615,000 euros collected from tickets for Lake Skadar, but 20% fewer sold – national parks complain of abuses

Montenegro’s public enterprise for the management of national parks collected 615,000 euros from the sale of tickets for Lake Skadar from January 1 to September 20 this year, as well as around 56,000 euros from the use of water surfaces and the sale of fishing permits, the enterprise headed by Marinela Đuretić told Vijesti. The number of tickets sold is around 20% lower compared with the same period last year.

But, as the enterprise stresses, revenue is not the only measure of a national park’s success – the goal should be for tourist traffic to bring more benefit to the local community and the park, without crossing the acceptable limit of pressure on nature. “Protection of the space remains the main task,” they stress, adding that the Lake Skadar Park is one of the most complex spaces to manage in Montenegro.

Among foreign guests, the French have for years been the most numerous, but this June there were around 20% fewer than in the same month last year. A fall in the number of visitors from Israel was also noted, while the number of guests from Great Britain was larger during July and August; Poles and Czechs were also more present than last year.

“It is important to make a clear distinction between the registered and the real number of users of the space. In the field we have the situation where certain economic subjects bypass the control-payment points and transport visitors who do not have a ticket for the National Park,” the enterprise said, adding that additional control points, coordinated inspections and greater involvement of inspection services are needed. During the season, the Tourist Inspection carried out 47 inspections, in 32 of which irregularities were found.

The most pronounced problems during the season, according to the enterprise, were the lack of adequate parking and the traffic load in Virpazar, the large number of visitors in short time intervals, as well as the control of vessels and tourist carriers. Additional problems are illegal construction, waste, unregulated piers and various forms of illegal use of the space.

According to the new Management Plan for the period 2026–2030, improvement of the existing infrastructure and construction of new accompanying infrastructure is foreseen, as well as the development of content enabling a higher-quality and more sustainable use of the space. During this year, around 75,000 euros were spent on maintenance, around 28,000 euros on construction work on the administrative building, around 12,000 euros on vessels and engines and around 2,000 euros on equipment; the rest of the funds goes to employee salaries.