Montenegro Adventures

Roll, Race, and Float through Mountains, Plateaus, and Canyons: This is Montenegro

Jack — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:39:42 +0000

Roll, Race, and Float through Mountains, Plateaus, and Canyons: This is Montenegro.

Piva Canyon Kayak Stage

Find yourself crossing over, through, and under every imaginable geological feature imaginable when you try Montenegro’s 48-hour Expedition Challenge. You’ll raft the Tara Canyon (the deepest canyon in Europe) and do your best to avoid flat tires as you race through the Sinjajevina plateau. Not to mention about 80 kms of trekking,15 kms of kayaking and other unknown surprises thrown into the mix.

Although these feats themselves are worth a few months of bragging rights they are almost incomparable to the raw beauty that each racer has the chance to experience up close through each kilometer that they cover.

Troy Farrar, President of the United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA), noted the growth in Adventure Racing, and took interest in Montenegro’s Expedition Challenge. USARA has decided to award this year’s Number One Nationally Ranked team, free entry into next year’s challenge.

Adventure Races in Montenegro have been open to locals for a long time. The idea behind the sudden rise in recognition of these many races and challenges being issued out by Montenegro and local adventure enthusiasts is to bring together local businesses, tourism, and non-profits in a way that benefits the entire community and creates lasting value among all participants.

“I have long wanted to do something to protect Montenegro’s ‘big 5′ (Bear, Wolf, Lynx, Chamois and Wild Boar),” says Jack Delf, Director of Black Mountain and Adventure Race Montenegro. “All of the ARM directors wanted a strong conservation goal for the race,” funds raised from the race will fund the first scientific census of large mammals species in Montenegro and continue the work of promoting a national ‘Leave No Trace‘ educational program, dedicated to the responsible enjoyment of Montenegro’s pristine wilderness.

If 48 hours is 24 hours too many, take a look at Montenegro’s Coastal Challenge taking place September 25th around the Bay of Kotor.

These races are all a part of a yearlong Adventure Series taking place throughout Montenegro. Check out past events that have taken place this year and start marking your calendar to participate next year.

If you are interested in registering for the race or would like more information send an email to: info@adventureracemontenegro.com or contact the following people:

Hayley (English) +382 (0)67 268 971

Janko +382 (0)67 603 712 (Crnogorski).

To register online visit : Montenegro Expedition Challenge

From – ‘Off the Radar’ Online Magazine for Adventure Travellers

Some of our work for the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance

Jack — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:13:02 +0000

Tourism Working Group Forum in Montenegro a Success.

The STARS Program aims to improve Northern Montenegro’s tourism sector by attracting investment, enhancing linkages, increasing marketing capabilities, and developing cohesive regional branding.

On May 25th and 26th 2009, STARS held two Tourism Workgroup Forums in Zabljak and Kolasin for forty-one individuals from private, non-profit, and government sectors. The participants included representatives from local and regional tour operators, restaurants and accommodations, and destination management organizations.

Jack Delf, owner of Black Mountain tours and former advertising executive, introduced the workshop’s goals and explained the emergence of an adventure-driven European market in which northern Montenegro could position itself as a leading destination. Mr. Delf previewed the STARS marketing and packaging workshop that occured in late June 2009 by offering best-practice techniques for running successful operations, identifying target markets, attracting western European travelers, and creating networks for future cooperation among tourism businesses.

Participants wish to continue to discussion in-between monthly workshops. They held interim one-on-one meetings in order to fully prepare for the June Workshop, where they will received further information from STARS tourism development experts, Costas Christ and Christina Heyniger.

The Forum concluded with a frank roundtable discussion on current business needs and their potential solutions, helping to define target areas for STARS project assistance.

As workshop participants acknowledged the need for additional dialogue on tourism business needs, STARS will be conducting small group sessions to further identify business-specific and cross-sectoral assistance opportunities.

“This project will be much help for our future business development. We need assistance bringing more tourists into our beautiful Northern part since we still have not shown them the true beauty of it.”

