Citizen interest Of Serbia for vacations and seasonal jobs in Montenegro it has not decreased despite occasional political conflicts, as evidenced by the data of the National Tourist Organization (NTO) of Montenegro and the number of permits issued for temporary residence and work for the purpose of seasonal employment.
During the year 2025, Montenegro was visited by more than 2,7 million tourist. They have slept more than 15,3 million times, and the citizens of Serbia are the absolute record holders - they account for 23,4 percent of overnight stays.
When it comes to only individual, that is, private accommodations, that share is even higher - 25,6 percent.
Red with shame
Safety and clean sea
Data from the NTO of Montenegro show a pronounced trend of growth and stable interest of tourists, despite economic challenges and price fluctuations in the region. As of April, the number of tourist arrivals from Serbia to Montenegro increased by nine percent, and the number of overnight stays by as much as 20 percent compared to the same period last year.
The main factor that attracts Serbian tourists is security, i.e. the fact that Montenegro is perceived as a stable destination in the light of global geopolitical turmoil.
The NTO of Montenegro also states that The European Commission for travel declared Montenegro the best-rated tourist destination in Europe in terms of reputation and visitor satisfaction, and that more than 90 percent of Montenegrin beaches received the highest water quality rating in official tests before the season itself.
Photo: Vreme/KSMontenegrin coast
There is no precise data on the number of Serbian citizens who were seasonal workers in the hospitality industry in Montenegro in 2025, but it is known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of that country issued more than 8.000 temporary residence and work permits to citizens of Serbia last year.
The total number of issued permits for all foreign workers in Montenegro is constantly growing, and from 2022 to 2025, it increased by almost 10.000, which indicates a large deficit of seasonal workers. Until the middle of June this year, according to the Montenegrin portal banker.me , the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro issued more than 11.000 permits for temporary residence and work, and the largest number of foreign workers who have such permits in Montenegro come from neighboring countries - Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Although the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić tried to take advantage of the incident with 87 citizens of Serbia who were banned from entering Montenegro in order not to muddy the waters between two states and two peoples, the public there is not too keen on those intentions, so it is not expected that it could affect the departure of people from Serbia for vacations or seasonal work in Montenegro.
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Caterer: We prefer workers from the region
Montenegrin restaurateur and director of the "Casper Summer Talks & Sound" project Marko Pavlović tells "Vreme" that he does not have exact data, but he knows from conversations with colleagues that the demand for seasonal staff in Montenegro is high and that it is completely irrelevant whether they come from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia or some other country.
"We all, of course, prefer people from the region to work in our facilities rather than from Asia or South America, but it is already noticeable that there are many of those people. Workers from Serbia are traditionally our seasonal employees, and I employ a few of them, and everything is regular, as it was before," says Pavlović.
Photo: Abenteuer AlbanienMontenegro
He does not think that the incident in Tivat will affect the arrival of tourists from Serbia or the employment of people from Serbia during the season.
"Perhaps it has a stronger political background, but as a layman I can say that I personally don't have a single friend who witnessed it, and all my friends look at that incident as stupid. I don't think it should affect the arrival of tourists from Serbia or the employment of seasonal workers," says Pavlović.
The arrival of seasonal workers from Serbia to Montenegro could be much more affected by the fact that wages for seasonal workers are still much higher in Croatia, another country that Vučić accuses of "hybrid war" against Serbia and supporting "blockade-terrorists" who would "overthrow the government", all because Croats are "jealous" of the enormous achievements of Serbia under his leadership.
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"I assume that this will be more of a reason for people from the region to leave in greater numbers to work in Croatia, even though salaries in Montenegro have become significantly closer," concludes Pavlović.
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