07 October 2019 - Research suggests that tourists visiting Kotor mostly complain about traffic jams. However, the issue might be solved already next year if only the local government opted for the construction of an underground passage on the riva (for transferring passengers from cruise ships to the Old Town), better pedestrian traffic management and parking of cars and buses, President of the Municipality of Kotor Željko Aprcović clarified for Radio Kotor, as Cafe del Montenegro reported.

"Construction of an underground tunnel and better pedestrian traffic management will significantly contribute to smooth traffic flow next year," emphasized Aprcović.

Concerning the construction of a boulevard through Grbalj towards Budva, he said that he had a meeting with the representatives of the Transport Administration and both sides noted the project would be an added-value for the overall traffic flow from Verige to Lastva Grbaljska.

"The value of the passage investment amounts to 35 million euros. Along with a certain investment in the water supply infrastructure towards Herceg Novi, costs will rise to 50 million euros," Aprcović indicated.

When asked why no one is mentioning the construction of an overpass in Kotor anymore, he said: "it is unrealistic to expect him to tell something more about the topic."

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07 October 2019 - At the end of 2018, the renewable energy fund totaled 2,02 million EUR, and this whole amount of money has been transferred to this year’s fund, it was suggested in the Business Report of the Montenegro Electricity Market Operator, adopted by the Government of Montenegro at the latest session.

The renewable energy fund in Montenegro was additionally increased by 129.272 EUR in 2018, reports Cafe del Montenegro.

The Business Report, among other things, says that there is an increase in the share of electricity production from renewable energy sources in total electricity production. This, according to the report, leads to the fulfillment of the national goal concerning renewable sources.

Montenegro, for the first time, produced enough electricity from renewable sources from 24 May to 2 June this year, and thus, according to the Government of Montenegro, joined a small number of cities that could claim they managed to produce all the necessary electricity from domestic renewable sources. In that period, when the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja was out of order, it produced around 82 million kWh of electricity, while 75 million kWh was spent.

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Montenegro still does not have a legally-regulated method of disposing of or scrapping vehicle tyres. Generally, official landfills do not have permission to store them and there are no facilities for recycling (most likely due to their unprofitability). In the meantime, tyres are dumped next to rubbish containers, are frequently thrown on the side of the road, are burned, or are reused and resold by members of the Roma community.

Although they are non-hazardous, special waste (alongside scrap vehicles, packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators), their disposal is not only the problem of the competent institutions, but also of the manufacturers and importers of tyres and ultimately, of individuals.

Herceg Novi, alongside Kotor and Podgorica, is struggling with this problem. Until the state authorities find a solution, the tyres will continue to be the main waste at Duboki Do landfill, and “Čistoća”, the Herceg Novi waste management service, has been granted a licence to use the site.

“It is currently difficult to give a figure as to how many individual tyres are at Duboki Do, but the total amount is somewhere between 80 and 90 tonnes, and that’s only tyres collected last year,” Director of “Čistoća” Vladimir Arsić told Radio Jadran.

“Unlike Tivat, Kotor and Podgorica, where tyres are burned, we received a decision from the Directorate for Waste Management and Municipal Development under the Ministry of Tourism and Sustainable Development, and were given an additional location to where the tyres should be taken, to the existing landfill at Tisove Grede that we correctly filled and fenced off. We were still able to dispose of tyres at the latter, but given that at one point the landfill was subject to burning, we requested permission to dispose of tyres at Duboki Do,” he stated.

Arsić also stated that all tyres were collected at the Recycling Centre, with some being removed occasionally to the Tisove Grede landfill. Others were removed by the company Arabis from Nikšić. This “work” is currently subject to court proceedings, as it was carried out without agreement by “Čistoća”,” claims Arsić.

“We have sued the owner for monthly bills we received for storage at one of his premises close to a house, bills which we subsequently returned. The commercial court did not on any occasion call “Čistoća” to the hearing to explain that someone had removed the tyres without a prior, written agreement between former Director Bonić and the firm,” he claims.

Arsić further claims that they had tried to resolve the issue of waste tyres with a firm from Cetinje, whose site would be used for disposal, however:

“This was before the start of disposal at Duboki Do. The company from Cetinje at the time was the only one with a licence to dispose of tyres. However, we were asked to pay 200 euros per tonne of tyres if we were to transport them ourselves, and 250 euros for removal and disposal. We weren’t in a position to pay that money, although that was actually a good thing, as the firm later lost their licence,” Arsić recounts.