-Bijelp Polje, local tour operator

The STARS Program aims to improve Northern Montenegro’s tourism sector by attracting investment, enhancing linkages, increasing marketing capabilities, and developing cohesive regional branding.

Taken from the Global Sustainable Tourism Newsletter – December 2009

The value of cooperation and ‘adventure travel’ tourism in Montenegro.

Jack — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:46:36 +0000

Innovation at its simplest is the introduction of something new. New ideas, new products, or a new approach. In 2006, ‘Black Mountain’ was founded because we felt that Montenegro, as a tourist destination, was falling far short of it’s potential. Montenegro was marketing a homogenous product which was vulnerable to changes in demand. We believed that Montenegro needed new tourist offers to play to its strengths, to differentiate it in the market and to increase tourism revenue in a way that minimised harmful impacts for the country’s wild beauty and unique culture.

Official destination branding

In recent years the rise of ‘Adventure Tourism’ has created a new demand which Montenegro is very well placed to meet. Adventure Travel includes any 2 out of three aspects; nature based experience, cultural education and an activity. The sector now accounts for 25% of European ‘outbound’ holidays, and worldwide is worth 64 Billion Euros and growing.

Inland Montenegro -Black Lake

Montenegro is spectacularly beautiful, very mountainous, rugged and sparsely populated. Of the 660,000 population, more than 3 quarters live along the coast or in the three largest towns. In the winter 50% of Montenegro is uninhabited and during the summer 25% remains unpopulated. Local customs and a traditional way of life still exist,exist; many families move their flocks up to the high pastures and live in the Katuns, without amenities. Add to all this, the deepest canyon in Europe, numerous white water river courses, primary forest and surviving wild populations of large mammals including brown bear, 3 national parks and 2 UNESCO protected areas.

Despite this richness, the Tourist master plan for Montenegro until 2008 took no account of this potential. The stated aim of Montenegrin tourist development was to become ‘a high quality Majorca!’ The antithesis of innovation, to copy, not to develop a new approach.

We determined to make the most of this incredible potential and launched some very innovative products. For corporate and academic training we have developed unique programs such as a 3 day ‘earthquake survival exercise, titled “Escape from Mount Orijen” or the team building program on an offshore island, modeled on the TV show ‘Lost’. We have produced a range of unique hiking, biking and multi-activity tours geared for any level of ability. All of our activity programs contain authentic cultural elements, and we allow our customers to modify each itinerary to suit their own tastes.

'Escape from Mount Orijen'

In order to survive the private sector SME’s who wanted to develop new adventure travel offers had to cooperate to form clusters and to lead change themselves, to find ways to promote Montenegro’s unique offer and to develop their own product.To deliver new product, we needed local partners who are ready to embrace change, who were innovative and able to take risks. Motivation was the key. A number of aid sponsored ‘adventure travel businesses’ existed, but were motivated more by aid funding than the desire to generate tourist income. We discovered that the less vocal, more active businesses made the best partners. The number of customers they serviced told us most about their willingness to adapt. Many outdoor clubs and associations exist; their passion for their sport keeps them informed of the latest developments. They were less motivated by profit but wanted more exchange with international enthusiasts.

Adventure Race Montenegro - 'cluster'

We have sought to bring these two groups together, to form informal clusters which cooperate, share information, joint marketing initiatives and ultimately develop new product. We launched the Montenegro Adventure Race with the voluntary unpaid help of these organisations. This is a charity race has involved SME’s, sports clubs and municipalities. We have all learned through shared experience, and now offer tours based on events. We have been working to establish a leave no trace program and part funded the training of 24 educators among Tourism businesses, National Parks and clubs and clubs.

During the past 10 years Montenegro has been among the fastest growing tourist destinations, inward investments has poured in to the country to develop new hotels, marinas and villas and apartments. Tourism revenue is expected to be 620 million in 2010. But there are still problems.

