourism offer without the construction of a hotel and the related infrastructure said tourism engineer Ivo Županović for Radio Kotor.

According to him, there are collisions in the concept of a tourism product of Kotor when it comes to primary macro-level strategic documents. In the Master Plan - Montenegro's Tourism Development Strategy by 2020 and the Draft Special Spatial Plan for the Coastal Zone of Montenegro, Županović further stated, Kotor is recognised as the destination of small and boutique hotels and in the market offer as a destination for cultural tourism. The draft plan of the coastal area identifies Kotor as a destination of cruise tourism.

Asked what he considers necessary for the further development of the city, Županović said that he is defined by the master plan - Montenegro's tourism development strategy by 2020 within the Boka Kotorska cluster.

"In practice, although I consider it to be the most efficient aspect of the organisation of the tourist product of Montenegro, the cluster organisational structure has never lived, and in this context the tourist cluster of Boka Kotorska. On the other hand, there is a collision on the one that defines the Master Plan - the Tourism Development Strategy of Montenegro by 2020 and the Draft Special Spatial Plan for the Coastal Zone of Montenegro in certain parts when it comes to the treatment of Kotor's tourism product.

Therefore, taking into account the above facts, in order to be able to talk more seriously about the strategic directions of the development of the tourism product of Kotor, I think it is necessary to conceptualize the official tourism development strategy in Kotor with the action plan and measures that would be monitored and implemented," explained Županović .

In his view, in the context of economic sustainability, Kotor has considerably greater potentials than those currently used.

"In the context of relaxation of the urban core, a better connection of cruise tourism and cultural tourism is needed, in the sense of visiting the ramparts, but not just the ramparts but the complete cultural-historical and religious fundraiser in Kotor. In this context, a clear destination policy and synergy of all in the destination is needed. The mentioned synergy inevitably results in the creation of a series of formal and informal clusters, marketing networks and alliances at the destination level. I think that the development of the models of primarily diffuse hotels, Kotor, significantly extended the time spent on guests when it comes to cultural and entertainment events and even some sports events at the national level," Županović says.

He recalls that the integrated tourism product is a derivative of three components: natural and social resources, traffic accessibility and receptive factors. "In particular, I think that Kotor has extraordinary natural preconditions for the development of congress and business tourism, as well as sports tourism. However, Kotor does not have adequate receptive potentials for the development of congress tourism, which is simply unobtrusive for me," Županović said.

"As an example there is Opatija, a geographically small city, which has exploited its market capacities, not poisoning the ambience or sociological sustainability of the destination. There are over 500 business conferences - seminars, congresses, and training sessions in the city. In the overall structure of business meetings, congresses participate with almost 50%. But besides a series of small and boutique hotels, Opatija has the Ambassador Hotel as the crux of the development of congress tourism. The Ambassador has a congress hall for 525 participants, which, by its multifunctionality, can receive up to 1000 participants and six smaller halls," says Županović who thinks a similar hotel in Kotor should have been on the site of the former Fjord.

Due to climatic factors, Kotor can be a respectable destination for sports tourism. "In addition to the development of accommodation capacities, the development of sports infrastructure for the organisation of international events is indispensable, because if we do not have events of this type, sports competitions are reduced to the level of nationality, which limits the tourism development of Kotor in this sense."

Tourism engineer Ivo Županović particularly emphasises the importance of completing works on the winter pool. "The pool is the backbone of the development of Kotor's sport for decades, but it is also a significant social content for the city. I think the reputation of our athletes is inadequate or not used when it comes to branding Kotor as a destination for European champions," Zupanovic said.

Read the article in Montenegrin at www.radiokotor.info 

April 9, 2019 - Pianist Yuja Wang and clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer will perform at the XVIII KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days within two concerts, on 7 August in Luštica Bay in Tivat and 9 August in the Church of St. Spirit in Kotor. 

Tickets for these concerts, named 'The Blue Hour Magic', are on pre-sale with a limited quantity and at discounted prices at kotorart.me and Tobacco S Press kiosks.