05 August 2019 - Croatia has been complaining about a weak summer season, which is probably happening due to the high prices. The situation in Montenegro is different and the prices, according to foreign tourists, have not changed compared to the last year and correspond to the quality of Montenegrin offer, as CdM reported.

Managing Director of the Directorate for the Development of Tourism Destination in the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism Ćazim Hodžić said that prices in the Montenegrin cities are the same as last year.

“We have not changed the prices, but I have to say that many places enhanced the quality of their offer,” Hodžić pointed out.

He claims that Montenegro is not an expensive tourism destination and also that the country offers packages for high and low net-worth individuals as well.

Comparing the tourism offer with the region, Hodžić said that Montenegro is way cheaper than Croatia. As for the results of this year’s summer season, Montenegro visitor numbers hit record levels, but it is too early to speak about the revenues and the number of tourists.

General Manager in Hilton Podgorica, Nemanja Nikolić, also believes that Montenegro cannot categorize a destination as cheap or expensive, but that it can be said that certain amenities in a destination are cheap or expensive.

“As for Montenegro, it has diversified tourism offer, that is, we are oriented towards both high net-worth individuals and those spending less money in our country. Unfortunately, we can not describe our country as the leading tourism destination as we need much more than 5-star hotels. All tourism destinations are easily accessible and it is important to understand that Croatia or Greece are not our only competitors but all the other destinations similar to ours,” stressed out Nikolić.

President of small and medium-sized hotels in the Montenegrin Tourism Association, Dejan Rađenović, thinks prices easily succumb to changes thanks to the internet.

“Every tourism company/entrepreneur determines its own pricing policy. Prices easily succumb to everyday changes thanks to the internet, depending on the offer and demand in accommodation capacities,” Rađenović emphasized.

He also pointed out that Montenegro is not too expensive and that the tourists can choose different kinds of accommodation, depending on their finances.

President of small and medium-sized hotels in the Montenegrin Tourism Association, Dejan Rađenović, believes prices are not the greatest problem of Montenegrin tourism, but that the problem is the grey economy.

“In addition, this year the authorities did a lot in order to reduce noise and that is a huge step forward,” Rađenović concluded.

Read more news about traveling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

05 August 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković congratulated President of the Municipality Anela Čekić, President of the Municipal Assembly Dženan Radončić, members of the Municipal Assembly and citizens on the Municipality Day of Gusinje - 5 August.

"Montenegro has never been more respected in the international community, nor has it had dynamic economic growth like in the last two years. The effects of such achievements and Government policies are also felt in the north of Montenegro, and they are especially reflected in the fact that by the end of the year, and since the beginning of this Government's mandate, investments in the northern region have exceeded 1 billion euros," the Prime Minister's congratulatory message reads.

Aware that the strengthening of transport infrastructure is a prerequisite for overall economic development, more than 11 million EUR is being invested in the reconstruction of the Dinoša - Cijevna Zatrijebačka road, which will be part of the modern Podgorica - Gusinje road through Albania after its completion. The Prime Minister is convinced that our relation towards the Municipality of Gusinje is confirmed by the implemented investments from the capital budget, as well as investments in construction and modernisation of local infrastructure which create preconditions for the development of tourism and production capacities in agriculture.

"The municipal holiday is an opportunity to tell the citizens that we highly value the patriotic attitude of our Diaspora. We also appreciate the contribution of all Gusinje citizens to the preservation of the multi-ethnic and multi-religious society of Montenegro, which we are proud of," Prime Minister Duško Marković noted, as stated in the official report by his Office.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

04 August 2019 - The rich cultural heritage of Samograd settlement located in Bijelo Polje, where Bronze Age treasures, Roman remains and early Christian basilicas were discovered, is expected to develop archaeological-religious tourism in the Bijelo Polje region.

Research conducted by archaeologists from the Polimski Museum has revealed a hitherto unknown image of Samograd, an extremely valuable site in Prijelozi near Bijelo Polje, reports RTCG. The remains of the walls of the two early Christian basilicas are a great cultural and spiritual legacy of Samograd, to which numerous legends are related. It preserves the traditions and traces of old landmarks.