The tourist season is extremely short,short; July and August account for 70% of overnights, June and September a further 20%. The wealth created by tourism was very localised, 95% of tourist visits are to the coast, one resort Budva, accounts for 47% of visits. The concentration of tourism into such a small area in a short season inevitably lead to capacity bottlenecks on beaches and in high end accommodation.

The opportunities to offer high end accommodation and spa retreats in the mountains are limited, journey times from the arrival airport are longer than in other hiking destinations like Portugal, or Italy. However adventure tourists will accept more limited tourism infrastructure if they gain a more authentic experience. ‘Adventure travelers’ almost by definition are not seeking sunshine and beaches. They want to travel ‘off the beaten’ tourist track and away from the congestion which can be seen in some coastal areas in peak season.

Projected location of Hydro power station ?

And finally… by attaching an economic value to un-spoilt natural beauty and traditional culture, Adventure travelers can demonstrate to legislators and locals alike that both should be conserved.

Jack Delf

(…Extracts from a presentation to the European Parliament Conference of Innovation in Tourism- 2010.)

Black Mountain will be the first to support the ‘Turtle of Change’

Jack — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:57:00 +0000

The Turtle has Landed !! Or more precisely it has swum ashore in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro for its first stop on what promises to be a very exciting journey indeed for Turtle ‘Black Mountain’ – the very first ‘Turtle of Change’ !

Turtle - 'Black Mountain'

At Black Mountain we are extremely excited and proud to be tasked with the Turtle’s first journey. This is a big responsibility and we have given a lot of thought to how we can use the Turtle as a catalyst for change. Even after the Turtle leaves our hands we will continuing promoting our message and the messages promoted by blueturtle.com, through our business and our activities here in Montenegro.

Who are we and where do we work ? We are located in Herceg Novi, which is a small resort town on the shores of the beautiful Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, on the Adriatic coastline. Montenegro is a country which has seen huge changes in the last few years and which is still undergoing immense change. Some of these changes are for the better, but others are environmentally damaging and will sadly never be reversed. Montenegro is a spectacular country, and although it may look small on the map, it is anything but small where its topography is concerned. With mountains and canyons, rivers and lakes, caves and forests, not to mention a stunning coastal area stretching along the Adriatic coast, no visitor to Montenegro can fail to be impressed. The country relies principally on tourism for its income. This tourism needs to be carefully managed to be a sustainable business for future generations and to be sustainable for the environment here.

Overbuilding and over development in some areas have already spoiled this plan. However there is still time. Much of Montenegro is uninhabited wilderness. This is one of the last places in Europe where the bears and wolves still roam free, but they are also under threat and need protection. Our business Black Mountain, specialises in adventure, cultural and activity tours in Montenegro. Established in 2006, our company is based in Montenegro and the UK, and our aim is to promote sustainable and low impact tourism wherever possible. We are realistic. It is very difficult to be green in everything we do, change takes time and education. Small scale sustainable tourism initiatives have already been set up here in some areas and we take care to promote those and prefer to send our clients to local accommodation providers, show them the traditional Montenegrin way of life, the real culture and environment. We use local guides and local companies for the services we require. This allows our guests to have a closer understanding of the people and culture in the country they are visiting.

Rubbish / trash is a big problem here, as in many places. Black Mountain introduced and promotes the Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org) principles and organises workshops to promote the message to young people. We are excited about the Blue Turtle Handshake initiative and will be delighted to support this as another way to promote significant change through small actions.

At the end of our week with the Turtle we will show you in words and with photos, what actions we have taken to support the Blue Turtle challenge. We are also discussing now about the handover of the Turtle to the next group of people who will take care of it. We will follow its progress with great interest, continue to spread the message and work on new ways to bring the Turtle message to everyone we meet !

Long Live the Blue Turtle !

