See how first ski resort in Montenegro will look like – Boka Group starts construction of luxurious condotel, suites and residential buildings coming in spring 2015

(future look of the resort)

The season of sea and beach is coming and our south neighbors, after huge announcements for the summer, are getting ready to conquer the winter season market. Montenegro will, as it seems, get the first ski resort.

Boka Group, which is building a golf complex at Tivat, started preparations for the construction of ski resort at Bjelasica. The complex, "Boka Ski Kolasin 1450", will have 5 hotels, 8 suite buildings, 45 residential chalets (French” chalet”), John Kennedy, a founder and the Executive Manager of Boka Group is revealing for eKapija.

This will be the first ski resort in Montenegro and the works, as Kennedy claims, should start soon.

- All planning and technical conditions for the resort construction were obtained. We have already entered the stage of selecting contractors and suppliers and we are ready to start construction very soon. In the first stage, we will build a condo-hotel. In the spring next week, construction of additional hotel capacities, suites and luxurious chalets will star–Kennedy says for our portal. .

After all stages are completed, a total of 60.000 square meters will be built.

(wood as the leitmotif in hotel rooms)

The land where Boka Group will build the resort is owned by the joint stock company Kolasin Ski centar 1450. Based on the agreement on cooperation, with Ski center, Boka will invest in that site. As our collocutor explains, thanks to stage construction, the work in the ski area at Bjelasica will not be interrupted.

- The construction in stages is, first of all, a model used for large projects. Apart from that, we are obliged to build capacities with the smallest possible distraction of the existing ski facilities taking into account challenges of construction at big height above sea level, in a logistics sense, not only when it comes to transport but limited season of construction as well. We will tight business cooperation with Ski center, which will provide sports facilities, cable cars and runways. However, it is not a coownership but we invest independently in the construction of hotels, retail and residential units which will in combination with sports capacities of Ski center make the first resort of this kind in Montenegro – Kennedy says for our portal.

The Boka Ski Kolasin will be built in the Alps manner, with an accent on traditional, Montenegrin design. Simple but elegant theme is featured by natural elements – wood, stone, fire and water.

- The hotel, as well as other residential units, will be located at the path, providing thus the first , ski in/ski out capacities in Montenegro. As such, it will be the first integrated ski resort in the country which will represent the significant step into the winter tourist offer. We want Bjelasica to become the center of the summer winter tourism and to create conditions to extend the season.

(John Kennedy)

Apart from the resort construction, tourist offer in the ski resort Kolasin will be developed though a new ski network, new cable cars and paths. It is a state-owned portion of investments in this field. Spa center, restaurants, bars, cafes and retail shops are planned. As we found out, the Government of Montenegro will soon release a tender for the facilities construction.

Who will be skiing at Bjelasica?

Despite the lack of accommodation capacities, apart from ski paths, the interest in the Kolasin ski center is huge. The nearest hotel is 9 kilometers far so the increase in the number of overnight stays a skiing resort should become more important, Kennedy says. He thinks that, after the complex Boka Group is building at the seaside, investing in the north of Montenegro is an excellent move.

– Development of the mountain tourism is the next logical step for the country which will, according to estimations, become the fastest growing tourist economy in the world. The construction of the new Podgorica-Kolasin highway has started; a new tunnel towards Berane will be built while new infrastructure investments such as water supplying infrastructure and increase in the length of ski paths are a part of the strategic plans in the north of Montenegro. There is a significant growing potential and Boka Group has always been stepping in the markets too early and in a way was its creator whenever there was a good chance for development and progress. We think that the potential of the mountain tourism in Montenegro has been neglected for longer period of time – Kennedy says.

With the new Podgorica-Kolasin highway, the resort will practically be at the threshold of Podgorica and thus a one-day skiing will be more accessible than it was before. Restaurants, bars and cafes awill provide capacities for the ones who do not have an overnight stay at Bjelasica after skiing, Kennedy concludes.

M.S.