Montenegro Girl x
Tivat Airport & a Montenegro geography lesson
I’ve been travelling to Montenegro for over a decade and for me each visit is like a school geography lesson coming to life. Living in the UK means we see change and development in our towns and cities, but it is not so dramatic as the change I see unfolding year on year in Montenegro. Especially around Tivat airport.
As any good geography student knows, transport links play a major part in how places develop. Whether it is buses to schools, trains to places of work or cheap, direct flights to countries. You only need to look at how cities like Tallinn and Prague have opened up and become the vastly popular destinations they are today – all as a result of cheap flights being introduced.
And Montenegro is no exception.
Montenegro airports
Montenegro has 2 airports. Tivat airport lies on the coast and is convenient for the more northern stretch of the Adriatic coast – such as Kotor, Herveg Novi, Porto Montenegro and the Lustica peninsula.
Podgorica airport is slightly inland toward the south of Montenegro and serves the capital Podgorica and is handy for Lake Skadar and the seaside towns of Bar and Sveti Stefan, as well as the inland mountainous region.
Tivat airport is the one I know the best as it is 10 minutes from Kotor where my apartment is. It opened in 1957, and until recently was a quiet little airport with the only direct flights from UK with Montenegro Airlines.
We wistfully drove past it for years on our 2-hour journey to and from Dubrovnik airport, thinking how convenient it would be to land there. (BA was always far cheaper, convenient and – let’s be honest – more appealing than Montenegro Airlines). So, when Easyjet announced flights from Manchester, close to our Yorkshire home, we jumped for joy!
Growth in and around Tivat airport
Since March 2016 EasyJet have been delivering a twice weekly service to Tivat from Manchester & Gatwick throughout the season.
And the figures prove it. According to Trading Economics, tourist arrivals in Montenegro reached an all time high of 194,967 in August 2018.
However, although the runway at Tivat airport was developed some years ago, the 6 check-in desks and the poor departure hall and amenities can no longer cope with the growth in demand. Let alone meet the expectation of foreign visitors. Don’t go expecting a relaxed coffee and a croissant once you are through security! I suspect development of the passenger terminal at Tivat Airport will soon be on the agenda. (Note since publishing post: Tivat airport has now built a second terminal. My prediction was correct!)
Not only has the infrastructure in and around the airport improved, but it’s also succeeded in attracting plenty of new airlines which have boosted the continuing growth of the region.
Since March 2016 EasyJet have been delivering a twice weekly service to Tivat throughout the season from Manchester and in June 2016 from Gatwick.
Where once only an airport for domestic passenger travel, Tivat airport is realising its regional importance as a gateway to international opportunity, as other global airlines operators continue to increase their presence.
The Vrmac tunnel from Tivat airport to Kotor
As you travel along the main E65 road from Tivat you can veer off left to go through 1637m Vrmac tunnel that takes you through to the Bay of Kotor.
For many years this tunnel was unfinished creating frustration for locals and visitors alike, who had to make the winding journey up the Vrmac Mountain and down the other side into the bay. The tunnel was eventually completed around 2007 (started in 1991!) and this infrastructure is again integral to the investment that Montenegro has witnessed in recent years.
There has been a notable increase in traffic particularly in the main season, and traffic islands and traffic lights have emerged to cope with the increased traffic volume – although these fairly obvious management staples have only recently been introduced.
Proceeding along the main M2 route from Tivat to Budva, the development along the flight path corridor has been significant. Like saplings turning into trees. Or rather land plots turning into warehouse spaces, shops and industry, making it an attractive location for commercial investors, realising the potential of the airport.
You can see how one improved transport connection, such as an airport, can have such an impact on an area, creating a domino effect on other aspects of the environment and economy.
As I say, it really is a geography lesson materialising before your eyes. The speed of change has accelerated in recent years, and it is this pace of change that is getting recognised by people, who previously didn’t have Montenegro on their radar.
Can’t wait to check out what’s new on my next trip.
Montenegro Girl x
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