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The BEST STAY platform, in cooperation with the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro and the Avala Resort & Villas hotel, is organising the BEST STAY Regional Hospitality Forum – Montenegro Edition, which will take place on 23 September 2026 in Budva.
The first Montenegrin edition of the BEST STAY forum addresses a question that will increasingly shape the hotel and tourism sector in the coming years: what Montenegro’s accession to the European Union specifically means for tourism, hotels, investments, regulation, workforce and the competitiveness of the destination.
The forum is intended for hoteliers, tourism leaders, institutional representatives, investors and companies working with the hospitality sector. The programme brings together a selected group of participants with the aim of having a concrete discussion on preparing Montenegrin tourism for a new European business phase.
The keynote international speaker is Dr Ian Yeoman, Professor of Disruptive Innovation and New Phenomena in Hospitality and Tourism at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. In Budva, he will speak about trends changing tourism, new guest expectations and possible development scenarios for Montenegro as a destination.
The programme includes panels, case study presentations and working roundtables on topics directly affecting hotel operations: EU readiness, financing and investments, digital infrastructure, ESG and operational savings, direct sales, integration of foreign workers, Croatia’s post-EU accession experience and the development of new tourism products, including longevity tourism.
A special emphasis will be placed on the Croatian experience following its entry into the European Union. The goal is to initiate a conversation on what helped in Croatian tourism, where challenges arose and what Montenegro could prepare in time.
Nikola Kasalo, CEO of Beppler & Jacobson Montenegro, on behalf of Avala Resort & Villas, highlights the importance of Budva as the host of this regional hospitality gathering: “Budva plays an important role in the tourism identity of Montenegro, and it is a natural venue for discussions about the future of the sector. Avala Resort & Villas supports initiatives that bring together relevant people, open serious topics and contribute to better connections between the hotel industry, institutions and partners.”
Martina Lucić Čanak, owner and director of the BEST STAY platform, points out that Montenegro is entering a new development phase not only with great potential, but also with concrete business questions: “It is no longer enough to say that a destination has potential. The key is to understand what that potential means in practice: who develops it, who finances it, who sells it and in what way, and how long-term value is created from it. BEST STAY is coming to Montenegro precisely to open such a dialogue with the decision-makers who will shape the next phase of the hospitality market.”
Part of the programme will be structured through roundtables, aiming to allow participants to actively take part in defining key issues, opportunities and recommendations for the further development of the sector.
Participation for professionals working directly in hotels is free of charge, subject to mandatory registration and confirmation by the organiser.
Registration and event details are available at beststayevent.com/montenegro-edition, and the event program is accessible via the link: program.
