The privatization of several large hospitality companies, hotels and motels in northern Montenegro during the transition period is widely considered to have been disastrous, largely due to party affiliations and nepotistic relationships. This has resulted in the collapse of many once-proud tourist businesses in the region. While the construction of new hotels is helping to improve the situation, experts agree that recovery has not yet reached the level needed for this year’s summer tourist season.
For instance, the privatization of Berane’s HTP (Hotel and Tourism Enterprise) is seen as a clear case of plunder. A network of individuals and companies linked to the privatization, including Euroturist GMBH and Slomonturist, was identified by the NGO MANS back in 2009. Investigations into how the privatization occurred, who supported it, and whether the proceeds from share sales were legally handled remain unanswered.
The privatization led to the majority shareholding of HTP Berane being registered under Euroturist GMBH. The company was valued at approximately €5.2 million. After privatization, the “Gradska kafana” (City Café) was converted into several commercial spaces.
On a positive note, some hotels, such as Hotel “Komovi” in Andrijevica, have been saved through partial reconstruction and are still operational. However, major issues persist, including the unfinished expansion of Hotel “Berane” due to regulatory obstacles.
In Kolašin, two well-known motels, “Babljak” and “Manastir Morača”, remain closed after privatization and are unlikely to reopen. Similarly, the famous “Međuriječje” rest stop, once owned by Kolašin’s Veletrgovina, has collapsed due to neglect.
In Bijelo Polje, the hotel “Bijela rada” is deteriorating, and the once-popular Kisjele Vode excursion site is now closed. The restaurant at Ribarevine, formerly part of the Brskovo HTP, was demolished after privatization with no development in its place.
In Rožaje, the hotel “Rožaje” was turned into an exclusive tourist property under the ownership of Safet Kalić, but the reconstruction of the “Turjak” hotel on a nearby mountain remains unfinished.
Plav, which once saw more tourists than Budva, has also suffered from the privatization of the “Plavsko Jezero” hotel complex, leaving the town without hotel beds for a time. However, new hotel developments are underway, including a large hotel connected to the “Splendid” hotel, which is boosting optimism for tourism in the region.
The reconstruction of Hotel “Jezero” in Plav is still ongoing and has yet to be completed.
Finally, the hotel “Sjekirica” in Murino, once a popular rest stop, was destroyed during NATO bombing and has never been rebuilt, despite promises from previous Montenegrin governments.
Given the increasing popularity of continental and mountain tourism in recent years, the construction of new hotels is crucial, with many mountain ethno-villages and private rural households filling some of the accommodation gaps in the meantime.
