MYS 19: Porto Montenegro an Eastern Superyacht Hub

Danilo, Senior PR & Marketing Manager for Porto Monetenegro, explained how the Marina is finding its niche that doesn’t compete with any other marina in the world, focusing on developing proper content which included a unique ‘Polo in the Port’ held this year with Chestertons.

A lot of work is being put in to cement Porto Montenegro as a superyacht hub in the East. “We are aiming to connect Venice to Greece,” says Danilo, “and to do the Eastern Mediterranean spin in a way that was never done before. The history of chartering in the Adriatic is not the longest in the world so we are working a lot with Italy, with Croatia a little bit and Greece to really do a lot to raise the awareness of the Adriatic as a charter destination.”

The aim is to draw in people not just from the Mediterranean but all over, and offer an exclusive experience that is available all year round. “It is an ongoing process,” explained Danilo, “it is not just about people from here, it is people coming also from Turkey, the GCC countries.” While acknowledging that Montenegro is a small country perhaps without the infrastructure of others, Danilo stressed that Porto Montenegro is about the quality offered to its guests, and being in a smaller country helps to provide the perfect escape for guests. Boka Bay is a sheltered harbour that is completely free of paparazzi, and with a 0% crime rate the town of Tivat is the perfect safe harbour for families and businesses.

Since joining Porto Montenegro in 2011, Danilo has noticed a great deal of change, including more people choosing Montenegro as a place to live, and puts this down to the country having over 200 sunny days along with benefits such as being tax friendly. “People love to come to Montenegro, not just to visit but more and more to stay and open their businesses.”

With 450 superyacht berths and 320 sold apartments, Porto Montenegro still have plans for further investment in the near future. “So far we have invested 500m euros in the project in the last ten years, and we are investing at least that much in the next 10-15 years. We have 24 hectares of land and we have built only on 6 or 7, so there is lots more to come.”