21 February 2019 - The hotel complex Palmon Bay Hotel & Spa located in Igalo, Herceg Novi has earned a high 9.0 guest rating, out of a possible 10, for a complete service in 2018, which is why the Booking.com website awarded them with the Guest Review Award package.

This is a remarkable acknowledgment of the guests who evaluated the overall offer of the hotel as well as the services that the hotel offers outside the facility, which creates additional motivation for the hotel’s management. Last year's rating of the hotel on booking.com was 8.9 and the complex managed to raise that rank to 9.0, which is a great success for the entire Palmon Bay Hotel team.

The Guest Review Awards program is Booking.com’s annual appreciation program that recognizes partners for their top-notch hospitality according to review scores left by guests after their stay. To become a winner of the Guest Review Awards, properties need to meet special conditions in relations to review scores and the number of reviews.

The winners of Booking.com Awards receive their Guest Review Award package, which contains a letter of praise, a special certificate for positive guest reviews, and a window sticker which proves that numerous guests positively evaluated the facility.

According to the Executive Director of Palmon Bay Hotel and Spa, Bojan Ilić, the guests of the hotel are the heart of their business and making sure they have the best possible experience is what ultimately defines this facility. “Our main goal is for our guests to be satisfied, for them to leave the hotel with a smile and to raise this ranking even more in the future. In this facility, where guests are quite critical, such results point out that we are on the right track. Being harmonized with the standards and procedures and constant training of employees have all come to this result," Ilić explained for Radio Jadran.

He added that the management of the hotel constantly analyzes the guest ratings, trying to make the hotel feel like their home during their stays and to give each guest the same level of attention. “If the management does not pay attention to criticism, the service cannot be improved," Ilić assessed. The guests, according to him, are most appreciative of the staff, the property, the cleanliness, the comfort, the location, i.e. the value of everything for which they invested their money.

The hotel management is satisfied with the current visit, although the results can always be better, especially due to aggressive and intense campaigns and promotions at various fairs.

Palmon Bay Hotel & Spa is a modern hotel located in Igalo, Herceg Novi near the seashore. This luxurious hotel features 204 rooms and suites, private beach, Wellness and Spa Centre, lobby and pool bar, business centre and a la carte restaurant Olive Terrace located on the roof terrace. The management of the hotel has high expectations for the four-star Palmon Bay in 2019, and their predictions include improvements in the hotel’s general offer and an increase in the number of visits.

21 February 2019 - Montenegrin Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management will officially present the special magazine "The Collection of Montenegro's Best Beaches" for the first time at the IFT 2019 in Belgrade.

Montenegrin Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management will take part in the 41st International Tourism Fair (IFT 2019) in Belgrade. The presentation of Montenegrin beaches, marinas and every aspect of Montenegrin coastal offer will be located at the stand of the National Tourist Organization of Montenegro.

The theme of this year's presentation of the Coastal Zone Management Enterprise is the new categorisation of swimming areas and beaches from Herceg Novi to Ulcinj. According to the Enterprise’s representatives, from this season onwards, all public swimming areas will have their own theme - family swimming places, somewhat more hidden romantic and excursion swimming areas, beaches for active vacation (wind & kite surfing and diving) party beaches.

“As a special novelty, we marked pet-friendly swimming areas that are intended for all tourists and visitors who wish to spend the day on the beach with their pets. There are also special beaches, medicinal and nudist swimming areas. For the fair show, a special magazine "The Collection of Montenegrin Best Beaches" has been prepared - a catalogue of the most attractive beaches that have a prestigious ecological recognition of the Blue Flag, but also an extraordinary gastro and lifestyle offer on the beach,” the representatives of Coastal Zone Management Enterprise explained.

During the fair, the Director of the Public Enterprise, Predrag Jelušić and his associates will meet with numerous workpeople from the tourism department and partners from Serbia and the region. Media presentations will be organized daily on which the Montenegrin coast, as the most important tourist resource, will be promoted before the auditorium of one of the most important tourism fairs.

Source: Radio Jadran

20 February 2019 - Creating digital contents in relation to Kanli Tower is a project that will definitely improve the tourist offer of the city of Herceg Novi. Director of the Office for International Cooperation, Simonida Kordić, told News Agency Radio Jadran that the contractor has already purchased the equipment, and the production of digital content for which there is already a scenario is in progress.

