US Bloomberg ranked Montenegro among the top 20 destinations that will be particularly popular this year.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Damir Davidovic, said that at the same time, China Travel Agent magazine awarded Montenegro as China's most popular niche destination last year.

This, he said at a press conference organized by the National Tourism Organization (NTO), shows that the results and potential that the state has achieved have been recognized.

The director of the NTO, Zeljka Radak Kukavicic, said that last year was a record year and that they can boast a good start this year.

"On New Year's Eve, we had 60,000 guests and good attendance on other days," said Radak Kukavicic at a conference organized by the NTO in cooperation with the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.

US Bloomberg recommends 20 inspiring destinations that will be especially enticing this year. Thus, Montenegro found itself ahead of Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Bolivia, Mozambique, Jamaica and Cairo.

Bloomberg writes that the tiny Balkan country has slowly positioned itself as the new jewel of the Adriatic, with a mix of centuries-old villages, aristocratic mansions and numerous challenging locations beyond gravel beaches.

NP Durmitor - Black Lake - photo Boka News

"On your Montenegro adventure, you may encounter a brown bear, a gray wolf, a Eurasian lynx and other endangered species in Durmitor and Biogradska Gora National Parks," Bloomberg states.

After the wild beauty, they recommend going to the "sunlit" shores of the sea.

“Be sure to visit the luxury marina Portonovi in the Bay of Boka Kotorska, where the first European resort, One & Only, will open in June. Cruise the sea or fly Lufthansa to Tivat, a seaside town with an airport. Whatever you choose, you are sure to bypass the crowded Dubrovnik in neighboring Croatia," the author said.

Bloomberg also recommends when it is best to visit Montenegro and when not, with a handy overview of annual accommodation rates.

According to them, the weather in Montenegro is warm enough for bathing until October, when the prices are the most affordable.

"You will have a good time in the late spring as well, when the nights are warm but pleasant," recommends this eminent media.

Text by Boka News, on January 9th, 2020, read more at Boka News

During 2020, 540 cruisers will sail to the Kotor Harbor.

The first arrival this year was recorded on January 3, when Costa Deliziosa sailed to the port.

"The first larger ship will sail again on April 1st. It is a cruiser - Aida Blu, and in the meantime, we have the constant arrivals of Athens and Artemis, smaller ships with a length of 58.80 m and 1,206 GRT," said Port Director Branko Kovacevic.

Last year, 529 smaller and larger cruise ships sailed to Boka Kotorska bay, with more than 600,000 tourists.

Text by Boka News (source Radio Kotor),on January 9th, 2020, read more at Boka News

In 2019, Tivat Airport achieved a new absolute record in the physical volume of traffic, as nearly 1.37 million passengers passed through the two terminals of the airport.

Last year, Tivat Airport had 1,367,282 passengers, which is a 9.7% increase compared to 2018 when there were a total of 1,245,999 passengers.

During 2019, 7,049 aircraft landed on the Tivat airport runway, which is 234 aircraft, or 3.4% more than in 2018.

Airport Tivat photo S.L

Last year, apart from the opening of the newly built temporary facility of Terminal 2, was marked by an additional increase in the number of lines that carriers enter from the Tivat airport during the summer season, so this airport was connected with about 50 destinations in Europe and the Middle East this summer.

Among the new carriers that have established traffic with Tivat, the most significant is the German national airline Lufthansa, which first appeared on the Montenegrin market, operating from this coastal city during the summer to Frankfurt and Munich.

The announcements of air carriers for this year signal an additional increase in the volume of physical traffic in Tivat airport as new companies wanting to fly to Tivat are announced to the management of the Airports of Montenegro, and the introduction of routes from that airport to some new destinations like Milan in northern Italy has been confirmed.

Text by S.L., on January 8th 2020, read more at Boka News

January 4, 2020 - Looking for a bargain villa in Montenegro to celebrate the New Year? Look no further that Lustica and the RE/MAX catalogue.

