Tourism in Montenegro: A destination management perspective

Sa？etak The aim of this paper is to emphasize the need for the professionalization of destination management as one of the key prerequisites for the successful development of Montenegrin tourism, through the introduction of the Destination Management Organization (DMO) and some other modern concepts. DMOs are becoming strategic leaders in the management of tourism destinations in terms of the overall management of the destination: in planning, organizing, monitoring and leadership. They include participants which, both in terms of their participation and in terms of their financing, have been established as public-private partnerships. This particularly since the competitiveness of a specific destination, in a global world, can only be achieved through a clearly defined and integrated management structure. In this paper we will look at the basic characteristics of DMOs as specific organizational forms in the management of tourism destinations, with special emphasis on the state of and possible changes in Montenegro as a tourism destination.The process of founding and operating DMOs in Montenegro has not yet got off the ground. The new management model in tourism destinations must ensure coordinated activity among interest groups and organizations in the public and private sectors, which will act as partners and assist the Montenegrin tourism product in gaining a better position in the broader market. To that end, the key role is to be played by the DMO. In order to achieve this, significant support must be given by the state, primarily through the adoption of relevant legislation