“It will be a documentary and feature film content. The scenario is complete and it's time to start shooting specific scenes. It will be an attractive, but historically correct content," Kordić explains.

The film will be both entertaining and educational, for which experts engaged in the historical validity of the data are currently engaged.

The municipality of Herceg Novi hired architect and heraldry, Srđan Marlović, whose role is the historical research and development of the screenplay, that is, the consultation on the creation of scripts for the film. Marlović told Radio Jadran that he collected data from the archives in Venice, Zadar, Split, Vienna, and Trieste.

“From seven Venetian archives, I collected about 40 authentic documents related to Herceg Novi, which have never been extracted. When it comes to the history of the city, we know about the past 100 to 120 years, and no one knows anything from the time before that period, because the research was not fundamental and based on scientific principles," claims Marlović.

The goal of this project is to record a popular feature film that does not burden the viewers with information and facts, but, as Marlović says, it should be easy on the eyes and interesting. Nearly all historical cities, from Israel, through Greece, Spain or Italy, have similar digital contents.

According to him, the film will be divided into several segments that will last a total of 20 minutes and will display the history of Herceg Novi's development, with an emphasis on Kanli Tower.

“The shooting will be done in the original ambient, on the tower, and in the Old Town, because the job is very demanding. Cameramen have to be careful not to have some of the modern devices or products in their shooting frame, such as air conditioners," says Simonida Kordić.

Complete digitalisation equipment for the film recording was purchased through public procurement and the contractor is responsible for everything.

For the development of innovative digital content and procurement of equipment for the fortress Kanli Tower, the Municipal Commission chose the offer of the consortium Čikom LLC and Digital dab LLC from Podgorica. The estimated value of the deal was 174,650 EUR, and the consortium Čikom - Digital dab offered 166,850 EUR.

Source: Radio Jadran

18 February 2019 - The biggest carnival manifestation in the Tivat Riviera, the traditional Lastva Carnival, will be held on Sunday, February 24 at 2 pm, according to the organisers of the event, NGO Harlekin from Donja Lastva. The organisation of the event was carried out with the support of the Municipality of Tivat, Tourist Organisation Tivat and numerous sponsors.

This year, the gathering of masks, their registration and the formation of the carnival column will begin at 1 pm in front of the post office in Donja Lastva.

Traditionally, a joyous parade of masks with a puppet carnival will start this year under the old fig tree in the settlement VII quarter, accompanied by the City music Tivat and majorettes. The carnival will be brought through the entire Donja Lastva to the waterfront where it will be tried for all the bad deeds and problems of the citizens in the past year.

The burning of the carnival will take place in front of the church of St. Rok, and after that, the big masquerade will continue at the Hotel Kamelija. For this occasion, organizers announce special surprises and rich awards to the best group and individual masks.

The representatives of NGO Harlekin invite everyone interested. Due to the great interest in the carnival performance; come early, because a large response from Tivat and the surrounding cities is expected. The registration can be done at the booth at the VII quarter, which will be open from 1 pm.

“Considering the favourable weather forecasts and the happiness we traditionally have on the day of the carnival, we invite you to spend a pleasant and fun afternoon with us in Donja Lastva," said the representative of NGO Harlekin.

18 February 2019 - Souvenir and Eco-Food Fair, as a segment of the 50th Mimosa Festival program, will be held from February 22 to 24 at Hotel "Vojvodina". The event is organised by Public Cultural Institution Herceg Fest and the Secretariat for Utility Activities and Ecology of the Municipality of Herceg Novi.

This compact two-day trade fair provides visitors with the opportunity to meet the leading suppliers of souvenirs and recreational products, as well as other market players. Excellent masterpieces of art and great samples of creativity are to be exhibited in the exhibition that ranges from souvenirs and handmade decorative items to various types of delicious eco-friendly food.

The fair will gather 54 registered exhibitors from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Albania.

Visitors of the fair will be able to learn more about handmade products, old crafts and domestic production - from Montenegrin national instruments, gusle, jewellery and embroidery, to crystals, wood and glass items, natural cosmetic products, teas, products of olives and honey.

