I've just posted an article on the Camp Full Monte blog http://full-monte.me/blog/clothing-optional-holiday-choice/ suggesting that there's never been more choice for the naturist/nudist/clothing optional holidaymaker but asking if supply now outstrips demand. Your views?
14 thoughts on “More choice than ever?”
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I stayed at CFM last September and had been a bit doubtful about the "optional" bit but in fact most guests went nude most of the time and a couple who did not kept themselves to themselves. One wonders why they went there at all but there you are. It was certainly not a case of clothed people goggling at the minority of naked people. Steve and Denise set an example by going naked all the time and their belief that this policy enables a non-naturist partner to get familiar with the idea and going naked herself (usually) when comfortable with the idea seems to be justified (tan lines are such a giveaway!). The comments in the guest book support that belief and some guests were so grateful at the gentle and life-changing introduction to naturism that this offered.
While we all I am sure would like everybody to be naked the Nudity Gestapo patrolling some clubs surely deter the waverers and give an impression of intolerance which is not the way it is.
Steve and Denise: Having travelled some in E.Europe, it is a beautiful area and I would love to visit some day. I do appreciate your blog detailing your reasons for changing policy. I only wonder if a bit of advertising in the right media might help fill your availability, and perhaps even pay for the advertising also. Don't know if you might grt some financial assistance ftom the state tourism dept for promoting Montenegro tourism. Best wishes to you!
It's true that all our marketing efforts are channeled through the internet. The main reason being this is largely free. The profit margins are so slim for a campsite of our size (only 20-30 pitches) that we simply do not have the budget for paid marketing through other channels. As for seeking State assistance, this can be counter productive. Doing business in Montenegro is extremely difficult. With a population of less than 700,000 people, nepotism is rife in Montenegro politics & business. Our status as immigrants is also a huge disadvantage. We are assumed to have limitless wealth and everyone wants a slice of it. If they don't get it then there are numerous ways in which envious individuals can make life difficult or even close you down completely. We've already been "inspected" a number of times and suffered punative fines. On the plus side, we are probably not "big" enough to attract the attention of the organised crime leaders that are also allegedly rife in Montenegro. We've seen no evidence of this in the 10 years we've been here. Luckily this backdrop to running a business in Montenegro is transparent to the visitor. In our opinion the natural beauty, history, culture, heritage and the warmth of it's ordinary citizens is possibly the best in the entire region and outshines it's neighbor, Croatia. So we take the rough with the smooth and try not to be too visible at the local and national governmental level.
Can sympathize with everything you say. Business is business and you have to deal with the realities as they are, whether economic, regulatory, weather, etc. I hope that your decisions pay off and wish you all the best in finding the best operating plan.
I don't go to "nudist" resorts. I have no idea if there are more or fewer, if there are more people who take vacations at such places or fewer. But then I generally don't go to vacatoin at any kind of "destination" resorts. If Disney had to depend on people like me the theme parks would have folded years ago. Big lines. Crowds. High prices. Few chairs. Not my cup of tea.
I do like going to places where I can go naked on the beach, in the woods, or at the conventional Best Western Hotel swimming pool if I need to be overnight in town. Not because its a "nudist" place but because they aren't aggressively anti-body.
I suppose my attitude makes for fewer people flocking to "nudist" resorts. Some places are more up-tight, and some are less. It depends. I suppose overall the "nudist" resorts have to compete. Maybe a relaxed clothing optional rule would be easier to attract on non-nudist customers.
Yes Bob, We are avid supporters of a clothing optional approach as a way of making people more comfortable with being naked. In a survey of past guests we conducted last year we discovered almost 60% of our guests were experiencing social nudity for the first time. Of those a) only a third chose to remain clothed for the duration of their stay and b) over 80% said they would be likely or very likely to visit a clothing optional resort again. In our view this vindicates our clothing optional policy. Knowing that the environment we have created allows people to discover the pleasure of outdoor and social nudity is possibly the most rewarding part of our job. The fact remains that there are not enough people visiting Montenegro who are willing to try it.
It is a bit of a shame that you must limit the clothing optional at you resort to only 6 weeks a year. I for one, only stay in nudist resorts as I travel, summer and winter. I hope you have success with this change.