We Expect a Good Season

Budva – Montenegrin Minister of Tourism, Predrag Nenezic confirmed yesterday that he expected a solid tourist visit during the upcoming summer season. He also stated that the estimated 80% of the planned preparation activities for the season had already been completed.

Minister’s remarks came after the session of the Coordination body for the monitoring of the tourist season, which had also been attended by the mayors of the leading tourist municipalities. Minister also expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing activities on the preparation for this tourist season.

“More than 80% of works had been completed. We expect communal and infrastructural objects to be completed by 15 June, as well as a part of transportation infrastructure. We are facing small delays ranging from five to 10 days at certain locations when it comes to the transportation infrastructure. However, it is encouraging that the largest number of roads had been completed and that we expect the remaining activities to be brought to an end. At the locations where planned activities cannot be realized in time, the works would continue after the season ends.

We have heard encouraging information from many municipalities about the decrease in numbers of improvised tourist objects, improvements in water supply systems and successful introduction of general measures to improve tourist offer. A key issue is our success in improving a stable supply of electricity, as well as our success in addressing other critical issue before the opening of the season”, Nenezic stated.

Minister maintained that all the members of the Coordination body have agreed that, this year, season’s preparatory activities progressed according to the projected dynamics.

“In comparison to previous years, I expect a solid season, first and foremost in the sense of its’ financial results. At the same time, I expect this to be a good introduction for the season of 2009 and, finally, 2010, which is the target year when we expect to meet all our objectives in turning our country into a tourist destination of the highest quality”, Nenezic added.

Mayor of Budva, Rajko Kuljaca agreed with Minister’s satisfaction with the preparation of this season, emphasizing that this town had been far readier to greet the visitors than ever before.

“We are more than pleased with the way Budva had prepared to meet this season. We have two or three more issues to cope with, most importantly the activation of the desalination facility which would be completed by 21 June. Furthermore, we expect our downtown boulevard heading from Budva to Becici, which bypasses the premises of Budva’s Fair, to be completed by 20 June, at the latest. By this, we shall resolve the problem with the traffic which we have been facing over all these years, as well as the lack of water. Together with the Montenegrin Power Supply Company (EPCG), we have put great efforts and financial resources into resolving the lack of electricity supplies”, Kuljaca said.

Tourists should not bring food along - rather do the shopping here

Minister Nenezic added that the adoption of the decree on the food safety, which disallows brining significant amounts of food into Montenegro, would not discourage visitors from neighbouring countries to come to Montenegro.

“Croatia had even introduced restrictions for the visitors from the EU-countries. I believe that no one who considers himself to be a tourist and who wants to spend his vacation at the destination of his choice would question whether he or she would buy the groceries at the destination – where they were sold at more or less the same price in comparison to the destination of their arrival – or risk that the food they had brought along might become out of use and dangerous for their health.

There are so many shops where prices correspond with the average, at certain cases even being lower than those in our neighbourhood. Our motivation in reaching this regulative decision had been the harmonization of our legislative with the one in the EU and problems with food poisoning that occurred as a result of inadequate standards in food preservation and its’ transport to its’ final destination”, Nenezic said.

The announced ‘environmental tax’, as has been announced, would be introduced as of 15 June, while the implementation of the Low on Food Safety is expected to be implemented over the next couple of days.

By: V.L.