Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The future of Montenegrin tourism will be built by connecting the state, business, innovation, local communities and international partners, Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordic said, adding that Montenegro now holds the strongest international position it has ever had in tourism.
She said that through direct contacts with partners, close international cooperation and targeted promotion of Montenegro, they had worked to expand the number of source markets and strengthen the country’s presence as a destination on the international tourism map.
“Such an approach has produced visible, concrete results, not only in terms of growth in tourist arrivals but also through Montenegro’s highly prominent international presence,” Kordic said at the conference titled “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence for Redesigning Tourism”, organized to mark World Tourism Day.
The conference is organized by the Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the National Tourism Organization (NTO) and the Innovation Fund.
Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic said the tourism industry could not develop without knowledge and innovation, making close cooperation between the education and tourism ministries essential.
“This cooperation is necessary because knowledge and innovation are what transform an economy from an economy of scale into an economy of value and experience,” Jaksic Stojanovic said.
NTO Director Ana Tripkovic Markovic said they had decided to mark the importance of tourism by encouraging domestic media to use audio and visual content to raise awareness of tourism’s importance to the community.
As part of the conference, the NTO will present awards to journalists who won competitions for the best tourism stories.
Innovation Fund Director Katarina Lalovic said there was considerable scope for developing and applying new solutions in tourism, recalling that over the past five years, through 11 programmes and 29 public calls, they had supported more than 300 projects worth over €13.7 million.
Lalovic said that connecting knowledge, needs and opportunities was one of the important prerequisites for further tourism development.
