30 July 2019 - Hotel Hilton Podgorica announced that the hotel has installed a charging station for guests to conveniently and safely charge their electric vehicles.

Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora is one of 5,700 Hilton hotels worldwide that is implementing the Travel with Purpose guidelines aimed at cutting environment imprint in half and doubling the investment in social impact by 2030, which are the backbone of the Hilton corporate responsibility strategy developed over the course of 100 years of business.

Travel with Purpose is the extension of the drive of Hilton’s management to positively change the world. Taking this concept into consideration, Hilton hotels are focused on leading the way in ensuring the destinations where their guests live, work and travel are vibrant and resilient for generations to come. Notably, they are the first major hotel company to both set science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and to commit to sending zero hotel soap to landfill. And importantly, they plan to double their investment in inclusive growth for all through programs that help women, youth, veterans, refugees and people with disabilities around the world – so that different communities can realize the full economic benefits of travel and tourism. By strategically installing electric vehicle charging stations throughout Hilton’s vast network of properties, the company is aiming to help road warriors travel with purpose by feeding their wanderlust and need to help the environment – a goal Hilton shares.

Electric vehicle drivers are notably growing in number, and Montenegro is trying to keep up with the latest trends. The newly installed charging station in Hilton will be the second station of this type in Montenegro. The first electric vehicle charging station introduced in Montenegro was the station located in Tivat, which was opened earlier this month.

The electric vehicle charging station in Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora, according to the hotel’s PR service, is positioned in the hotel’s underground parking garage, and at the station, users can charge one electric vehicle of any kind (cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles) for 90 minutes.

For more information on Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora, please call the hotel at +382 20 443 443 or visit the hotel’s website at http://www.podgoricacrnagora.hilton.com.

Tivat Airport continues to increase its passenger numbers.

In the first six months of the year, a total of 434,630 travellers passed through Tivat Airport, 8.7% up on the same period in 2018.

Based on figures for the first six months of this year, Tivat Airport is tenth on the list of the top ten busiest airports in the former Yugoslavia, however Tivat’s passenger figures are set to increase with the onset of the main tourist season, and this is expected to drive the airport significantly up the rankings.

For July, up to 24th of the month, traffic was up by 9% in comparison with the same period in 2018, with similar figures expected for August. Based on these numbers, management expects that by the first few days of September the airport will see its one-millionth passenger, around ten days earlier than last year.

Tivat Airport currently has year-round and seasonal regular and charter flights to nearly 50 destinations in Europe and the Near East. Over the last decade, the airport’s degree of connectivity (the number of destinations airlines connect to from Tivat) has increased by as much as 352%.

29 July 2019 - According to the official statement by the representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro, Marriott International's The Ritz-Carlton Company will open a Ritz Carlton hotel in Montenegro in the near future, reports CdM.

From the economic aspect, Montenegro is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations, with predictions of continued growth in the forthcoming years. “Although we’re a small country, we have a lot to offer and many world-known hotel brands operating in Montenegro serve as evidence for that. Apart from Hilton, Aman, Regent, Four Points & Sheraton, Chedi, Meliã, Falkensteiner, Iberostar and others, the Ritz Carlton will soon expand to Montenegro”, said General Director of the Directorate for Development of Competitiveness and Investment in Tourism, Ms Olivera Brajović in an interview for Pobjeda daily.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro is constantly working on increasing high-category accommodation capacities, improving air accessibility, and diversifying the tourist offer and extension of tourist season. Brajović emphasised that the Ministry is aiming to promote the tourist offer of Montenegro while working on the creation of authentic tourist product through connecting tourism with agriculture.

As far as new investments in tourism are concerned, Ms Brajović points out that creation of new investment and business environment has led to increased interest in the construction of new hotel capacities and reconstruction of the existing ones. “Around 25 new hotels were opened last year in Montenegro, 15 of which were high-category hotels. We want to create a good ambiance in the northern part of the country as well. As the representatives of the state, we aim to provide the necessary infrastructure, so that the investor has all basic conditions to invest and make a tourist complex in Montenegro”, said Ms Brajović.

She stresses that the country’s job is to provide electricity and water before any negotiations on investments. Air accessibility is also of great importance since Montenegro is still a destination which is mostly reached by air traffic.

“In that context, every new airline means progress for tourism. As a result of better connection with cities in Western Europe, the number of tourists from Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom has doubled. New flights have an impact on better “visibility” of Montenegro. There are currently nine low-cost air companies operating flights towards Montenegro and vice versa”, says Ms Brajović.

She highlighted the significance of the new routes which were opened this year – Bologna and Barcelona as well as other routes that greatly affect income from tourism in Montenegro. Easy Jet operates towards Airport Tivat from London and Manchester during summer IATA season and from Geneva during the peak summer season. Wizz Air operates from Memmingen, Milan and Budapest throughout the year, as well as from Warsaw and Katowice during the peak season. Ryan Air is the third carrier according to the traffic at Montenegrin airports. All flights operate two times a week.

Ms Brajović firmly believes that Bar-Boljare highway will enable better access to the north of Montenegro to tourists. “Tourism will be further boosted, as well as the economy and agriculture. Travelling from Podgorica to Kolašin will be faster, and it will take only half an hour. When you provide mobility, circulation of goods and services increases, which results in high-quality offer in tourism,” says Ms Brajović.

She highlighted the new projects that the state is working on in the north of Montenegro. “Berane will soon have new Lokve hotel. In addition, the doors of the Plavsko jezero hotel in Plav will soon be open for tourists. Kolašin and Žabljak are already recognized as most-visited ski centers. Four Points by Sheraton has improved its capacities, as well as former Lipka hotel. Opening of the Kolašin 1600 ski resort has created conditions for the implementation of new projects. We expect another hotel from the Marriott group. Žabljak’s tourist offer will be enriched, too”, said Ms Brajović.

