A brief war in the Middle East has disrupted Montenegro’s booming Israeli tourism market, costing the Adriatic nation thousands of visitors and millions in potential revenue during the early summer season, industry officials and diplomats said this week.
Tour operators, airlines and diplomats told Vijesti that the conflict, which escalated from mid to late June, halted almost all outgoing travel from Israel to Montenegro for over three weeks. Direct flights between Israel and Montenegro’s airports in Tivat and Podgorica were suspended on June 13 after Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, triggering a retaliatory barrage of missiles and drones.
Flights resumed on July 1 after a ceasefire brokered by the United States brought a fragile pause to fighting that killed scores on both sides.
Israel was expected to send around 200,000 tourists to Montenegro this year, up from about 140,000 in 2023, according to Rinot Nimrod, Montenegro’s honorary consul in Israel. Nimrod said he remains optimistic the country could still approach that target despite the June setback.
“The closure of airspace and the security situation brought outbound tourism to a near standstill, but we expect activity to be almost fully restored by July and August,” Nimrod told Vijesti. “Israelis are resilient travellers — the impact will be limited and short-lived.”
Montenegro’s national statistics agency Monstat recorded 73,500 Israeli arrivals last year, accounting for nearly 250,000 overnight stays. Data from Montenegro Airports show that from April to October 2023, more than 112,000 passengers flew the Tel Aviv–Tivat route, with a further 18,500 using the Tel Aviv–Podgorica connection.
In the first half of this summer season alone, Tivat Airport handled about 62,000 Israeli passengers across 465 rotations on the Tel Aviv–Tivat route — an average of 30 flights per week, mainly operated by El Al, Israir and Arkia.
Airport officials said the conflict forced them to switch to evacuation and repatriation flights in June but that commercial routes fully resumed on July 1, with normal schedules expected for the rest of the peak season.
Industry experts warn that Israeli visitors have become irreplaceable for Montenegro’s tourism, especially during the pre-season and post-season months.
“Israel is a leading outbound market for us. No other country matches it in volume, frequency or traveller loyalty,” Nimrod said. “Even combined, Western European markets do not send as many tourists directly.”
He urged authorities to double down on the Israeli market rather than search for substitutes, noting that Montenegro’s main regional rivals are Serbia and Albania, both attracting increasing numbers of Israeli tourists.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Board called for crisis management mechanisms to help the sector adapt to geopolitical shocks. “Tourism is highly sensitive to external factors. We need a National Tourism Council and crisis plans that allow quick, effective responses,” the Board said in a statement.
According to the Board, the number of Israeli arrivals grew by 97% between 2019 and 2024, while overnight stays rose 157% in the same period. For the first five months of 2025, Israeli arrivals were up 112% year-on-year.
Data from Montenegro’s National Tourism Organisation show Israeli tourists spent an average of €167 per day last year, generating more than €41 million in revenue.
Despite June’s setback, Nimrod said bookings were already rebounding and that Israelis still see Montenegro as a safe, accessible destination with reliable tourism services.
“Experience shows the Israeli market recovers quickly after regional conflicts,” Nimrod said. “Within days of ceasefires, flights from Ben Gurion Airport resume normal pace. We expect the same now.”