In the early 1990s, Montenegro was a leading Mediterranean tourist destination, attracting visitors from luxury markets, with over 20,000 hotel rooms and solid air connectivity. In contrast, Albania was just emerging from isolation, with limited hotel accommodations and scarce flight options.
Today, Albania has seen significant growth in tourism, investing heavily in infrastructure, hotel modernization, and air travel improvements. Durrës now has over 200 hotels, and Tirana’s airport has become one of the busiest in the region, offering numerous international flights. Meanwhile, Montenegro is facing challenges like poor accessibility, underdeveloped infrastructure, and declining competitiveness in the tourism market.
Branko Diki Kažanegra, a long-time tourism worker, points out that Montenegro’s former advantages have eroded. The country still has vast tourism potential but needs to improve service quality and infrastructure to remain competitive. He emphasizes the importance of developing transport infrastructure, as Montenegro is now one of the least accessible destinations in the Mediterranean.
Kažanegra also notes that Montenegro lacks key data on tourism, such as the exact number of accommodations or tourists, making it difficult to plan for sustainable growth. If these issues are not addressed, he warns that Montenegro risks losing its status as a major tourist destination.