The Souvenir and Eco-Food Fair is of great importance for everyone working in the souvenir industry as is the place to be for the latest souvenir and eco-food industry news, products and trends. Entry to the fair is free of charge!

Local exhibitors are excited that they can show a wide range of beautiful items from Montenegro and bring together the cold North and the warm South of the country. The fair aims to stimulate creativity and design of new souvenirs, promote souvenirs producers and producers of eco-friendly food and encourage the entrepreneurship in this field.

During the Fair, the workshop for the youngest will be organised, in cooperation with the Elementary school "Dašo Pavičić".

The official opening of the fair is scheduled for Friday, February 22 at 11 am. The working hours of the Fair are from 9 am to 7 pm.

17 February 2019 - The new Montenegrin Ski Resort Kolašin 1600, where only a few years ago it was forest and meadow, is an example of successful valorization of potentials, the materialisation of the Government of Montenegro's policy and the beginning of accelerated tourist and overall development of the North Region," it was said at the opening ceremony of the ski center.

"I am filled with pride and pleasure that today, together, we present one of the best examples of the materialisation of the Government of Montenegro policy when it comes to creating the conditions for the development of the north of our country, the improvement of the Montenegrin tourist offer and, of course, the creation of preconditions for creating new jobs and better quality of life of citizens," Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović said at the ceremony.

Director of the Public Works Directorate Rešad Nuhodžić said that this ski center, in which the Government of Montenegro invested EUR 17 million, represents, even after the first phase of works, the best example of successful valorisation of tourism potentials, but also our ability to build something like it.

"From the position of Director of the Public Works Directorate, I emphasise that this is a skiing event, which we can be proud of, the result of successful cooperation between our engineers and companies with a renowned foreign partner. This proves that we are able to catch up with the most demanding projects. The base station facility is adapted to the needs of visitors as well as employees, with restaurant, administrative premises, outpatient clinics and complete accompanying equipment. For the needs of the ski resort, new road, electrical and hydrotechnical infrastructure was built. During the second phase of the project, which is planned to be completed by the end of next year, the ski resort will get another six kilometers of tracks. The construction of the cable car, which will connect the ski resorts Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600, is planned, which will further enrich the tourist offer. The Public Works Directorate will continue to implement the capital projects of the Government of Montenegro in the coming period, of which the projects in the field of tourism are at the top of our priorities. Only in the ski centers of Cmiljaca, Žarski, Savin Kuk and Hajla will be invested more than EUR 100 million, while we will invest nearly EUR 18 million in one of the most important projects for tourist valorisation of the north - Đalović cave," the Director of Public Works said.

Director of the Ski centers of Montenegro Miloš Popović reminded that this Government recognised the tourist valorisation of the Northern region of Montenegro as a priority to improve the development of this area and reduce the development gap between the south and north regions of the country.

"In accordance with this, in November 2017, the company Ski Centers of Montenegro based in Mojkovac was founded, for the management of the Kolašin 1600 ski center in the area of the Municipality of Kolašin, Jelovica in the municipalities of Berane and Andrijevica, Cmiljača and Torina in the municipality of Bijelo Polje, Žarski in the area of Mojkovac municipality, Komovi mountain center and Eco Adventure park Komovi. The general concept of the company's development is the valorisation of existing active ski resorts and the construction of new ski centers in the area of Bjelasica and Komovi, Durmitor and Hajle, by spatial plans for these areas. With this, Montenegro will get one of the largest and most prestigious ski resorts in the area, within which the most current infrastructure will be built: hotels, restaurants, other boarding and non-boarding facilities, modern cable cars, to take the number one position in the competitive market. We will also put the accent on the improvement of the summer offer," the director of the Ski Centers of Montenegro said.

Miloš Popović said that Montenegro's ski resorts will be the generator of tourism development by enriching existing and creating new tourist products, and will contribute to the continuous development of winter and summer sports, and to support potential future sports talents, and to improve Montenegrin human resources.

