'Montenegro has faced a lack of Russian and Ukrainian tourists.'

The tourism sector in Montenegro is a significant source of income for the country, contributing about a quarter of the national GDP. However, the war in Ukraine and related sanctions have almost completely halted the flow of tourists from Ukraine and Russia. Tour operators are trying to attract more Western and extra-European tourists.

The effects of the war in Ukraine are being felt around the world and in almost all industries, including tourism, according to data published by Deutsche Welle on June 28, 2022. After two years of the pandemic, 2022 was supposed to be the year of a strong surge in tourism. However, the current situation in recent months, characterized by the suspension of many flights, chaos at airports, constant flight cancellations, inflation and fears''new recession, undermining many countries' expectations for the summer season.

In Montenegro, tourism accounts for almost 25% of the national GDP, so it is clear that the state coffers will depend heavily on the progress of the summer season. For the moment, the authorities seem satisfied. "Tourism in Montenegro is recovering strongly this year. According to data collected by local tourism organizations, for the period from January 1 to June 24, 2022, the number of tourists in our hotel properties increased by almost 120% compared to the same period last year and by 16.65% compared to the same period in 2019, which was a record year for Montenegrin tourism," says Ana Tripkovic-Markovic, director of the tourism organization''Montenegro, in an interview for Deutsche Welle.

Montenegro has seen a decline in the number of tourists from Russia and Ukraine. For many years, Russia has been one of the main markets for tourists in Montenegro. In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of Ukrainian tourists. However, the situation has changed. Montenegro has closed its airspace to Russia as part of the sanctions imposed on Moscow because of the aggression in Ukraine, while Ukrainians continue to come to Montenegro, but as refugees rather than tourists: to date, Montenegro has received more than 8,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Official statistics also confirm a strong decline in the number of tourists from Russia and Ukraine. "According to data published by the National Statistical''This year, however, there will be no Russian or Ukrainian tourists. Thus, this summer season will also start with a clear decrease in the number of tourists compared to 2019," explains Prof.

When asked whether he believes that Montenegro can compensate to some extent for the lack of Russian and Ukrainian tourists, Županović replies: "If we managed to attract as many Western tourists as we did in 2019 - I am referring primarily to Scandinavian, French, German, English tourists, as well as tourists from the Baltic countries - we might be able to compensate for the 30% drop in the number of tourists registered last year. Given the current situation, any result that exceeds last year's figures should be considered''success'.

What have Montenegrin authorities done so far to compensate for the decline in the number of Russian and Ukrainian tourists? The director of Montenegro's tourism organization explains that even before the war in Ukraine, there was a sharp decline in the number of tourists from Russia, so Montenegrin tourism operators have shifted their attention to Western Europe, as well as some countries outside the EU, such as Israel, Turkey and the UAE, continuing to attract tourists from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, which have traditionally been a significant market for Montenegrin tourism. "Regarding bookings for the summer season, the data is very positive. Most tourists come from Western Europe, as well as from countries such as Czech Republic, Poland, Israel, Turkey, Kazakhstan, a''as a destination. There is also an increase in interest in lesser known destinations and this is a big opportunity for Montenegro. Pleasant climate, attractive offers, newly undiscovered places, friendliness of the local population and no restrictions due to Covid - all these factors have the greatest influence on the choice of a vacation destination this summer, and Montenegro is able to meet these criteria," Ana Tripkovic-Markovic states with confidence.

Professor Županović believes that Montenegro should primarily target Western European countries, because, in his opinion, that is where the tourists who spend the most come from. "As for increasing the competitiveness of Montenegro in comparison to other''similar destinations such as Croatia, we should focus on sustainable tourism. Today in Montenegro, there are many more private houses for vacation rentals than big hotels. So instead of the so-called 'condo-hotels'/'condo-hotels'/' [structures combining hotel rooms and large apartments that can be sold to private individuals], we should invest in the construction of classic hotels, which should become the basis of our tourist offer," Županović explains.

A growing number of tourists are coming from outside Europe. In an attempt to compensate for the decline in the number of visitors from countries that have traditionally been the main sources of tourists visiting Montenegro, Montenegrin authorities last year conducted''an advertising campaign to attract new tourists from Kazakhstan, which proved successful, so this year it was decided to organize charter flights from Kazakhstan. "Last year we received about 12,500 tourists from Kazakhstan, and this year we expect about 20,000," says Ana Tripkovic-Markovic.

It was expected that Montenegro would also receive many tourists from Saudi Arabia this summer, as the Podgorica government recently abolished the mandatory visa requirement for Saudi citizens. However, no agreement has yet been reached to introduce direct flights between the two countries. "According to statements by the company that manages Montenegro's airports, the first charter flights to Egypt will be introduced from July 19. Therefore, we expect that from Egypt'.