According to the economist of Montenegro Milos Vukovic, the restoration of the country's tourism and the tourism sector in quantitative and qualitative terms will take at least three to five years.
This tourist year in Montenegro due to the coronavirus pandemic, income is almost 90 percent lower than last year.
Vukovic estimates tourism revenues next year will be between 30 and 50 percent over last year, as current information suggests mass vaccinations will not be completed until late September.
The country, dependent on tourism, has been hit hard by the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and is predicted to have the biggest economic downturn in the region.
“The tourism and travel sectors, which make up the lion's share of the Montenegrin economy, have been particularly hard hit,” said Vukovic.
According to the Central Bank (CBCG), from the beginning of the year to the end of September, income from foreign tourists amounted to 100 million euros, while in the same period last year - 978 million euros.
How much Montenegro depends on tourism is best shown by the data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which Vukovic refers to, according to which the sector's contribution to the economy is 32,1 percent, or $ 1,76 billion.
The situation is the same with the overall contribution of tourism and travel to employment. According to Vukovic, 66,9 thousand people, or 32,8% of the total number of employees in Montenegro, depend on tourism, which makes up a third of the country's economy.
