The possibility of skiing and experiencing pristine beaches in the same day, and a rich historical legacy far-removed from the usual mass tourism make Montenegro Europe’s secret holiday jewel with investment opportunities.

A SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL state bordered by the clear blue Adriatic Sea, Montenegro offers a wealth of diversity and adds another dimension to tourism in southeast Europe. Still a relatively undiscovered destination, the country is often referred to as the “hidden pearl of the Mediterranean” and teems with natural splendor accompanied by rich history, culture and heritage. Blue flag beaches line the coasts and rivieras while four mountainous national parks command stunning views both at ground level and from above. Fast flowing rivers and deep lakes spawn adventure sports for the more active visitors and magnificent countryside offers hiking and riding excursions. The historic city of Kotor is under Unesco World Heritage protection, as is the national park of Durmitor, in which lie Tara Canyon, Europe’s deepest natural gorge, and Bobotov Kuk, Montenegro’s highest peak.

Visitor numbers to the country have been rising sharply each year. The importance of travel and tourism to the republic is indisputable. However, the industry’s potential is a long way from being fully tapped. The lack of new development during the 1990s has helped Montenegro to avoid some of the mistakes made by competing tourist destinations, such as the exploitation and over-concentration of natural resources. Managed effectively, tourism will be an important catalyst for the development of other economic sectors such as manufacturing, construction and the service industries.

“Tourism is definitely the most strategically important sector of the economy, and our main priority,” says Minister of Tourism Predrag Nenezic. “In 2001 we adopted a master plan for the next 20 years, developed with European experts. We decided to focus on sustainable development in tourism with the aim of building high quality destinations.”

As the government progressively reduces its direct involvement in the industry, accelerating the privatization of hotels and implementing EU-compliant fiscal policies, investors and tourism operators will increasingly be drawn by the investment opportunities the country has to offer. “We are working hard to create the right environment and infrastructure,” says Mr. Nenezic.

In the World Travel and Tourism Council 2006 list of top ten travel and tourism economies, Montenegro has the highest growth rate for the third year in a row, continuing to use the industry as a key to economic development and job creation. For the period 2007-2016, Montenegro is in first place with annualized real growth put at 10.2 percent.

“In 2000, there were no companies flying to Montenegro, whereas now we have 30 coming to Tivat and Podgorica,” Mr. Nenezic remarks. The national carrier Montenegro Airlines has spearheaded links with other European countries for more than ten years and its successful progress reflects the growth of tourism and relations overseas. Founder, CEO and President of the company, Zoran Djurisic, comments, “Major Western European capitals are only a one or two-hour flight away. We have created an aerial bridge between Montenegro and Europe and forged a connection between the two.” Marketing Manager Aleksandra Gardasevic-Slavuljica adds, “We focus on maintaining a very high quality of service. Security is also a prime issue for us as well as punctuality. These are our three main guidelines. For the time being we are concentrating on Europe, but we do have partnership contracts with almost all other air companies so passengers from all around the world can come to Montenegro.”