Tourism Is an Opportunity for a Better Life for All Citizens

The greatest success of a country is not when people want to visit it, but when those who live there want to stay.

This year, summer arrived ahead of schedule. It did not wait for the calendar to officially announce it. It arrived through fully booked flights, the first crowds on promenades, packed terraces, and that distinctive energy we immediately recognize when the tourist season gains momentum. I saw it all with my own eyes. While walking by the sea, a friend of mine who has been spending her summers on the coast for years remarked in surprise: “It’s only June, but it feels like July.”

Already during June, it became clear that Montenegro would record excellent tourism results this summer. And that is good news. New airline routes have opened doors to markets with which we have long sought stronger connections. Geopolitical circumstances have redirected part of global tourism flows toward safe and attractive destinations, and Montenegro has found itself among them. Visitors arrived earlier than expected, and the optimism accompanying the start of the season could be felt throughout the country—not only on the coast.

In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that tourism in Montenegro is no longer a story confined to one part of the country. While finding a place on the coast can be a challenge, mountain resorts, national parks, lakes, and the northern region are attracting a growing number of visitors. Žabljak, for example, has become a destination in its own right during the summer months. The same can be said for many places in the north that are successfully demonstrating that Montenegro is not only a country of the sea, but also of mountains, rivers, forests, and landscapes that still enjoy the privilege of authenticity.

Tourism in the north is no longer merely an economic development opportunity. For many households, it has become a reason to stay, to return, or to see a future in the place of their ancestors. It is particularly encouraging to see an increasing number of young people, returnees to rural areas, families from cities, and members of our diaspora investing in inherited property, restoring old estates, and developing eco- and ethno-tourism facilities. In recent years, this has led to a genuine expansion of accommodation capacities and tourism offerings in northern Montenegro. It is important that this development continues in a planned manner, with respect for nature, biodiversity, and legal standards, so that what today represents the region’s greatest value remains preserved for future generations.

Tourism is therefore much more than a single economic sector. It connects different parts of the country, creates opportunities for local communities, encourages infrastructure development, and provides a chance to present our assets to the world in the best possible way. Few industries have such a direct impact on the daily lives of so many people. Yet precisely because it is so important, tourism deserves to be considered beyond seasonal statistics and record-breaking figures.

In recent years, it has been interesting to observe how Europe’s most successful destinations discuss their future. They no longer ask only how to attract new visitors. Increasingly, they are asking another question: how to preserve the quality of life and authenticity of places that have become highly desirable. This is not a question against tourism. On the contrary, it is a question about its long-term value.

The success of a tourist destination is not measured solely by the number of visitors it attracts. It is also measured by how well it preserves the very qualities that inspired those visitors to come in the first place.

Today, authenticity is the most valuable currency in tourism. It cannot be built overnight, nor can it be purchased through investment alone. It develops over time through culture, lifestyle, hospitality, nature, and the character of a place. Today’s travelers are drawn to destinations because they feel they have discovered something special: a walk through an old town, a view from a mountain peak, a conversation with a local host, the taste of regional cuisine, or a moment they cannot find anywhere else.

This is precisely where Montenegro has a significant advantage. It has not yet lost what makes it special. And perhaps that is our greatest development opportunity. To avoid becoming a destination defined by a single season or a single region. To inspire a visitor who spends the morning by the sea to spend the following days exploring mountains, lakes, canyons, historic towns, and rural households. Because tourism sustainability does not begin with restrictions. It begins with expanding opportunities.

Perhaps the most important question before us is not what kind of season we will have this summer. What matters far more is what kind of country we will have in ten years. Will we focus only on setting new records, or on creating greater value? Will we count arrivals alone, or build experiences that inspire people to return? Will we develop tourism as a temporary success or as a lasting advantage? The answers to these questions will not be reflected solely in statistics. They will be visible in the quality of life in our towns and villages, in preserved nature, in the satisfaction of local hosts, and in the impressions visitors take home with them.

Because between living from tourism and living despite tourism, there is one crucial word—balance. And it is balance that will determine whether, in the years ahead, we remain a country people want to visit, but more importantly, a country where people want to live.

The greatest success is not when people want to come to a country. The greatest success is when those who live there do not want to leave.