One of the most desirable places to live in Montenegro is without doubt the Lustica Peninsula. An area of outstanding natural beauty, it is also superbly located close to Tivat, Budva and Tivat Airport. A little off the main traffic arteries, it offers the benefit of being close to the main action without being disturbed by it. 

The huge 1.1 billion euro investment from Orascum in Lustica Bay is also transforming the area, adding some of the highest quality accommodation and facilities on the Montenegrin coast, and there really are few better places to choose for your holiday home. 

Especially when that holiday home is a quality villa offered at a bargain price, the latest from the mouthwatering brochure of the RE/MAX real estate catalogue. In the words of the RE/MAX original listing:

Beautiful stone house for sale on the peninsula of Lustica. The house is an ideal base for a family who are looking for a peaceful getaway on the coast. Here you can enjoy relaxing in a tranquil environment away from crowds and traffic, dining al-fresco, entertaining your friends and family, sun bade or star gaze on the large balcony. It is spread over 200 sq meters (2150 sq feet) and arranged over 3 levels with a garden and gated parking spaces on the plot of 420 sqm. Four tastefully decorated bedrooms are spacious, filled with natural light, each with built-in wardrobes and air-conditioned.

The bathrooms are modern with plenty of storage one on each level of the house. Comfortable, double aspect living room with two sofas and an armchair is on the ground floor. It has a wide screen TV with satellite channels available and the villa also has WIFI access. There is a large, open plan kitchen-dining room on the ground floor. The modern kitchen offers all contemporary amenities, with plenty of cupboard and work space. There are doors leading to a garden with a large table for al-fresco dining and barbecue.

It is in an idyllic, rural location on the southern side of Lustica peninsula, peaceful and tranquil with rolling hills, olive groves and magnificent views. It’s a good base to come back to while exploring Montenegro as even the most remote parts of the country are no more than couple of hours away.

Lustica is still one of the relatively untouched parts of Montenegrin coast and on its southern side there are beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters. It is perfect for nature lovers, hikers, joggers and cyclists. The house is located within an easy reach of many beautiful beaches with their restaurants and bars. Mirista and Zanjice are the closest, accessible by bike or a car or, if you are a walking enthusiast, there is a footpath 1.2km (less than a mile).

At the tip of the peninsula there is Rose, the fishing village with popular seafood restaurants and to the other side an unusual rocky beach of Veslo, the upmarket beach resort Oblatno and a sandy beach of Plavi horizonti. Supermarkets are within in 20 min and 30 min drive from the village. A van stops very near the house every morning with fruit, vegetables and the basics. Organic olive oil available locally.

Sales price just 300,000 euro. For more information, photos and to book a viewing, check out the original RE/MAX listing. 

The high point of the “From Christmas to Christmas” event, and a great joy for the very youngest audience is of course the Children’s New Year’s Eve celebration, which will be organised on Monday, 30th December beginning at 4pm at the Arms Square in Kotor.

Santa Claus and his elf helper will be preparing various surprises and a big party, which is not to be missed. For kids, there will be a super-fun interactive show called “Love One Another - This is the Year of Love”. As with every year, an integral part of the programme is when Santa Claus comes to hand out New Year’s presents to all children gathered on the main town square.

For little ones who are too ill to attend the festivities, distribution of presents will take place at 12 noon at the children’s ward of Kotor Municipal Hospital, as a continuation of the “Fairy Tale for Health” event that has been held since 2015 as part of the From Christmas to Christmas project.

The last day of 2019 will close with a fantastic concert by the group “Perper”. The New Year will get off to a swinging start with a fundraising party.

NGO Karampan invites everyone to come down to the main town square on 2nd January at 8pm sharp and join the festivities, with the lively band “The Grupa” and the fantastic hits of the well-known Montenegrin artist Sergej Ćetković.

December 21, 2019 - The Gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to €1.63 million in the 3rd quarter of the year, according to preliminary data of MONSTAT. Head of this state body, Ms Gordana Radojević, noted that the GDP real growth rate amounted to 4.7 per cent in the 3rd quarter of 2019.

“In the absolute value, we have achieved an added value by more than €100 million compared to the same quarter last year. Positive movements in GDP in the third quarter are the result of increased production in almost all economic sectors,” Ms Radojevic told the press.

