Montenegro often promotes tourism as a strategic sector, but behind the marketing slogans lies a reality of unplanned construction, traffic chaos, and declining standards. Prof. Dr. Rade Ratković warns that while hotel capacities remain stagnant, secondary residences—comprising about 80% of accommodation—are proliferating uncontrollably, undermining sustainability. In stable countries, tourists tend to have higher spending power, while politically unstable destinations like Montenegro attract lower-spending visitors, resulting in shorter seasons, lower revenue, and increasing pressure on space, often built over without proper planning or legal protection.
Ratković highlights traffic congestion as a symptom of broader planning failures. He points out that existing roads, like the old route through Gornji Grbalj, could alleviate bottlenecks with minor work, yet infrastructure priorities are ignored in favor of political agendas.
Secondary residences are a major issue, directly competing with hotels, lowering prices, reducing standards, and forcing hotels to convert to apartments. Montenegro lacks an accurate registry of these properties, leaving tourism strategies ineffective. Ratković advocates for a systemic law to declare tourism a sector of national interest, enforce capacity limits, and halt construction when thresholds are exceeded. A key upcoming Congress of tourism workers, the first in 40 years, should push for such legislation.
Ratković stresses that UNESCO heritage status is a valuable asset, not an obstacle, and warns against political control in tourism, which undermines professional management. He notes that the real tourist season lasts about three months, attracting lower-spending visitors, with many overnight stays unreported, further complicating planning.
He criticizes mass development driven by large foreign investors, advocating instead for sustainable alternatives like camps and glamping. Montenegro must offer quality and pricing consistent with guest expectations; otherwise, it risks becoming only a transient stop for tourists.
Ratković concludes that urgent systemic reforms are needed: depoliticization, sustainable tourism legislation, accurate accommodation registries, and protection of natural and cultural resources. “Land is a resource that, once destroyed, cannot be restored. If we don’t act now, it will be too late,” he warns.
