Company “Paradores de Turismo” manages 94 hotels with 6.000 rooms. These hotels are predominantly located in spaces that are cultural heritage.
According to the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Branimir Gvozdenović, Government of Montenegro is pleased to cooperate with a company that has been working in cultural heritage sector for 90 years already.
“Their experience is significant, taking into account the number of cultural and protected heritage in Montenegro, and possibilities for its valorization and revitalization. Montenegro’s cultural heritage is a great potential that needs to have valorization and be used in tourism”, Gvozdenović said.
The main goal of suggested cooperation with company “Paradores de Turismo” is exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as finding a model for valorization and revitalization of cultural heritage through Montenegro’s touristic offer.
“In Montenegro you can find a great number of objects that are cultural heritage of national and international significance, but they are not adequately valorized and put to purpose. Cultural tourism is a serious opportunity. If one can imagine those two terms together, it is clear that they are close together, complementing each other”, Gvozdenović explained.
Special form of tourism
As Gvozdenović underlined, it is clear that the culture and cultural heritage make certain touristic destinations more attractive, often being the condition for the choice of touristic place.
“Cultural tourism is one of the special forms of tourism, that attracts tourist during the whole year, spread the geographic interests, and stimulates the economy”, Minister claims.
According to estimates from World Tourist Organization, 37% of all international trips includes some form of cultural tourism. There is a prediction that this number will rise by 15% by 2020.
“This fact gives me a hope for this Montenegrin touristic product”, Gvozdenović concluded.
Company “Paradores de Turismo” was established in 1928, and it currently manages 94 hotels that are mostly located in the zones of cultural heritage. Hotels are located within 9 national parks, 9 national reservations and 12 World Heritage cities, where 15 castles, 14 monasteries, 12 palaces and 6 unique historical objects can be found. Main goal of this company is territorial integration and rising the level of availability and development of internal zones that are not characteristic for tourist destinations.