Read more about Montenegro's tourist offer at TMN's dedicated page.

28 July 2019 - According to the most recent Airports Council International Report on airport industry connectivity, Montenegro occupies the 36^th position out of 43 countries whose airport traffic has been analysed. In terms of individual capital city airports, between 2009 and 2019, Podgorica was the fastest-growing capital city airport within the former Yugoslavia based on connectivity, averaging growth of 284%.

The Airports Council International (ACI) published its official Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2019 in June 2019, analysing the evolution of direct, indirect and total airport connectivity between 2009 and 2019. The report provides comprehensive measurement and analysis of the way Europe’s air connectivity has evolved over the past ten years.

The Connectivity Report delves into the dynamics and performance of air connectivity for and across Europe– down to each individual airport that is part of the European aviation system. As such, the different types of air connectivity indexes ACI uses - direct, indirect and hub connectivity – are useful metrics for airports themselves, but also for policy makers who may want to include connectivity data as part of their assessments and decision-making process.

Countries of the former Yugoslavia offer among the fewest connections to passengers travelling by air, both direct and indirect, compared to their European counterparts, according to Airport Council International's (ACI) latest connectivity report for 2019. Although Bosnia has the lowest direct connectivity, it is ahead of Macedonia in terms of indirect and hub connectivity, explain the ExYU Aviation Website. The report states that Montenegrin airports occupy the 36th place out of 43 countries surveyed.

On the other hand, individual capital city airports from across the region have seen robust connectivity growth over the past decade. Between 2009 and 2019, Podgorica was the fastest-growing capital city airport within the former Yugoslavia in terms of connectivity, averaging growth of 284%. It is followed by Skopje at 119%, Sarajevo at 109%, Belgrade at 77%, Zagreb at 73.4% and Ljubljana, which grew 20.4%.

In terms of airport traffic, ACI has also found that “with the cost of travel decreasing in many markets, and a burgeoning middle class growing in emerging markets, passenger traffic growth has remained irrepressible”. Indeed, ACI’s global medium-term forecasts reveal growth in demand for air services between 2018 to 2023 will grow by almost 30%. This means many national governments face the predicament of demand outstripping available airport infrastructure.

Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 to foster cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2019, ACI serves 646 members, operating 1,960 airports in 176 countries. ACI uses the report as an opportunity to stress the importance of public policy and regulation in facilitating and enhancing connectivity, which is closely linked to the economic wealth of countries. ACI has called for progress on issues such as airport capacity, the liberalisation of market access, the lowering of navigation charges and aviation taxes and lighter economic regulation for airports.

Read more information on travelling to and through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

27 July 2019 - Kitesurfing has been gaining great popularity in Montenegro in recent years since extreme sports fans can enjoy this activity on the Great Beach (Montenegrin: Velika plaža) in Ulcinj. According to instructor Nemanja Škobić, Ulcinj can be placed within the top three most secure places in the world to master this sporting skill.

Kitesurfing is an action sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, skateboarding and sailing into one extreme sport. A kitesurfer harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water, land, or snow.

One of the windiest and beautiful sandy beaches of Montenegro – the Great Beach has a lot to offer, and because of the growing interest for kitesurfing, the beach now has its kite center. The kite centre instructors and kitesurfing enthusiasts want to share their passion for this sport provide all interested individuals advice formed after a long-term experience. They have a trained and motivated team, modern teaching techniques and the most modern equipment, which all guarantee ideal learning progress in their tailor-made kitesurfing courses.

Nemanja Škobić, who has been working as a kitesurfing instructor for ten years on the Great Beach in Ulcinj, gave an interview for Tanjug, where he stated that a large number of locals and tourists have undergone training for the sport.

"In order to master the basic steps, it takes from eight to ten hours of exercise. The course is popular with both children and adults," said Škobić.

He also pointed out that the Great Beach in Ulcinj, which is about 13 kilometres long, belongs to the top three safest places in the world to master the kitesurfing skill, and one of the reasons for this is the vastness of the beach.

"The width and length of the beach, as well as the length of the shallow water areas that do not have coral, rocks, trees, power lines – all create perfect conditions for kitesurfing," said Škobić, adding that the training season usually starts in early May and lasts until the beginning of October. Kitesurfing beginners and newcomers find perfect conditions for fast learning progress by being provided with a wide sandy area (without dangerous riffs or rocks), shallow water and constant side-onshore-winds. However, advanced kiteboarders will also love this beach for its moderate temperatures and a lot of free space to practice new moves.

Škobić also explained that the training process is normally split into several stages, where the basic steps are learned on the sand, and then the individuals head into the sea to master their skills. The training is perfectly adapted to each individual’s needs, no matter whether they want to improve their kitesurfing skills or want to learn advanced moves and tricks.

Read more information about new experiences when travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

20 July 2019 - Minister of the Interior Mevludin Nuhodžić recently made an unannounced visit to Debeli brijeg, the main border crossing between Croatia and Montenegro, and on that occasion spoke with Montenegro's border police officers and tourist intending to get firsthand information about the traffic flow at the border at the peak of the tourist season, as reported the Government of Montenegro.

"Today I have made an unannounced tour of the Debeli brijeg border crossing and I was assured that the Border Police officers are doing their job professionally, with great will and with great kindness," Minister Nuhodžić said, adding that the tourists with whom he talked at the border crossing confirmed this.

"This is very important because the border police are the first to meet tourists visiting our country. Tourists told me the same about the work of our police officers - they find them very professional and kind," the Interior Minister stressed.