Montenegro: Guests driven off by stiff prices

Budva – It seems that the crisis which threatens to desolate even the most famous summer resorts in the Mediterranean is taken for granted in Budva since, unfortunately, Budva’s “hot” cafés still adhere to the old principle “new season – higher prices”.

Even if the metropolis of tourism is on the verge of bankruptcy in months, appeals for reducing prices urgently made by holiday landlords in the Montenegrin Tourism Association and the highest government officials are still not taken seriously enough. It is expected that tourists from the region will cover the lack of foreign guests this year. Through elementary services including drinks in cafés, price of parking tickets or prices in boutiques, the city of millionaires which faced financial plunge in only a year persists further in creating an image of elite summer resort and thus risks driving off few guests from the region for which the war is literally fought among tourism destinations in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

Unfortunately, prices in famous cafés in Budva are almost the same as last year if not even higher, which makes efforts of the most of caterers who reduced prices of their services in accordance with drop in standards in the neighboring countries appear futile. In case this price race among caterers continues, the odds are that Budva will remain the most expensive town on the Adriatic. When it comes to stiff prices, Dubrovnik held a leading position over the years, but Budva took over the lead last year due to its astronomic prices. Therefore, the campaign pursued by the National Tourism Organization to attract guests from the neighboring countries will most probably bring no results.

The strategic goal to turn Budva into a destination for wealthy clients targeted by the Ministry of Tourism has to be forgotten this year since these “deep pockets” or big spenders such as Russians or tycoons from the neighborhood will come in small numbers if at all.

However, it can be already seen that the most visited cafés are the ones with reduced prices. Thus, a café on the terrace of the hotel “Mogren” is the most prestigious one presently – apart from nice location near the Old Town and a good service, guests are probably magnetically attracted to this café owing to its affordable price list. Namely, prices of drinks, cakes and other delicacies are cut by one third when compared to last year. It sounds incredible but now one can indulge in espresso coffee at price of €1 or even less and a mineral water at the same price, which was impossible to find in Budva until last year.

However, there are certain cafés which will come as a (un)pleasant surprise to guests from Serbia and from the region since according to their Menu – Capricciosa pizza costs €9 and Seafood pizza €12 while seasonal fruit plate costs €8.

The bright example is one of the most famous beach bars “Ricard”, near the hotel “Avala” where prices are also cut by one third.

The campaign aimed at reducing prices by 10 % was launched primarily by restaurateurs from Budva two months ago, and all those who responded to it are satisfied with the number of guests.

Even the “Coastal Zone Management” joined this campaign and offers beaches for lease at 15% less prices than those offered last summer hoping that lessees will cut rent costs for beach equipment respectively if not even more.

The municipal company “Parking servis” which manages public car-parks announced reducing parking fees by 20% in comparison to the last summer. Charges are outrageous at present with 80 cents per hour during the day and €1 per hour at night downtown Budva.

By V.L.