Hayley

Postcards from Herceg Novi

Jack — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:48:20 +0000

Herceg Novi, (once known as Castelnuovo), has changed little in 100 years. The railway has gone, to be replaced by a pedestrian promenade. One castle fell into the sea during an earthquake, but the town would be still be familiar to a Austro-Hungarian soldier from the 1890′s

Main Square 2011 Main Square 1900

Travel in parts of Montenegro often feels like travel back in time. Many destinations claim to be ‘the Mediterranean as it once was’. Few places can live up to that claim. Herceg Novi,which is often bypassed by tourists hurrying to see Dubrovnik or Kotor, certainly does.

Marina 2011 Marina 1926

The old town is still partly walled and contains 3 castles. Hispaniola was built by Spanish Crusaders, Fort Mare and Kanli Kula (Bloody Tower) were built by Ottoman Turks.

Sea View 2011 Sea View 1915

In the quiet cobbled streets of the old town it is easy to forget the passage of time and imagine that the spirits of the past still swap gossip over a rakija or bustle to the market, just as their successors still do today!

So don’t worry if your postcard takes 100 years to arrive, little will have changed.

Adventures in Montenegro Slideshow

Jack — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:40:07 +0000

TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Adventures in Montenegro Slideshow ★ to Herceg-Novi. Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor

via Adventures in Montenegro Slideshow.

Keeping Montenegro’s hiking trails open.

Jack — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:49:29 +0000

There are thousands of kilometers of mountain hiking trails in Montenegro. The trails were created by local farmers, hiking and mountaineering clubs and by the Austro-Hungarian army in the late 19th Century. In fact there are so many trails, and they are so rarely visited by tourists that even during the peak summer months it is unusual to meet other hikers on most of them. Even along the coastal transversal there are so few hikers that in 2 – 3 years the trails would become overgrown and impassable.

Montenegro is now promoting these trails through the government’s Hiking and Biking program for tourism, and yet there is no systematic funding to keep the trails open. Despite this, the paths are maintained and usually well signed and easy to follow. How so? Well last week I found out.

My friend Vlatko is a mountain guide and he asked if I wanted to join an ‘action’ on Mount Rumija, 1800m high overlooking Bar and Lake Skadar. I first met Vlatko through the ‘Leave No Trace’ program, we both trained together as instructors, so I naturally assumed that we would be collecting litter and taking a packed lunch to the summit. Janko who guides for Black Mountain joined us with another of Vlatko’s friends – Marin. I did wonder why they all wore old clothes and brought heavy duty gloves. The penny dropped when I was handed a machete and given a fuel can to carry for the chainsaw.

Mnt Rumija - 1800m

An ‘action’ as I found out, is the term used by the volunteers who work year round to keep the trails open. They are rarely paid, and have to meet all the expenses themselves. The trail we started to clear had not been repaired in years and the work was hard. Yet no one flagged and by the end of the day we had climbed about 300m up the trail clearing heavy thorn and fallen trees as we went.

Without repairs trails can vanish in 2 years.

When the light failed we had to finish for the day. Vlatko and Marin pitched camp for the night and passed around a very welcome bottle of Rakija. Unfortunately I had business commitments the next day (honest), so Janko and I had to leave them to continue the work. To be honest, I could hardly move the following morning, so I would have been little use. I have promised to join them for future ‘actions’.

Vlatko sharpens the chainsaw, the Rakija came later!

The day had been great fun and a good work out. Working outside with friends is not the only reward, grateful local farmers provided pancakes and cheese. The scenery was magnificent and the afternoon sun lighting up Lake Skadar below us was spectacular. We had been lucky with the weather today but in the mountains conditions can change in minutes. I now realise what an enormous task faces these volunteers each year. They do this work in all weathers. They deserve better recognition.

ARMex 2011 is now an A.R.European Series event.

Jack — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:40:41 +0000

Montenegro’s ARMex 48 Hour Adventure Race has been accepted by the Adventure Race European Series (ARES). ARMex 2011 competitors will gain European Championship ranking points.

