The National Tourist Organization (NTO) organized a workshop entitled Overview of the situation and trends on the German market, bearing in mind that Germany represents an important emission market for Montenegro as a tourist destination.
The workshop was held primarily with the aim of educating the tourism industry and tourist organizations about the characteristics and trends on the German market, and the lecturers were tourism experts Matthias Beyer and Thomas Frommhold, internationally recognized consultants for sustainable tourism management.
Through several thematic units, the lecturers talked about general megatrends that affect travel, the recovery of tourism, the impact of the war in Ukraine on the tourism sector, as well as post-covid events. They also provided insight into the current facts and figures on the German market.
Beyer, who is in charge of numerous tourism projects in Europe, Latin America and Asia, said that Montenegro is already a well-positioned tourist destination on the German-speaking market, but that with more intensive promotion, its full potential can be used, especially in segment of active vacation.
“What impresses me the most in Montenegro is the variety of opportunities that this country offers to tourists – from the sea, through nature and opportunities for outdoor sports, to cultural sights in the old towns of Budva and Kotor,” said Beyer.
During the workshop, Frommhold, who has extensive experience in market analysis and the organization of study trips and fairs, said that Montenegrin tourism has shown the ability to quickly recover after the pandemic.
Also, as he said, there is a noticeable greater interest of tourists from Germany in Montenegro, and according to research, about 3.8 million tourists from Germany are planning or considering visiting Montenegro in the next three years.
“I believe that Montenegro is a very interesting destination for the German market, because many needs and expectations of German tourists can be met in Montenegro – such as proximity to nature, authenticity of people, as well as a diverse and good gastronomic offer. So we expect a significant increase in the number of German tourists arriving in Montenegro in the coming years,” said Frommhold.
Monstat’s data for collective accommodation show growing trends when it comes to visits from this market, according to which three times more tourists from Germany were recorded during the first ten months compared to the same period of the previous year. In accordance with that, a great interest of the economy and local tourism organizations in this workshop was expressed.
Beyer has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Bremen since 2008, as well as an educator for the initiative Service Qualität Deutschland (German Seminar for Tourism – DSFT) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). He also worked as a consultant for GIZ, GFA, GOPA, EU and UNWTO.
Frommhold is part of the team of the company Sustainable Tourism Consulting & Communication, and has implemented more than 40 projects at the local, regional and international level, the subject of which is dominantly regional development and sustainable tourism planning in developing countries, local media reports.