Are you curious to learn more about incentive and meeting destination Montenegro? Our passionate event professional Dijana Petkovic shares her vast destination knowledge and experience in crafting incentive and meeting programs in Montenegro.
What is inspiring event professionals to opt for Montenegro?
Montenegro is still a relatively unknown destination but things are changing fast. Business Insider named it as one of the top 15 destinations billionaires want to visit in 2019. It is a small country with incredible diversity and stunning nature. No wonder the official tourism slogan is 'Wild Beauty.' How many other countries in the world, for example, can you zipline across the deepest canyon in Europe in the morning and swim in the sea the same day?
That diversity is great news for incentive and conference programmes, as the short distances and differing terrains enable Intours to put together innovative and diverse incentive programmes for our clients. One popular example of this is our speedboat tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Boka Bay, in the morning, followed by an ATV tour in the mountains of Lovcen in the afternoon.
Connectivity is also key, and the short distances between destinations ensure that clients can focus more time on the arranged activities rather than travelling from one to the next. The two international airports of Tivat and Podgorica handled more than 2 million passengers last year, a similar number also going through Dubrovnik, whose airport is just 20 minutes from the Montenegrin border.
Lastly, Montenegro is leading the way in the region in terms of luxury hotel brands. Regent Porto Montenegro and The Chedi at Lustica Bay have just been joined by One & Only in Portonovi. Other brands, such as Ritz Carlton, Raffles and Four Seasons are also in the pipeline.
What are some of most authentic activities that give the guests the Goosebumps?
Montenegro sells itself and event planners who visit are impressed at the diversity and close proximity of everything.
Boka Bay is an obvious main attraction, and the boat tour including the old towns of Perast and Kotor, as well as the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, combined with an authentic fine dining experience such as the Fishermen's village, is extremely popular.
But so too are the options that Montenegro's imposing mountains offer. The Lovcen mountain area always impresses with its off-road adventure combing with adrenaline activities in the national park such as mountain biking, paintball and an ATV tour.
Which special venues in Montenegro excite the event planners most?
Montenegro is blessed with a mixture of spectacular historical settings, as well as luxurious modern developments. Porto Montenegro has long been a fabulous setting. Its key evening event locations include the Porto Montenegro Yacht Club beach and pool, the naval heritage museum, and – from 2018 – the large covered 2,100 m2 Synchro location.
Porto Montenegro Yacht Club is also a key location for daytime events, but there are also interesting authentic experiences which give clients an insight into the more traditional way of life in the country. These include the Lustica peninsula olive grove village and the 'Ribarsko Selo' Fishermen's village beach club and restaurant. The Almara Beach Club & Restaurant is a popular waterfront gem tucked away on Lustica, while Catamaran Tahiti (which can hold up to 96 passengers) offers a memorable sailing experience around Boka Bay.
Montenegro's ancient walled towns make for magnificent event locations, none better than the main square in Kotor, while dining locations such as the Citadel restaurant in Kotor, Citadela in Budva and Verige65 overlooking Boka Bay offer unforgettable culinary experiences in idyllic settings.
What surprises event planners about Montenegro?
From my experience, the general feedback is that Montenegro more than exceeds expectations. Because it is still relatively unknown, people have no idea what to expect. And then they discover a country with Intours which has exceptional nature, historic old towns, a beautiful but compact coast, heritage which dates back to the 5th century BC and so many contrasts and differences at every turn. It really is unique.
Would you like to hear the insider’s tips how to deliver those amazing touches of wow in the Montenegro? Talk with Dijana at dijana@intours-dmc.si and the rest of Intours DMC team.
