Montenegro’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Vuk Žižić, responded to President Jakov Milatović’s remarks about the poor state of tourism and an “unprepared season.”
Žižić expressed surprise at the president’s statements, accusing him of echoing negative narratives from former authorities that harm the country’s tourism sector. He highlighted that Montenegro has seen continuous growth of 4% in visitor arrivals since the start of the year, with border crossings increasing by 7% compared to 2024 and nearly 30% more than the record year of 2019. Maritime border crossings rose by almost 140%, and airport passenger numbers grew by about 3% compared to 2024 and 32% compared to 2019.
Air Montenegro carried 40% more passengers this year than last, with flight occupancy exceeding 90%. National parks recorded 45% more visitors in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year, and a remarkable 244% increase compared to 2019. Revenues from tourist-related taxes grew by 8.64% compared to the same period in 2024, while overall tourist traffic in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 86% compared to 2019.
Žižić acknowledged that Montenegro’s tourism statistics require reforms and improvement, especially due to earlier distortions caused by counting war refugees from Ukraine and Russia as tourists. To address this, the Ministry is digitizing the tourism sector to provide timely and accurate data.
He emphasized that Montenegro has never been more recognized on the international market, citing growth in visitors from the US, UK, Israel, Azerbaijan, China, and other countries. He also noted the appointment of Tourism Minister Simonida Kordić as Chair of the UN World Tourism Organization’s Europe Commission as proof of the country’s growing influence.
Žižić criticized President Milatović for lacking awareness of these facts and urged him to be more responsible with his public statements, offering the Ministry’s support to provide accurate information for informed decisions.