This extremely rich archaeological site has been under investigation for four years. Valuable exhibits found at the site, including a gold cross with a ruby, have been preserved in the Polimski Museum. Detailed analysis of Samograd leads to new findings.

The intention of the archaeologists is to preserve and protect the heritage of Samograd and to make the archaeological site a tourist resource. The idea is financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, which relies on rich cultural and natural heritage. In parallel with Bjelasica and Đalovića cave, the archaeologists are elaborating the plans for affirmation of archaeological-religious tourism.

Researchers are already developing the concept of a tourist offer of Samograd, which is located among six rocks.

Efforts to turn the archaeological site into a unique tourist spot by authentic upgrading are aimed at creating a new brand, which the local community can profit from. That is why the archaeologists have put their focus on connecting Samograd to the access roads in their plans for archaeological tourism affirmation.

Archaeologists are ready for further studies and discoveries in Samograd, which should be affirmed by tourists as a rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Traces of the Bronze Age, the remains of a Roman fortified city, stone monuments and early Christian basilicas were mapped as a platform for upgrading the most attractive tourist offer in both Bijelo Polje and the north of the country.

Read more about locations you should visit while travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

04 August 2019 - A public call for the construction of a wind farm in Brajići with an installed capacity of more than 70 megawatts should be announced soon.

The Government of Montenegro has adopted the Information on the announcement of a public call for a long-term lease of state-owned land for the construction of a wind farm on the site Brajići - Budva and Bar municipalities. The Ministry of Economy of Montenegro is in charge of issuing the public call for the lease. It is proposed to lease 13,8 million square meters of state-owned land at the following sites: Brajići, Kuljače, Utrg, Ovtočići, Tomići and Brčeli located in the municipalities of Budva and Bar, reports Investitor Portal.

Six years ago the company Vjetroelektrana Budva, owned by the German company WDP Europe and headed by Golub Senić, showed interest in the construction of the wind farm in Brajići.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro issued licenses for measuring and exploring wind potential at the sites in the cadastral municipalities of Kuljača and Reževići II from May 2013 to November 2017. Based on these measurements, the energy potential sufficient for wind power of more than 70 megawatts was estimated.

As Pobjeda daily previously reported, the Government of Montenegro has formed a board composed of representatives of the ministries of finance, tourism and economy, who drafted a tender text, with a land lease agreement, to which the ministries gave positive opinions. The documentation of the Real Estate Administration, which includes extracts from the real estate listings, the area and the way of using the parcels and the information about the owner or holder, was also provided.

The tender provides for the possibility of concluding a contract on guaranteed purchase of electricity on market terms.

"This avoids the possibility of government taking over risks in part of the impact on the rise in electricity prices for consumers in Montenegro," the information explained.

Read more information on lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

Jovana Popović Benišek, an academic painter from Sremski Karlovci, Serbia, has presented herself to the Montenegrin audience at the Modern Gallery in Budva, the Buca Gallery and other exhibition spaces in Tivat, also in Kotor, where she showed her works at the Festival of Light “Shining Palaces” last summer. She is on a brief visit to Boka Kotorska this summer.

The painter's eye is particularly fond of how Tivat has progressed in recent years, but is still more attached to the old stone houses in Boka, as the stone is a motive for her painting:

"After several years of not coming to Tivat, I noticed that it was progressing at a galloping pace, especially Porto Montenegro. The transition from the old part of the city and the entrance to Porto, as well as all these wonderful residential and commercial buildings, integrated with nature, are well done. Aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to see! However, I love stone and this is my current preoccupation, since in the meantime, since my last stay here, I have mastered mural painting in Belgrade. At the moment I am doing mosaics and this stone is very inspiring to me. Before that, I have been doing a very interesting, and somewhat neglected, sgraffito technique, which belongs to wall painting. It is done in wet plaster - a very beautiful decorative technique, which decorates the facades, and can also create beautiful works for the interior. "

Jovana started coming to Tivat as a participant in the "Friendship Chain", a painting colony of Marija Rabrenovic, which lasted for a number of years. She has been working as a school teacher for ten years, then as a curator and PR in a gallery, and for the last ten years, she has been a freelance artist. She teaches still and runs workshops with children, especially with children with disabilities: “I also practice art through art therapies. It has been imposed on me spontaneously, because I have been working with children all my life, and psychology has interested me, that is, the person has always been in my focus, although not in my pictures.”

