Management Framework for Sustainable Nautical Destination Development: The Case of Montenegro

Abstract

This paper examined ten main components of a nautical destination and the level of satisfaction with them by the nautical tourists visiting Montenegro. The goal is to propose the strategic management directions for sustainable development of Montenegro as an attractive, new Adriatic and Mediterranean nautical destination. A sample of 609 nautical tourists was examined on different dimensions of Montenegro as a destination; their obtained responses used exploratory factor analysis. All categories of respondents expressed the greatest level of satisfaction with the natural beauties of Montenegro, while being least satisfied with the nature protection. Given that strategic decision-makers are still in the process of considering the options for the development of the researched destination, and that foreign investors have recognised its attractiveness, this paper aims to offer to all stakeholders—the central government, local self-governments, investors, managers and tourism organisations—a framework for sustainable nautical destination management. The survey focuses on satisfaction defined quite broadly, since the aim is to gain an insight into crucial elements threatening the destination’s sustainability to be able, in the next steps, to examine the specificities of the problems detected. An added value is the applicability to similar nautical destinations, which very much like Montenegro, invest considerable efforts in boosting the development of this segment of tourism supply.

The Impact of Marketing Information on the Decisions of Nautical Tourists Visiting Eastern Adriatic Regio

“…In that regard, it can be concluded that the study additionally confirms the previous findings that Montenegro lacks the strategic documents that would define the direction of the development of nautical tourism at a destination level [29]. The results obtained could, therefore, be used for the preparation of strategic documentation related to marketing communication.…”

The Daily Sailing Tours Clients Experience Assessment—The Case of the “Elaphite Islands of Dubrovnik”, Croatia

“…Although nautical tourism contributes to the integration with other activities such as day trips, events, sports, and the like [13], unfortunately, it also contributes to pollution of the ecosystem [10] (p. 72). Destinations of nautical tourism are faced with the challenge of providing the adequate level of service quality, which involves different factors such as marina-based services, hospitality offers, natural and cultural attraction, and other facilities, [14] (p. 5), and initiating the sustainable nautical tourism destination development [14]. This type of tourism includes yachting and cruising [15].…”

Sustainable activities in Croatian marinas – towards the “green port” concept

“…Compared to the practice of sustainable marinas in neighboring countries in the Adriatic region, Croatia has the advantage of having a clearly defined legal framework and strategies. Montenegro, for example, has made considerable progress in developing its marina business since 2006, but still does not have a defined strategy for developing nautical tourism [16]. Research conducted in Montenegro has shown that nautical tourists with higher purchasing power are the least satisfied with the management of Montenegrin natural resources, while tourists with lower incomes miss recreational facilities in marinas the most.…”

“…Managers of nautical destinations should be par-ticularly aware of the fact that as the frequency of visits increases, satisfaction with some aspects of the nautical offer decreases. Therefore, it should be considered that a stronger application of the "green port" concept can be a marketing tool for attracting and retaining tourists, and thus a better long-term positioning of Adriatic marinas in the dynamic tourist market [16].…”