For most people, travelling begins with choosing a destination, transport, and accommodation. For persons with disabilities, it begins with the question of whether it is possible at all. In a country where tourism is one of the key sectors of the economy, accessibility should not be a personal concern of an individual or a family. These issues concern the quality of the tourism offer, equal opportunities, and society’s attitude towards people who are often excluded from the planning of spaces, services, and facilities.
This approach represents the boundary that, as a society, we place between inclusion and exclusion. Out of the need to shift that boundary in favour of the dignity of every individual, the Accessibility Tour of Montenegro (ATOM) was created, the first travel agency in Montenegro in which persons with disabilities are not only service users but also creators and providers of services.
The agency was established by the NGO Equivalent, with financial support from the European Union and co-financing from the Government of Montenegro, in partnership with the organizations Jadran Herceg Novi and the Organization of the Blind for Bar and Ulcinj.
“Through this project, we have shown that persons with disabilities do not have to be only users of tourism services, but can also be their creators and providers,” says Svetlana Cicvarić from the NGO Equivalent.
According to her, it is particularly significant that the agency continued operating after the project activities had ended, confirming the sustainability of the achieved results.
Through the agency, practical solutions have also been developed to facilitate the planning and use of tourism services: an adapted van equipped with a ramp for wheelchair users, a digital QR map of accessible tourist and hospitality facilities, virtual 360-degree tours, and tactile 3D models that enable persons with visual impairments to experience cultural and natural landmarks through touch.
Cicvarić points out that organising travel for persons with disabilities requires more time, planning, and resources than standard travel arrangements. Each client has different needs, and barriers often have to be addressed in advance. Therefore, she stresses, it is important to systematically recognise and support the work of specialised agencies that develop this type of service.
The results of a survey conducted during 2025 show an 8.9 per cent increase in the number of tourists with disabilities compared to the previous season, a decrease in the perception of discrimination in the tourism sector, and greater satisfaction with employment opportunities in this field. At the same time, the number of employed persons with disabilities in the tourism sector increased from two in 2024 to thirteen during 2025.
During the implementation itself, through media appearances, participation in professional events, the development of partnerships, and the daily promotion of accessible tourism, the project contributed to raising awareness of the potential of persons with disabilities, as well as the importance of creating a tourism offer that is accessible to everyone.
One of the employees says that participating in the Accessibility Tour of Montenegro brought him much more than employment. He had the opportunity to visit different locations, assess their accessibility, and participate in designing travel packages tailored to users’ needs.
“As a person with a disability, it meant a great deal to me that I was able to use my personal experience to contribute to creating services that meet users’ needs. It gave me the feeling that my work has tangible value and contributes to the greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in tourism,” says Dragan Tepavčević, one of the employees.
He emphasises that accessible tourism does not mean only accessible accommodation. People want to travel, explore new places, spend time with family and friends, go on excursions, visit beaches, and experience cultural and natural sites. Therefore, he says, it is important to develop accessible tourism not only along the coast but also in the central and northern regions of Montenegro.
Amra Demirović from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue points out that persons with disabilities are among the most vulnerable categories of the population and face significant barriers to employment. For this reason, they were specifically recognised as a target group under the grant scheme “Support to Employment, Social Inclusion and Social Entrepreneurship.”
Demirović considers the employment of six persons with disabilities to be a major success, particularly in view of the employees’ satisfaction with the jobs they were offered. According to her, employing persons with disabilities has multiple benefits: it enables employers to receive certain subsidies while at the same time reducing expenditure on social welfare benefits.
“This project is an excellent example of how grant funding can be used to achieve broader social objectives and results that remain sustainable even after the implementation period of the grant agreement has ended,” says Demirović.
According to her, this example brings together the reduction of unemployment, the inclusion of vulnerable population groups, and the expansion of the tourism offer as one of the country’s most important economic sectors. It is also significant at a time when the concept of the social economy is being introduced systematically in Montenegro for the first time, through the announced preparation of the Law on Social Entrepreneurship and the Strategy for the Development of the Social Economy.
Accessible tourism cannot depend solely on the goodwill of individuals. It requires systematic support, cooperation among institutions, the tourism sector, and organisations of persons with disabilities, as well as a clear commitment to making accessibility an integral part of serious planning.
ATOM is a modest but concrete beginning: creating jobs, acquiring an adapted vehicle, providing accurate information, and developing services based on the real needs of users. With the support of the European Union, ATOM has become an example of how tourism can become more inclusive and how the work of persons with disabilities can become more visible and more highly valued.