In Montenegro last year, 2.6 million tourists visited, generating 16.3 million overnight stays. The number of tourists was slightly lower, about 30,000 less than the previous record year in 2019, but the number of overnight stays increased by 1.8 million or 13%, according to the data from the Statistical Office Monstat.
Foreign tourists accounted for a total of 15.7 million overnight stays, while domestic tourists contributed only 610,000 or 3.7% of the total. Taking into account the earlier estimate that the average tourist spends 90 euros per day, this means that the total revenue from tourism was around 1.4 billion euros.
Tourists stayed an average of 6.3 days in Montenegro last year. The average stay for foreign tourists was 6.5 days, while for domestic tourists, it was 3.7 days.
According to data on the origin of tourists, there are significant differences in the length of their stay. Last year, the record holders in terms of the number of overnight stays were guests from Russia, numbering 246,000 and totaling 3.7 million overnight stays, averaging 15 days. This is more than double the overall average and represents 23.6% of the total number of overnight stays.
In 2019, Montenegro was visited by 384,000 guests from Russia, with 3.47 million overnight stays. At that time, Russians stayed on average for nine days, while the overall average for other tourists was about five and a half days.
The longer stay of Russian guests may have non-touristic reasons, considering the increased number of citizens from that country coming to Montenegro due to armed conflicts, obtaining temporary residence status if they start a business or buy real estate. Therefore, it is possible that Russian citizens first register as tourists until they submit the necessary documentation for temporary residence.
A similar situation exists with guests from Ukraine, who numbered 63,000 last year and achieved 644,000 overnight stays, staying an average of 10.2 days. In 2019, Montenegro was visited by 57,000 tourists from Ukraine, with 463,000 overnight stays, or an average stay of eight days.
Of the total number of overnight stays, 45% were generated by guests from only two countries: Russia and Serbia. There were 438,000 guests from Serbia, accounting for 3.4 million overnight stays, with an average stay of 7.7 days.
On the third spot were 221,000 guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 1.33 million overnight stays, staying an average of six days.
On the fourth spot were guests from Germany, with 152,000 visitors and 768,000 overnight stays. They stayed an average of five days.
Among tourists who spend the least time in Montenegro are guests from China. There were 32,000 of them last year, with only 55,000 overnight stays, staying an average of less than two days.
In collective accommodation (hotels, motels, tourist resorts, camps), 1.4 million tourists stayed, totaling 5.1 million overnight stays, with an average stay of 3.6 days.
Private accommodation hosted 1.17 million tourists, with 11.2 million overnight stays. These guests stayed almost three times longer than in hotels – 9.5 days.
Thus, 31.3% of the total number of overnight stays were realized in collective accommodation, and 68.7% in private accommodation.
Every third tourist last year vacationed in the municipality of Budva, nearly 800,000 who achieved five and a half million overnight stays.
After the tourism capital, the most visitors stayed in Herceg Novi with 14.9%, followed by Ulcinj with 13.2%, Bar with 10.1%, Kotor with 9.1%, Podgorica with 7.3%, Tivat with 6.2%,…
While guests on the coast stayed an average of five to six days, in the capital, they stayed an average of only two days. Podgorica had 191,000 tourists, of which 175,000 were foreigners, with a total of 395,000 overnight stays.
Tourists spend the least time in Tuzi, averaging only 1.1 days. In this municipality, a total of 4,653 tourists stayed last year, with 5,187 overnight stays.
Tourists stay much longer in some municipalities in the north. The record holder is Plav, which had a total of 677 tourists last year but achieved 10,000 overnight stays, staying an average of 14 and a half days.
The biggest growth compared to 2019 was recorded in Savnik. This municipality had 1,704 guests four years ago and 5,367 last year, representing a growth of 215%.
