The pre-season has met our expectations with the tourist traffic recording growth both in arrivals and overnight stays. According to the forecasts, such a trend will continue in the coming period too.
We talked with Mr. Pavle Obradović, Director of the Herceg Novi Tourist Board, about the expectations regarding this year’s tourist season, the expected number of guests and the cultural / entertainment content that will be offered to guests.
What are your expectations from this year’s tourist season?
In line with the successful implementation of the functional plan implemented by the Herceg Novi Tourist Board in cooperation with the entire tourist economy of the town, we expect the 2019 season to be successful.
The interest in Herceg Novi’s tourist offer is more than encouraging, although every season is special and brings many challenges with it. Tourism, as an activity, is subject to constant changes that are adapted to ensure a successful season and keeping satisfied guests.
The pre-season has met our expectations with the tourist traffic recording growth both in arrivals and overnight stays. According to the forecasts, such a trend will continue in the coming period too.
All the activities that the Herceg Novi Tourist Board carries out regarding this year’s summer season have been successfully implemented since the beginning of the year, thanks to the precise marketing plan that had already been implemented in the most part. Our goal is to increase the effect and utilization of our accommodation capacities every year.
According to the latest data that you have, from which countries do tourists in Herceg Novi usually come from? How many foreign tourists do you have?
Most of our guests come from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Soviet Union countries and Macedonia, followed by the Western European countries, as well as from Poland and Hungary. There are currently more than 23,000 foreign nationals staying in Herceg Novi.
The Herceg Novi Tourist Board has purchased the former Laforest photo studio and you plan is to turn it into a memorial house and an exhibition space. Could you tell us more about this project?
The Laforest Photo Studio, located in the heart of Herceg Novi, in the Jova Dabović Street, opened in 1928 and worked until 1979. This facility, spanning one hundred square meters, has recently been purchased by the Herceg Novi Tourist Board. We are going to restore and adapt it after the season. This former studio, established by the renowned family of photographers from Herceg Novi, will be a memorial house that will stage an exhibition of photos from the family’s huge collection. Guided by the saying that “a photograph speaks a thousand words”, what we are left by Laforest is a real wealth of visual identity of a certain era, the history of the town and its landscape, which will represent a special tourist attraction for our guests. Now, the town will gain yet another exhibition space where the visitors will be able to enjoy the cross-section of photographs of the old and new Herceg Novi and where other cultural events will be occasionally held.
What sets Herceg Novi apart from other destinations in Montenegro?
The Boka Kotorska Gate is a magnificent portal which is the most abundant cultural and historical treasury of this part of the Mediterranean.
The 16-km-long Herceg Novi Riviera has numerous tourist spots, the hinterland where you can see villages with houses built in the typical Mediterranean architecture, the Luštica peninsula and the fishermen’s town Rose, which are all a unique part of the Adriatic. Due to its good geographical location, the mountain, the sea and the Mediterranean vegetation form a fantastic contrast. Also known for its numerous cultural monuments, Herceg Novi has the largest number of sunny days in a year and is also called the town of festivals. There is a long tradition of numerous musical, stage, entertainment and cultural programmes, especially during the summer months, which transform Herceg Novi into one big stage under the open sky. Local hospitality is also an important feature of Herceg Novi, this small chunk of paradise on the Montenegrin coast. People here will give you a warm welcome and offer you the delicious traditional dishes so to make you feel at home.