Tourism regulatory inspections in Montenegro and Croatia

During the 2026 summer tourist season, regulatory inspections in Montenegro and Croatia resulted in millions of euros in fines for various violations. In Croatia, the State Inspectorate issued 1,558 misdemeanor orders totaling 2.4 million euros following over 20,000 inspections, citing issues such as inadequate catering equipment, food safety failures, and labor violations.

In Montenegro, the Ministry of Health reported that sanitary inspections issued over 1 million euros in fines during a two-month period, identifying 1,727 irregularities. This figure represents an increase from the 899,300 euros fined during the same period in 2025, despite a reduction in staff. Additionally, Montenegrin ecological inspections reported significant activity regarding waste management, issuing 25 fines totaling 27,500 euros through the first eight months of 2026.

Updated reports indicate a broader scale of enforcement. In Montenegro, Minister Milutin Butorović reported that intensified inspections resulted in 7.92 million euros in fines across nearly 15,000 reviews. Sanitary inspections, led by Dejan Šaković, identified irregularities in 1,727 establishments, issuing over 1.05 million euros in fines. Common issues included inadequate water analysis and a lack of employee sanitary booklets, particularly in temporary hospitality facilities.

In Croatia, the Tax Administration reported a sharp rise in enforcement. Director Božidar Kutleša stated that 7,227 inspections were carried out, resulting in over 6.3 million euros in fines. Notably, the number of work bans increased by nearly 900 percent compared to the previous year, with 448 establishments temporarily closed. These measures primarily targeted repeat offenders failing to issue receipts or mismanaging cash flows.