Madonna, Glamour and Politics: Nation Branding and Pop Concerts in the Promotion of Montenegro as an Elite Tourist Destination

Abstract

Tourism is a strategically important industry for Montenegro, which especially since the restoration of its statehood in 2006, is utilized by the governing structures to enhance the country's economy and symbolic representation. Tourism also serves as a vehicle to depart from the socialist past, as a significant effort and money are invested in rebranding Montenegro as a Mediterranean tourist destination offering natural beauty, coastal folklore and “spectacular” entertainment and pop culture events. This article focuses on music events contributing to the development of “pop/rock tourism”. In the past few years, Montenegro has staged performances by some of today's biggest music stars and thus tries to boost Montenegro's image as an attractive and, above all, exclusive tourist destination in the Mediterranean. Their organization has been supported by the current political and economic elite with an aim to produce a prominent commercial effect but also to refurbish the state image on the international tourist market.

Keywords:

• Pop/Rock Tourism
• (Glamour)ization
• Branding
• Image
• Montenegro

Notes

This statement was made by the director of TO Budva at a press conference held in Budva prior to the concert, 25 September 2008.

For example, the daily newspaper Vijesti mentioned the number of guests as amounting to 50,000, Dan reported the figure as 60,000, whereas Pobjeda issued the figure of 70,000 guests.

Statement given by S. Radović, director of the National Tourist Organization, at a press conference held at Hotel Avala in Budva on the day of the concert. On same occasion, he proclaimed, on behalf of his organization, that “Montenegro, in order to be a prestigious tourist destination, must host world-famous stars, but must not make compromises, but host only the greatest ones”.

The same critical comment included a comparison to the remuneration that the Supreme Court of Montenegro awarded to the Bosniak-Muslim victims of deportations of the early 1990s. One hundred and ninety-six surviving victims or family members were awarded the total amount of only €4 million, which was only half the amount of Madonna's fee (see http://www.monitor.cg.yu/ARHIVA/a_948%2520(8).html).

Similarly, political discourses followed the Rolling Stones' concert. An expression current in the 1990s, which had been a powerful emotional-political slogan of the liberal anti-war movement, was used in a humorous way. The original form of the slogan was “A fairy cries from Lovcen: forgive us, Dubrovnik”. This was recast “in honour” of the Rolling Stones: “A fairy cries from Lovcen: welcome, Jagger Mick”.