The versatile artist is widely known for the Match Museum in Sremski Karlovci, which she owns. Part of this collection was first presented to the public under the title “Light My Fire” on the eve of the Museum Night at the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection in Novi Sad several years ago, and has since attracted a great deal of attention from the media and visitors.

"It's a really beautiful and rare collection that grows every day. I inherited it from my step-mother, the famous actress Jasna Novak, who started collecting matches in her fifties when she lived in Prague. In the 10 years she spent there, she collected nearly 20,000 different specimens from around the world. Now the collection has almost 40 thousand copies from all over the world. This is something that people can really see almost only in Sremski Karlovci, because there is a private museum only in Germany and Sweden, which is unique because it is where the matches came from.

Sremski Karlovci are considered to be a treasure trove of Serbian culture and spirituality, they are also known for their wine, and several years ago for the matches, ” Jovana says.

The last box of matches, which arrived at the Museum a week ago from Croatia, belongs to the time when the Yugoslav Drava factory from Osijek produced matches for export. The matches were exported to Europe, the Middle East, and Egypt. Thanks to Mr. Branimir, visitors have the opportunity to see this beautiful specimen.

"The wonderful idea that beautiful things are not lost in the vortex of the past," is one comment on the museum's FB page.

"An unexpected, thrilling experience, highly recommended," says the other.

These thumbnails can really light our imagination and take us on different trips in no time.

Danilo Orlandic, Airports of Montenegro Executive Director, said in a comment on ACI's air availability report:

“The latest annual report of ACI (International Airport Council) shows how much Montenegro Airports have done in the past to improve air accessibility. As stated in the report, Tivat Airport is among the leading growing destinations with a recorded growth of 352%. Also, Podgorica Airport has grown by as much as 284% and is the fastest-growing destination in the last decade in the capital cities of the region.”

Danilo Orlandic pointed out the importance of Montenegro’s position in the region:

"What is very important, and stated in ACI's report, is the fact that among the countries of the region, Montenegro is in third place of the aviation accessibility chart, just behind Serbia and Croatia.

In the last 2 years alone, we were able to open 36 new direct flights, so our country is connected with over 70 destinations via Podgorica Airport and Tivat Airport. As of this year, we also have a Podgorica-Barcelona line, realized by Ryanair. We will be the only airport in the region to have a direct line to the capital of Catalonia throughout the year, twice a week. Also, I find the arrival of Luftansa a great success, whose flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Tivat, are almost always full. All this is proof that Montenegrin Airports are constantly following the needs of the tourist industry of Montenegro and our citizens, who can now reach many destinations directly through our airports. Our work will continue to focus on these directions in the coming period," said Orlandic.

Airports Council International (ACI) is the only global trade representative of the world’s airports. Established in 1991, ACI represents airports interests with Governments and international organizations such as ICAO, develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports, and provides information and training opportunities to raise standards around the world. The head office is in Montreal, Canada, with five regional offices in five continents.

04 August 2019 - Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Development of Montenegro Rafet Husović hosted US Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke. The two officials discussed current political situation in Montenegro, foreign policy priorities and priorities in the field of economy and regional development.

The Government has been increasing investments in less developed areas and municipalities over the last 10 years, and they are now a major part of the capital budget - proof of this is the construction of motorway and four ski centers, with the implementation of a number of major social and health infrastructure projects.

"We support municipalities to increase capacity to accept additional investment from the State, European funds and private investors. Additional business support needs to be provided - especially for small and medium enterprises in the North Montenegro," said Husović in the Government's report.

He also added that the Government of Montenegro is committed to achieving the stability of the country and the security of all citizens, especially through NATO membership.

"We are making efforts to achieve better economic indicators that will encourage young people, especially in the Northern Region, to build their future in Montenegro. We do all this in partnership and with the support of the United States of America and their Embassy in Montenegro, for which we are grateful," DPM Husović stressed.

