Montenegro Looks to Cruise Liners to Save Season

Montenegro's hard-pressed tourist industry is looking to cruise liners for salvation this summer, after what looks like a disappointing season.

From the ecologically friendly ship Mein Schiff 3 to the famous Queen Elizabeth and the largest vessel in the Mediterranean, Pullmantur Sovereign, ships from every major European cruiseline will be sailing into the Bay of Kotor.

Over the next two months, about 400 luxury cruise ships will be docking at Boka bay on the country’s Adriatic coast. The Port of Kotor said it expects to earn around 2 million euro from cruise tourism.

Although cruise passengers do not stay in Kotor more than one or two days, the municipality will collect significant earnings from tours of the Old Town of Kotor, which is a UNESCO World Natural and Historical Heritage Site.

Each cruise passenger has to pay two euro to enter the Old Town. "We are extremely pleased with this holiday season," the head of the Port of Kotor, Vasil Kusovac, said.

Aside from cruising income, however, Montenegrin tourism authorities have expressed concerns that the spring floods in the region - and the impact of the crisis in Ukraine - could result in lower earnings from holidaymakers.

Travel agencies, hotels and private accommodation owners have all recorded a decline in the number of tourists compared to the same period last year.

The Montenegrin National Tourist Organization said that there are currently around 10 per cent fewer tourists in the country than there were in 2013.

The organization’s director, Sasa Radovic, warned that action was needed to boost numbers.

"We need further engagement in order to keep the number of tourists during this summer's holiday...