One concerned resident of Herceg Novi recently shared a photo with the Facebook group “Prezadovoljni građani” Herceg Novi, showing a line of tyres several hundred metres long. Arsić explained that the tyres are thrown from the trucks in that way so that the excavator can push the tyres back every 10-15 days to free up space.

He further stated that they did not want to remove the tyres from the recycling centre, however at one point there were so many that trucks no longer had room to manoeuvre, and so authorization was sought to remove them to the landfill site. This was the only solution, as there was no option to transport them to another country where they could be used for other purposes.

Previously, at least at a local level, there had been ideas to construct a site to recycle tyres, as advocated by the former management of the Kotor Municipal Utility Company, headed by Mladen Lučić.

Conversely, burning tyres in the open air, which inevitably happens during the May Day holidays and is practiced by many young people, is prohibited and punishable under the Waste Management Act.

Although there are no precise, official figures, according to some estimates, 200,000 car and around 13,000 truck tyres are imported to Montenegro annually.

Source: Radio Jadran

October 4, 2019 - The Fractal Drawing Workshop will be held on October 5 from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Art Quarter premises at the Igalo Institute.

October 3, 2019 - The HSF association of comic lovers confirmed their quality work by another extremely successful and, according to the participants and visitors, superbly organized edition of the Herceg Novi Strip Festival. The thirteenth HSF took place in several locations in Herceg Novi in early September, getting together the most prominent strip authors of today. But, there is no rest. They continue the mission of networking with regional events dedicated to the ninth art.

The National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro is participating in the international tourism fair IFTM Top Resa from the 1st to 4th of October in Paris, as part of its promotional activities on the French market.

At the National Tourism Organisation’s stand in Paris, local tourist organisations are participating from Bar, Ulcinj, Budva, Kotor, Podgorica, and Bijelo Polje, alongside JP Morsko Dobro, Montenegro Airlines, Montenegro Stars Hotels Group, HG Budva Rivijera, Beppler & Jacobson Montenegro, Lazure Hotel & Marina, and agencies Montenegro Tourist Service, Luminalis DMC and MTO Travel.

IFTM Top Resa brings together a large number of exhibitors from over 160 countries worldwide. Some 34,000 tourism professionals and 1,000 media representatives are expected from across the globe. After participating in the fair NTO Montenegro and partners will organise a study trip to Montenegro for the largest French tour operators.

Paris Fair IFTM Top Resa: NTO Montenegro

There were many interested visitors to the Montenegrin stand even on the first day, where they were allowed to discover the wide variety of what is on offer for tourists in Montenegro, the natural and cultural sights, options for active nature holidays and favourable arrangements for tourists. During the fair, French tourists have the opportunity to discover the culinary delights of Montenegro, with tasting sessions of home-made delicacies.

“Known as particularly curious tourists, the French want to take in as much as they can from their annual holiday. The main reasons for French tourists visiting Montenegro are to see the cultural sights, discover the natural heritage and local gastronomy, as well as sports and adventure tourism,” stated the Organisation.

In recent years, French tourists have been choosing Montenegro as their holiday destination in ever greater numbers. In 2018, Montenegro saw double-digit growth on the French market, and the trend continued this year. From the start of the year to the end of August, 9.3% more French tourists stayed in group accommodation (hotels and those of similar capacity), staying for 5.7% more nights. From the total tourist traffic in the first eight months of this year, French tourists made up 6.3% of foreign visitor trips, 8.1% in terms of numbers of nights. The French are in third place in terms of nights spent by foreign tourists. The average length of stay at their destination is five days. 

Besides the quality of what is on offer, the availability of flight connections has had an impact on the number of tourists visiting from this market. Montenegro Airlines runs regular flights from Podgorica and Tivat to Paris and Lyon, and last year saw growth of 59.5% in the number of French travellers, compared to 2017. Concerning French traffic, Transavia France runs flights from April to November on the Paris-Podgorica route, and SmartWings runs from Lille between May and November.