Ambassador Reinke emphasised that during her mandate, the United States of America will continue to support Montenegro's full integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions and the strengthening of alliance and partnership between the two countries.

"We will also support Montenegro in its accession to the European Union, its institutional and economic development, improvement of its business environment and development of entrepreneurship and business," Reinke stressed out.

"In particular, we will work on deepening the relations between citizens of Montenegro and the United States, in order to increase the number of US investors in Montenegro, who, according to their experience so far, are welcome," concluded Ambassador Reinke.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

04 August 2019 - Minister of Culture of Montenegro Aleksandar Bogdanović recently met with the Minister of Human Capacities of Hungary Miklos Kasler in Budapest.

The two officials discussed cooperation between the two countries in the area of culture, particularly referring to the continuation and dynamic of joint activities, agreed during the previous meeting, which took place this February. 

03 August 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković congratulated President of the Municipality Mijuško Bajagić, President of the Municipal Assembly Petar Mitić, members of the Municipal Assembly and citizens on the Municipality Day of Plužine - 4 August.

"The strong development of the North through last year's investments of 340 million EUR and even more ambitious plans for this year will mean raising the quality of life of citizens, creating new jobs and creating perspectives for young people," the Prime Minister's congratulatory message reads.

The opportunities for valorisation of development potentials, he added, are also based on a vision of municipal leadership that recognises the needs of the population and its prosperity. In this respect, the door of the Government is also wide open to all initiatives aimed at improving the standard of living of our citizens.

"I am convinced that cooperation and communication can give impetus to the accelerated development of the municipality of Plužine and the entire Durmitor area," Prime Minister Duško Marković noted.

Total Montenegro News wrote many times about Northern Montenegro, a location that offers many different experiences and unique moments, with each varying from one other. In this part of Montenegro, there are lots of mountains one can visit, hike, and try to conquer their peaks. This region features untouched nature and wild beauty that reflects through amazing landscapes and breath-taking sceneries. The Hiking Break Tour discuses all the possibilities that Plužine municipality has to offer.

Similarly, Plužine and Piva Lake can perfectly serve as weekend getaway locations, since this mountain region, intersected with the canyons of Piva, Tara and Komarnica never failed to attract nature lovers from all over the world 

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

The Gondola of Peace event, in memory of the victims of Hiroshima in 1945, will be launched on Tuesday, 6th August, starting at 6.30 pm in Risan, at the Smokvica Beach Bar. 

The programme will include the documentary exhibition Peace Park, the launch of the Gondola of Peace and Love, and music performed by the duo Kapetani.

The event is organised by Mihailo Ognjenović from Risan and is sponsored by the Kotor Tourism Organisation.

Gondola of Peace and Love 2019. Photo: KTO

Captain Mihailo Ognjenović was among the first Yugoslavs to visit the devastated city, along with the crew of the ship Trebinje, in 1965. He says that the images of the horrors of Hiroshima (bombed on 6th August, 1945), still play on his mind today.

“We set off from Rijeka, via Trieste, Venice and Port Said, Port Sudan...When we reached Japan, Hiroshima was the fourth port, and as the crew of a ship, we thought like any other port with a rich history, we should visit. There were 42 crew members and 12 passengers on board. On arrival into Hiroshima, we got into groups to visit Peace Park. We ran into problems when in Hiroshima we couldn’t pay for our taxis in US Dollars, only Japanese Yen. Later, when we got to Peace Park we weren’t exactly made welcome as they thought we were Americans, but when, with the help of an assistant, we managed to explain that we had come from Yugoslavia, we were welcomed with open arms…” recalls Ognjenović.

As he says, the scenes remained etched on his memory, and he immortalised his encounters with Hiroshima in one part of his book A Sea Diary, in which he gathered his impressions from his journeys at sea across the world.

Several years ago, on the anniversary of the bombing, Ognjenović paid tribute to the victims of the nuclear war by lighting candles at Our Lady of the Rocks, in Perast. This was by chance picked up by cruise ship passengers travelling through Boka, who then informed officials in Japan. Embassy representatives in Belgrade later contacted Ognjenović to express their gratitude.