She added that the highest growth in the 3rd quarter was recorded in the construction sector.

“We’ve recorded a 31.4% growth by measuring the value of completed construction works.”

Enormous contribution to the GDP growth in the 3rd quarter has come from tourism, Ms Radojević concluded.

Text by CDM read more here. 

To read more about business in Montenegro, follow TMN's dedicated page.

December 20, 2019 - Today’s session of the Defense and Security Council was dedicated to the consideration of the Decision on the Engagement of the members of the Armed Forces of Montenegro in order to support administration authority in charge of protecting state borders from illegal migrations.

The session, which was held in Cetinje, was presided over by Mr Milo Đukanović, Montenegro’s president.

“After consideration, the Decision was adopted. In 2020, the Armed Forces of Montenegro will deploy its members in seven international taskforces. The decision was adopted on the basis of the assumed NATO responsibilities, EU accession process, regional initiatives, bilateral cooperation plans and needs of the Armed Forces for specific training sessions and exercises, with the aim of further developing military capacities in 2020”, said representatives of President’s Office.

Members of the Council are familiar with the activities Montenegro undertook in countering hybrid threats in 2019 and the Information on the cyber activity performed by Montenegro in 2018 and 2019.

The Council concluded that competent ministries should continue to develop protection capacities to respond adequately to cyber and hybrid threats.

Text by CDM, read more here.

To read more about politics in Montenegro, follow TMN's dedicated page.

December 19, 2019 - Continuing our look at the real estate opportunities in Montenegro through the RE/MAX catalogue, this week a whole apartment block near Bar. 

Real estate prices in Montenegro can sometimes seem expensive, with prime location villas selling for millions. But for every prime luxury villa, there are also plenty of much more affordably-priced holiday homes all over the coast and interior.

And if you look a little closer, there are some real bargains to be had - take a look at this one, the latest Property of the Week from RE/MAX Montenegro, in the village of Dobra Voda near Bar. While you can easily spend half a million euro on a property in Montenegro, here is a chance to pick up six apartments in one complete building for a little less than that. According to the official RE/MAX property description:

The building consists of ground floor, two floors and a roof terrace. It contains 6 one-bedroom apartments, two on each floor. Each apartment has a terrace overlooking the sea, hallway, living room with kitchen and bathroom. Three apartments have a surface area of 46m2 and three apartments each have 43m2. The apartments are equipped with a kitchen and all kitchen appliances> cookware, fridge, sink, hanging and floor kitchen units. Bathrooms are equipped with shower, sink, washing machine Roof terrace is 93m2, Each apartment has one parking space. The building consists of ground floor, two floors and a roof terrace. It contains 6 one-bedroom apartments, two on each floor. Each apartment has a terrace overlooking the sea, hallway, living room with kitchen and bathroom. Three apartments have a surface area of 46m2 and three apartments each have 43m2. The apartments are equipped with a kitchen and all kitchen appliances> cookware, fridge, sink, hanging and floor kitchen units. Bathrooms are equipped with shower, sink, washing machine Roof terrace is 93m2, Each apartment has one parking space.

*** NEW, REDUCED PRICE: Price of the building has recently been reduced from €550,000 to €480,000. Don't miss this unique opportunity. This may be your best deal in the market.

Community Description

Dobra voda is a small coastal village, 10 km from Bar towards Ulcinj. Podgorica Airport is 54km away, Tivat Airport is 71km away. What makes this place extraordinary is the close proximity to the small clean sea beach, the quiet neighborhood, and the proximity to the regional road itself. Apartment on the seafront, 15m away from the sea surface, which gives the effect of an air spa. The seawater and climate are extremely clean. 700m away is a large city beach with all the urban tourist facilities Perfect location for rent. Nearby is a hotel that is very popular and always bookable during the season. Also, a new hotel was built in the immediate vicinity, which should start operating in 2020, which just shows that the building is in a great location, which can bring you a secure future income.

For more information and to organise a viewing, visit the official listing.