21.3.2011

For those of you who follow this blog (thanks Mum), and the projects which Black Mountain support.. This is a press release which we have just issued. After just one race the ARMex 48 hour challenge has now been accepted into the European Series. We have already been chosen as the USARA first prize for the US racing league.

ARMex 2011 is now an A.R.European Championship event.

We are very pleased that ARMex has been accepted by the AREuroSeries, now we can award rankings points as part of the European Championships. In 2010 we set out to create one of the world’s best adventure races in Montenegro. After just one race, we have received the approval of Europe’s Adventure Racing body, who are themselves partners in the Adventure Race World Series. We already have the support of the US Adventure Race Series (USARA) who are sending the 2 top ranked teams in the US to take part in our 2011 race. This is fantastic news for the development of Adventure Sport in Montenegro

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NOTES:

AREuroSeries

AREuroSeries manage and develop long distance adventure racing in Europe, including the AR European Championship and AR European Cup. ARES coordinate AR sport development together with AR World Series organizer. European Championship winners are automatically entered into the AR World Championship.

ARMex 48 Hour Adventure Race

The ARMex Race was launched in 2010. An international field of experienced racers from Montenegro, Serbia, Greece, Poland and the United Kingdom competed over a grueling 240 km route through Montenegro’s Northern Mountains. The race included; Kayak, Mountain Bike, High Ropes, Rafting and Orienteering sections. The race route passed through; 2 national parks, some of Europe’s last Old Growth Forest, Mount Durmitor, The Sinjajevina Plateau, the highest town in the Balkans and Europe’s deepest Canyon.

In 2010 only one team was able to complete the race without seeking outside assistance, for that reason the event is already getting lots of interest from Adventure Racers. The positive comments from competitors in 2010, show that ARMex has the right mix of challenges, hardship, adrenalin and fun.

“Montenegro is an incredible location for Adventure Racing, the best we have seen” Team 360 – Poland.
“ARMex 48 Hour Challenge is a very professionally organised Adventure Race” Team Xamos – Greece.
“In the world’s toughest races, like the ARMex, only a third of entrants complete, this is the hardest race we have seen and will attract many racers in future years” Team SAT –Serbia
“Adventure Racers in the UK are asking why they have not heard of this race before and how can they join in 2011, this is going to be a big race in the calendar” Team Toyi Toyi – UK

In 2011 ARMex will cross through a similar areas, (the route is always a closely guarded secret), but will include new and more spectacular challenges for competitors. Rafting, Mountain Biking, Kayaking, High Ropes challenges and Orienteering will all be included. The race is open to teams of 4 and 2, mixed or same sex. There are no entry qualifications but be advised this event is for experienced adventure sportsmen and women. Anyone interested in applying should register at http://www.montenegroexpeditionchallenge.com.

The United States Adventure Race Series

The United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) has selected Adventure Race Montenegro (ARM) as part of the “Grand Prize” awarded to the USARA’s League Champions in 2010.
“Growth in the sport of Adventure Racing is exploding,” says Troy Farrar, President of USARA, “and not just in the United States, but around the world. Which is why we’re happy to support this professionally organized event in Montenegro.”

Adventure Race Montenegro and the Balkans Large Mammal Conservation Project

ARMex is a non profit event, all proceeds will go to support the Balkans Large Mammal Conservation Project, another initiative from ARM. To find out more about ARM’s conservation aims and how you can help, go to: http://www.facebook.com/Adventure.Race.Montenegro#!/Adventure.Race.Montenegro

ARM Foundation

The race is organized by Adventure Race Montenegro (http://www.adventureracemontenegro.com), an NVO set up in 2006 to stage a one day 40km adventure race in the Bay of Kotor. The one day ‘Coastal Challenge’ race takes place every year at the end of September (24^th September in 2011). The popularity of the coastal challenge race inspired the organizers to launch ARMex a 48 hour endurance race through Northern Montenegro. They wanted ARMex to be Europe’s toughest and most spectacular 48 Adventure Race!

