Goodbye Maldives, hello Montenegro

POBJEDA
All over the world, the first week of June is often considered the beginning of the summer tourist season, according to Ari Mittelman, a journalist for the Times of Israel blog, who reports on Montenegro.

For many countries, tourism plays a role in a diversified economy. For some countries, tourism drives almost the entire economy.

In the case of the Maldives, it is another. Tourism accounts for almost one third of GDP and over 90% of tax revenues. For this and the next fiscal year, the island nation will certainly have less income.

This week, President Mohamed Muicu, on the recommendation of his cabinet, announced that all Israeli passport holders will be banned from traveling to the South Asian country. All existing Israeli tourists must also leave. In a country that has benefited enormously from Israeli technology and has seen its share of Islamic terrorism, it is ironic that Minister of National Security and Technology Ali Ihsan led this historic press conference.

Although it is certainly less tropical, the small European country of Montenegro has been and will remain an incredibly attractive destination for Israeli tourists, notes the author.

With a population of less than 620,000, the country had more than 2.5 million international tourists in 2019. While the recovery from the pandemic was still taking place, the figures for 2021 were 1.6 million. Approximately every tenth Montenegrin is directly employed in the tourism sector.

European tourists and those from the former Soviet Union are the majority year after year, but from 2023 Israeli visitors and their money play a disproportionate role. Thus, in 2023, due to short direct flights several times a day with El Al and IsrAir, over 220,000 Israelis visited the country.

Although significant, the relationship between Israel and Montenegro extends beyond the tourism industry. As a new member of NATO, in December 2019, Montenegro signed a security pact worth 35 million dollars. Elbit Systems, Israel's largest defense company, supplies remote-controlled weapon stations that are fully integrated with those used by other NATO allies.

In 2016, just ten years after gaining independence, Montenegro stood out throughout Europe with a brilliant display of cultural diplomacy. Two Israeli painters, one Jewish, Shirley Siegel, and one Arab, Shuruq Egbariah, were artists in residence for the month of September. In cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the leader of the Jewish-American-owned hospitality industry spearheaded this important initiative. In a region with an unfortunate recent past of ethnic divisions, this not only deepened Israeli-Montenegro relations, but also made very visible the power of art to rise above religious differences.

At the root of these trends is the intrepid multilingual Los Angeles-born rabbi Ari Edelkopf. His success in Podgorica led to the opening of another synagogue in the coastal town of Budva. This iconic Adriatic destination now features Hebrew, English, and Russian language programs for children, a welcoming five-star resort for Shomer Shabbat guests, and a full Glatt kosher restaurant and daily minyanim.

As the beaches of the Maldives expressly prohibit Israeli tourists, and other Mediterranean destinations such as Turkey and Greece pose very real security concerns, Montenegro will inevitably attract additional Israeli tourists.

Air Montenegro intended to supplement Israeli airlines this summer, but gave up. This route should absolutely be a staple in the 2025 season.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and President Jakov Milatović are younger than 40 and newly elected. They should not settle for just enough, but should focus on innovative ways to make the most of their first mandates. They should look not only to deepening diplomatic ties with Israel, but also with each of the many elements of Israeli society represented by the tens of thousands of diverse Israeli tourists.

Indeed, North American and European Jewish tourists and investment are sure to follow.

Maldives' loss could and should be Montenegro's gain.