"In this way, the company of the Ski Centers of Montenegro will be the best partner to local self-governments. Young people here will get the best opportunity for work and training by the highest world standards. I invite you to continue to support the realisation of this grandiose project, and to gather here again in the next few years, and that the occasion for this gathering is not only development projects that will undoubtedly be, but also the organisation of the world's biggest cups, for which we will, with this accelerated development, undoubtedly be competitive," Popović said.

The Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism reminded that Montenegro recorded the best tourist results in history and that the interest in the North is now spreading.

"Montenegrin tourism breaks records year after year while dictating new standards that motivate us to valorize the strategic potential recognised in this region as well. In 2018, Montenegro visited 2.2 million tourists or 200,000 tourists more than in 2017; who achieved 13 million nights (a million more than in 2017); we earned a billion euros of income in 10 months in 2018. But what is particularly rejoicing is that the revenues generated by the remote towns grew at a rate that is more than two times higher than the national average," Minister Radulović said.

He urged the presidents of the municipalities of the Northern Region to recognise the opportunity for job creation and business development because the government is now concentrating on this part of Montenegro.

16 February 2019 - On Wednesday, February 20, Cultural and Information Centre "Budo Tomović" will host the exhibition “ Montenegrin Film Poster ”, which represents a segment of the collection of the author, Momir Matović. The event will take place in the exhibition hall of the Cultural Centre in Podgorica at 7 pm.

The exhibition will be opened by Jovan Nikitović, culture editor in the daily newspaper "Pobjeda" and will last until March 4.

In every film production, special attention is devoted to the creation of the concept of a film poster, which, as a propaganda-advertising medium, creates a recognizable visual indeterminacy for a potential audience. Film Poster has the mission to introduce the audience to the film work they have yet to see in the most sublime way. At the Montenegrin Film Poster exhibition, visitors will be able to see 41 film posters, chosen by the author of the exhibition, Momir Matović.

Montenegrin Film Poster provides information on the level of general and commercial culture from one period of Montenegrin cultural heritage. All exhibits in this monograph are mostly a part of a unique original collection of the director Momir Matović.

The author of the exhibition, Momir Matović, is a recognized Montenegrin director, film cameraman and art photographer. He was born in Titograd in 1951. He graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade at the Department of Film Camera. He is the author of numerous short and feature-length documentaries.

He has won many national and international awards and prizes. His film creations include: Obala života, Metri života, Kao i sjutra, Crvena linija kuće Ujkić, Noć duga 68 godina, Posljednja bioskopska predstava, Ja znam kako, Žica života, (Po)rađanje jedne nacije, Prva i posljednji, Opstajanje…duh…dah, Ram za sliku moga zavičaja, Mi pravimo žive slike, Sa osmjehom već 50 godina, and many others.

Momir Matović lives and works in Podgorica.

15 February 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković, together with heads of the Public Works Directorate Rešad Nuhodžić and the Ski Resorts of Montenegro Miloš Popović, will put into operation the 6-seater cable car at the new Kolašin 1600 Sky Resort in Bjelasica. 

The new ski resort contains, at this point, a restaurant with administrative facilities, an ambulance and the complete accompanying equipment, 6-seater cable car 1,567 m long, with the capacity of 2600 skiers per hour and two ski lanes totaling 4.5 km. For the needs of the ski resort, new road, electrical engineering and hydrotechnical infrastructure were built.

A total investment of 77 million EUR is planned for the tourist complex of four hotels along the Kolasin 1600 Ski Resort.

The valorisation of Bjelasica and Komovi implies the creation of a prestigious tourist destination with 224 km of highest quality ski trails, 52 ski lifts, 52 hotels and 23 boarding houses (condos, apartments, etc.).

The ceremony hosted by the Ski Resorts of Montenegro will start at 12 PM.

The participants will be addressed by Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović, and heads of the Public Works Directorate and Ski Resorts of Montenegro.

The Prime Minister will make a statement to the public.

The best skier of the former Yugoslavia Bojan Križaj will open the revenge race at 13.00.

14 February 2019 - On Saturday, February 16, the Tourist Organisation of Podgorica and the Markets of the Capital City are organising an event called "Day of raštan". The manifestation, which is being organised for the third year in a row, starts at 10 am at the Green market in the Mall of Montenegro Shopping Centre.