CONTACTS

UK & Montenegro

Jack Delf

Black Mountain Montenegro

Setaliste Pet Danica 21

Herceg Novi

Montenegro 85340

Mobile: +382 (0)67 640 869

USA

Robert Cosentino

Black Mountain, USA

6224 Nelway Drive

McLean, Virginia 22101

USA

Mobile: +00-1-202-641-4208

Email:robertcosentino@gmail.com

Web Sources

Webpage: http://www.montenegroexpeditionchallenge.com

http://www.adventureracemontenegro.com

Facebook: Adventure Race Montenegro

Twitter: A_R_Montenegro

Latest news about ARMex Adventure Race

Jack — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:08:26 +0000

ARMex 2011 Press release.1
————————————————————————-

“Between 16 – 18 September 2011, Adventure Race Montenegro is hosting
the second ARMex 48 hour endurance race in Northern Montenegro.

ARMex is a 250km plus, Expedition Challenge which includes Orienteering,
Rafting, Mountain Biking, High Ropes, Kayaking and Running stages. The race
crosses some of the most spectacular terrain in Europe, the BioGradska National
Park, Mount Durmitor and the Tara, Europe’s deepest canyon.

Europe’s newest 48 hour Adventure Race is one of the toughest. In 2010 only one
team managed to complete the course without seeking assistance. The race is
already attracting the interest of international adventure racers. Entry into
the 2011 ARMex Race was one of the prizes awarded to the 2010 US Adventure Race
(USARA) League Champions.

ARMex is open to mixed or same sex teams of 2 or 4. Registrations have just
opened for competitors at http://www.montenegroexpeditionchallenge.com. Already
teams have registered interest from the US, UK, Greece, Poland, Germany,
Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Serbia and of course Montenegro.

Find out more at www.montenegroexpeditionchallenge.com

ARMex is a non profit event which raises money for a conservation project
to study the large mammal species in Montenegro. You can find out more at the
facebook fansite: adventure race montenegro:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Adventure.Race.Montenegro.

Where only few people have been, yet nine out of ten visitors want to come back.

Jack — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:38:23 +0000

Sasa Radovic is managing director of Montenegro’s National Tourism Organisation and has supported many of our projects here. The ‘NTO’ has been crucial for the development of tourism. Tourism growth has been rapid, but too dependent upon beach holidays and a very short season (mid July – mid August). The government and ‘NTO’ are now promoting nature based, cultural and activity tourism, (by definition Adventure Travel). The new Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism is a very positive move. The ‘NTO’ have championed Hike and Bike tourism and set up the Montenegro Conventions bureau for conferences and events.

This can only be good for guests, I always think its a shame that so many visitors sit looking out to sea with one of Europe’s most amazing destinations at their backs. If only they knew!

For a concise summary of the government’s work here, I thought I would copy and paste Sasa Radovic’s speech to the ITB in Berlin this month. I hope you don’t mind Sasa) He makes their case well don’t you think?

Strolling by the beach in Ulcinj

“Montenegro – almost as big as Schleswig-Holstein, yet with fewer inhabitants than the metropolitan region of Frankfurt: This leaves a lot of space for nature. The landscape of this small country in the Adriatic Sea is quite exceptional and vitally important for its tourism. For these particular reasons the government set up a ministry dedicated to sustainable development and tourism. The establishment of a “Ministry for Sustainable Development and Tourism” – formerly the “Ministry for Tourism and the Environment” – highlights the goals set by the small country with the long beaches, rugged mountains, and wild nature parks: to ensure sustainable tourism development based in an overall concept of economic development, and in combination with respectful protection of natural and cultural resources, some of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Montenegro is an environmentally-conscious state which attributed constitutional status to the protection of the environment and sustainable development already in 1991. Concrete goals have been set until 2020 in the “National Strategy for Sustainable Development”, an environmental protection law, and a tourism development master plan. For over a decade various experts from numerous national and organizational backgrounds – including the government-related German GIZ – accompanied the development process.

