Korčula gets tourism boost after Pelješac Bridge opening
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Currently there are over 1.1 million tourists in Croatia, most of whom are from Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands.
As HRT reports, there has been a big jump in the number of tourists in the south of the country, especially on the island of Korčula.
“About 4,600 guests are currently in the area of Korčula town, which is about 90 percent of the figures in comparison to 2019. We have a lot of guests from Croatia, Slovenia, Great Britain, Germany, France, and the USA,” Miljana Borojević, director of the Korčula Tourist Board told HRT.
Another factor in the increased number of tourists to the island has been the recent opening of the Pelješac Bridge.
The bridge, which spans the sea channel between Komarna on the mainland and the Pelješac peninsula, opened at the end of last month and passes entirely through Croatian territory and avoids any border crossings with Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum.
“The number of local guests has increased significantly throughout the island. The fact that the journey has been shortened and made easier has resulted in better numbers, there is a lot of pressure on the ferries from Orebić to Korčula, new lines have been introduced and larger ferries have been brought in,” Borojević added.
Whilst Korčula has been popular this summer, the most visited destinations in Croatia are Rovinj, Medulin, Vir, Poreč and Umag.
“According to the eVisitor system, the statistics are very good. Almost 39,000 guests per day are currently staying in Rovinj, which is at the record level of 2019. Currently, the most guests come from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. These are our traditional guests, who mostly come by car,” said Iva Damuđa, expert associate for promotion and public relations for Rovinj.