All visitors to the event will have the opportunity to taste traditional dishes from raštan, and the experience will be complemented by the sounds of Montenegrin tradition music.

The event is organized in cooperation with PI School for Secondary and High Education "Sergije Stanić" and the restaurant "Radovče".

"By organizing such events we would like to further contribute to the promotion of the gastro offer of the Podgorica region, and the affirmation of the Green market, as a place where the city's spirit is best reflected through the offer of local products," announced the representative of the Podgorica Tourist Information Centre.

The "Day of Raštan" is part of the "Market Caravan" event that began three years ago with the organization of the "Day of Sponge Cake" at the city's main market.

Total Montenegro News already reported on the health benefits of eating raštan. "If in some cases you are forced to choose only one vegetable for a lifetime, it should definitely be raštan" - every grandmother will tell you at any family farm along the Dinaric Mountain range. Raštan, or raštika (Crambe Maritima, lat.), is rich in various nutrients and even substances for the fight against cancerous cells, was the basis of the diet of generations of people along Dalmatia, Herzegovina and all over Montenegro. Apart from nutrition, it is characterized by the fact that it grows throughout the year. However, it is best to harvest and eat raštan in winter.

Day of Raštan is the perfect event to get acquainted with the best dishes made from raštan, or even with the recipes that have been circling among Montenegrins for years!

February 14, 2019 - Kamenari in Boka Bay today is known primarily as the place where daily ferries take thousands of cars and passengers to the other coast of the bay. Situated along the coast of about 400 meters, the ambiance of the Kamenari is the one of very few along our coast, which enjoys the protection as a cultural landscape of exceptional characteristics. The history of this small place is vibrant with facts that could be proud and much larger communities. Famous for educated and skillful locals, the location of the first post office and first public transport in Montenegro hires a lot of interesting details of the productive life of this small place, once proud on bakeries, theatre, but first of all, stones to be thanked for its name.

The ferry service in Kamenari started in 1901 with the families of Milosevic and Sekulovic. Djuro Milosevic was the father of the famous bacteriologist, world expert Dr. Simo Milosevic, at which Igalo Institute today carries the name. 

Kamenari, today a village that we know first of all by ferry transport, was a significant traffic, commercial, service, and crafts center in Boka Bay in the 19th century.

It was in Kamenari that in 1899 the founding shareholders' assembly "Bokeljski Omnibus", the first company for road transport in Boka Bay, which, after obtaining a concession from the Austrian authorities, held the Kamenari-Herceg Novi line. "The stockholders were the distinguished citizens of Boka Bay, 33 of them. Transport was carried out at that time by horses. It is interesting that for this Omnibus, which could have received 25 people, horses from Pesta were procured and that such omnibus worked in Dubrovnik as well since 1899," explains Katuric.

Bokeljski Omnibus, the first road transport company of Montenegro

 

 

The "Bokeljski Omnibus" and Kamenari will mark this year 120 years since its foundation, the predecessor of road transport companies, not only in Boka but also throughout Montenegro and beyond.

Kamenari, Copyright: radio Herceg Novi

Tomo Katuric, private photo collection

 

Sometimes Tomo Katuric, as well as his ancestors, who lived in Boka since 1697, carried the name of Boka Bay to the world seas, engaged as a ship captain, predominantly on the ships of the former Jugooceania Kotor. Today, the name Kamenari, Herceg Novi, Boka Bay and Montenegro he reports to all meridians as one of the most admired philatelies in the world.

The wreath of stone houses in Kamenari was built in the majority of 17-19 years, at the time of the greatest glory and power of the Boka nautical.

Kamenari in the past

 

"Thanks to maritime and distant journeys, people built beautiful stone houses. But the point was not just to bring money here and build. With money, something much more significant, more valuable, and more beautiful came, which is a world culture. That is why Boka still today, despite all the odds, at an excellent cultural level. I own an 1860 letter from sailing ship Ilirico. Out of 14 crew members, eleven signed with their full names, only three couldn't write. So it was not just the captain who was literate, but a sailor and almost all other members of the crew. And that was all people from Donja Lastva, Stoliv, Kamenari, Perast, Risan. People from our region have been mostly literate in the 19th century, " says Captain Tomo Katuric.