Sasa Radovic, Managing Director of the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro considers the development of tourism to be very promising: “For several years now, Montenegro is internationally regarded a “place to be”. In 2010 the New York Times listed Montenegro as one of “The 31 Places to Go”, and already at the end of 2009 the National Geographic Traveler identified the country as one of “50 Places of a Lifetime”.

Economic growth factor tourism: following a continuously increasing upwards trend, tourism already accounts for more than one-fifth of the national revenues (GDP) and providing every fifth place of employment in Montenegro. Those who traveled to enjoy the “wild beauty” of Montenegro understand its important value and why its uniqueness must be protected: the mile long sandy beaches of Ulcinj, the bay of Kotor, mountains reaching over 2500m in height, and five national parks. Cherishing its scenic value, the country balances its own development between economic necessities and the protection of the “wild beauty” – which was declared as the core of national identity.

Hiking in the National Park Durmitor

In only a few years and with a lot of efforts, Montenegro established tourism as one of its most important and stable economic sectors. Travelling to the country by air is the most comfortable and efficient way, although one can also drive there by car. Montenegro is increasingly developing into a touristic brand for nature-related travels at a very high standard.

The next high-priority goals identified by Sasa Radovic are to position Montenegro both as an all-season destination for demanding individuals, and as one of the most attractive MICE destinations in Europe. “Our ambitious quality campaign, which forms part of the tourism mater plan, combined with the strongly improved and diversified hotel accommodation, and the extended infrastructure, supported by a unique range of outdoor activities set in an amazing landscape have put us on a very solid path.”

The fortunate combination of endless beaches and high mountains, the historic cultural assets and new hotels, the quality campaign and hospitality, open-minded planners and dedicated tourism specialists both in the country and the source markets have all contributed to the impressive blossoming of Montenegro’s tourism, the largest economic potential of the young country.
The amazing natural landscape between the only fjord in the Mediterranean and the nature parks in the rugged mountains, along with the contrasting marks of living history in churches, monasteries, and mosques are all tourist attractions. The consistent development of offers for tourists including hiking, biking, and diverse nature-related activities targets successfully the growing group of active travellers. Unique hotels and resorts, usually located along the coast, as well as seeking out for convention tourism and incentive travels, have all placed Montenegro well on the map of the upmarket target groups.

Specifically in the key markets of sophisticated travellers, including Germany, France, the UK and USA, and even Japan, it was possible to achieve double-digit increments. For example a 38 per cent growth was reached in Germany – an international peak value.

The solid numbers allow the step-by-step development of Montenegro – also economically – as one of the outstanding Adriatic destinations. Exploring the wealth of a landscape vested with superlatives – the longest beach, the largest bay, the highest mountain, the deepest canyon, the largest lake, 6000 km of biking and hiking trails, 1700 km of mountain bike trails, and five national parks – first, foremost, and very consistently requires the conservation and careful development of hidden treasures. This further includes investments into better access – often based on ancient pathways – or the creation of adequate accommodation.

The quality campaign, even though it was set up in an encompassing fashion to address all aspects of tourism, targets specifically the development of a larger offer ranging in up-scale to luxury hotels and holiday resorts, including the top-class revival of the well-known hotel island Sveti Stefan. All of these are resorts which can compete in the up-scale tourism segment – not just in the Mediterranean.

Even the details display what all this implies for the daily work of the planners: in the last year alone 62 hotels across the country reached their categorization, the thirteen new boutique hotels provided an additional 500 beds, and 19 of the beaches received the sought-after blue flag. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) regularly confers the award “Tourism for Tomorrow” for successful destination management – Montenegro was among the three finalists in 2010. The guests equally confirm all efforts with their rewards: 96 per cent recommend Montenegro as a travel destination, and nine out of ten intend to come back – specifically for bathing and hiking. Quality as part of the tourism master plan includes the establishment of further direct flights to Tivat. They are on the priority list. By the way: Montenegro is not yet a member of the EU, nevertheless, the Euro is the local currency.”