The rise in prices has not spared the tourist offer either. For the same budget, people today often get fewer days of vacation, so citizens are increasingly comparing domestic and foreign destinations before making a final decision about where to spend their summer vacation. Experts believe that price increases in tourism cannot be viewed separately from overall economic trends.
“An all-inclusive package for three days in Montenegro costs as much as seven days in Turkey or Egypt,“ said tourist agent Andrej Bukilić for TV PG.
Economic analyst Mirza Mulesković points out in a statement for TV PG that Montenegro is an expensive destination when viewed from the perspective of Montenegrin citizens.
“It is definitely necessary to set aside a lot of money to spend just one day on the coast, but what is true is that if we look at some previous periods, prices have aligned with the increase in wages. So all those costs that have increased from beach rentals are an increase in earnings,“ noted Mulesković.
However, in tourism, the number of guests is not the only decisive factor. Their spending and the effects they leave on the economy during the season are becoming increasingly important.
“What is important for Montenegro is that we generate about 30 percent of our income from tourism, so every tourist, especially those who pay well, is important for Montenegro. We need to start changing that narrative of counting how many tourists we have, how many tourists have come, whether that number has increased or decreased… We should look at the effects of the tourist season, how much has actually been spent,’ emphasizes Mulesković.
International circumstances also influence the choice of destination.
“This situation has opened up Montenegro and those stable, peaceful countries as tourist destinations. The fact is that this positively reflects on our tourist season, and when we see an increased influx of tourists, definitely one of the factors is this,“ stated Mulesković.
“What we mentioned regarding the Middle East is slowly subsiding, and I hope that maybe from September, October, when it cools down a bit and when that ceasefire takes effect as it should, people will return there again,“ emphasized Bukilić.
The tourist season is just entering its most intense period, and along with it, it will become clearer whether higher costs will slow down spending or whether citizens, despite the more expensive vacation, will still decide to spend the summer traveling.
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