The National Tourism Agency of Montenegro, together with local tourism organisations and the tourism industry, hosted a study group in May for prominent journalists from France, including representatives from GEO Magazine, the most widely-read tourism publication in France. Seven reports on Montenegro are soon to be published in the magazine. Recently, the French publication The Good Life also wrote about Montenegro as an attractive tourist destination worth visiting.

Source: Radio Jadran

02 October 2019 - Montenegro is recognized as a promoter of peace, social inclusion and cohesion, tolerance and regional cooperation, economic growth and stability in the part of the world characterized by complex interstate relations, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović at the Days of Dialogue Conference.

The two-day reunion Days of Dialogue: Let’s talk about the future, was opened in Podgorica today, gathering over a hundred participants from different sectors, with the aim of opening conversation about social cohesion in Montenegro and the region.

The event is organized by the UNDP program and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Srđan Dramanović said that Montenegro was recognized as a promoter of peace, social inclusion and cohesion, tolerance and regional cooperation, economic growth and stability in that part of the world characterized by complex interstate relations.

He pointed out that target groups in this project – young people, women, and media – were one of the most important factors of the creation of a mature and responsible society, strengthening trust and promotion of dialogue and tolerance.

"Montenegro will remain a reliable UN partner in the activities aimed at strengthening peace, coexistence, and tolerance in the region and worldwide," pointed out Darmanović.

Daniela Gasparikova, the permanent UNDP representative in Montenegro, said that she had visited Montenegro for the first time in 1998, reports CdM.

"The progress is evident: Montenegro has achieved so much in the process of democratization, equality and respect for differences. In addition, it plays an important role in the stability of the region. Since I was appointed a permanent UNDP representative, I have been travelling across the country in order to feel life in local communities. What I saw is the richness of diversity and that is Montenegro’s advantage and a strong foundation for further progress," concluded Gasparikova.

Participants in the two-day dialogue come from all different kinds of spheres. Dialogue for the Future provides a platform where people from different social spheres meet and create solutions for a better future. Highest officials from three countries have joined forces with UN organizations, endeavoring to contribute to inclusive growth around the region.

"Dialogue for the Future” regional program is financed by UN funds for peace development. A key partner in the implementation of this project in Montenegro is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Also, the Ministry of Sport, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Human and Minority rights are actively engaged in the program.

In the next two days, participants will get the opportunity to create solutions for the communities, countries and the region, for the sake of citizens. Finally, the solutions will be presented in the regional dialogue in Sarajevo at the end of November.

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02 October 2019 - According to the National Statistical Office (MONSTAT), over 118.068 tourists visited the capital city of Montenegro - Podgorica between 1 January and 31 August of 2019 and that is 7% more than in the same period last year.

In June, July and August, around 61.028 tourists visited the Capital and there were 101.600 overnight stays, the representatives of the Tourist Organization Podgorica stated.

According to data, 8.653 tourists visited Podgorica in June, and there were 31.273 overnight stays, whereas, in July, there were 20.664 tourists and 31.798 overnight stays.

A total of 21.711 tourist arrivals were recorded in August, which is 13% more than last year, with 38.559 overnight stays. The progress in Podgorica tourism is the result of several factors, the development of the tourism product in Podgorica being one of them. All segments in the tourism offer have synergy. In addition, offer in tourism in the Capital tends to include some new amenities, in accordance with the tourists’ demands, their tastes, and tourism market trends.

As far as the tourism offer in Podgorica is concerned, representatives of TO say that NP Skadar lake stands out, as it offers numerous possibilities: hiking, bird-watching, cruising…

Other attractive locations in Podgorica include the greatest vineyard in Europe, "Plantaže", wine cellar "Šipčanik” and archaeological sites, Medun and Duklja. There is a huge interest in cultural and religious tourism too.

Tourists also want to feel the spirit of the town and visit the old streets downtown, bridges, Castle of Petrović family and museums and galleries, reports Cafe del Montenegro.

Podgorica Culture Summer contains all the segments from the area of art. Another interesting event is "Lets’ go to Morača”. This summer saw Regional Kayak regatta, with the aim of promoting rivers in Podgorica and their immense potential for the development of selective forms of tourism and numerous sports.

"As for the newer events, we will mention Podgorica Holiday and Spring Market, the event contributing to the improvement of tourism offer and further promotion of the Capital," said the representatives of TO.

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