Chinese tourism market in the focus of Montenegro forum

President of the Association of Economists and Managers of Montenegro Veselin Vukotic (rear) delivers a keynote speech at the Milocer Development Forum in Cetinje, Montenegro, Sept. 21, 2018. Economic experts and stakeholders in tourism across the Balkans and wider region gathered at the Milocer Development Forum on Friday in Cetinje, Montenegro to discuss the development model based on tourism, with a focus on China as the world's biggest expanding market. (Xinhua/Nemanja Cabric)

Economic experts and stakeholders in tourism across the Balkans and wider region gathered at the Milocer Development Forum on Friday in Cetinje, Montenegro to discuss the development model based on tourism, with a focus on China as the world's biggest expanding market.

The annual economic forum under the topic "Economic Development Based on Tourism -- Challenges and Threats" opened with a keynote speech of the President of the Association of Economists and Managers of Montenegro Veselin Vukotic, who called for much more attention to be paid to the tourist boom coming from China.

He said that Montenegro needs to produce human resources, especially tour guides that are experts in cultural heritage of their country, and well acquainted with the culture of the people who arrive to visit.

Participants at a panel on the Chinese market for tourism in Montenegro and the region discussed various aspects of Chinese tourism market, including ways to adapt market for Chinese tourists, and the importance of understanding Chinese culture and language.

Lin Yan, vice president of China's U-Tour group, said that the number of Chinese tourists in most countries of the region is increasing, thanks to the liberalization of visa regime. Her company brings more than 120 tour groups every year to visit the region.

She said that establishment of direct flights to regional countries would boost the interest of Chinese tourists.

Ana Marojevic with the "Fly Montenegro" company said that the increasing Chinese tourists created a shortage of human resources, especially local people who can speak Chinese language in Montenegro, and the company needed to hire people from other countries as Chinese tour guides.

To increase Montenegro's share of the number of Chinese tourist visits to the region, she said, the country needs to have more Chinese restaurants, Chinese language signs at airports and roads as well as more accessible wireless networks for tourists that hurry to post their experiences to social networks.