Dubrovnik restaurateurs notice changes in tourist habits

Dubrovnik

The southernmost Croatian municipality, Konavle, has become a popular attraction for tourists. Since the start of the year, there has been a more than 10% increase in visitors, and with excellent forecasts for the post-season, the year is expected to close with a 14% rise in arrivals.

However, an increase in the number of arrivals and overnight stays does not automatically translate into higher profits, as restaurateurs are observing changes in visitor habits, according to HRT.

Supetar, also known as San Pietro, is entering its second full tourist season.

This small island near Cavtat has become a true Konavle attraction, offering a dream holiday experience.

“From the lounge bar, you can move to the restaurant, where we offer fine dining options. For guests wishing to spend the entire day on the island, we offer private cabins and canopied beds,” says Dario Vitez, the restaurant manager.

Tourism in Konavle is showing promising results, with growth exceeding 10% since the beginning of the year, and a particularly strong post-season is anticipated.

“At this point in the main season, our visitors are families with children and the middle-aged; in spring and autumn, we also see older visitors. Thus, Cavtat and Konavle are not destinations for the young or for parties,” notes Frano Herendija, Director of the Konavle Tourist Board.

The Airport Breaks Records

Naturally, much in the south of Croatia revolves around the airport, which is breaking all records this year, HRT said.

“Since the start of the year, we have achieved a 22% increase in passengers, which is significant compared to last year and the overall growth of tourism in the region. We are particularly pleased with the post-season, as well as forecasts for the post-season, where we expect a growth of around 30% compared to last year,” highlights Josip Paljetak, Director of Ground Services at Ruđer Bošković Airport.

Dubrovnik

Changes Among Visitors

Nevertheless, the increase in numbers does not necessarily mean significantly higher earnings. Restaurateurs are noticing changes in visitor behaviour.

“This year, of course, there is some change, a shift in our visitors. We have a lot of Ryanair and low-budget airlines bringing tourists, but we are open to all types of guests, so we don’t have any problems,” says Vitez.

The positive forecasts for autumn are especially encouraging, which, if realised, should result in a better season than the record-breaking one in 2019.

The Situation in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is experiencing a similar situation to Konavle. So far this year, Dubrovnik has recorded a 13% increase in tourist traffic, thanks mainly to a very successful pre-season. The peak season has seen a smaller increase of around 4%.

In the main news bulletin of HTV, Đani Banovac from the Dubrovnik Guild for Hospitality and Tourism spoke about the outlook for this year’s season.

“We are very satisfied. I think the tourist season in Dubrovnik lasts about 250 days, and we are in the middle of the year. The extreme seasonality we experienced before, which was tied to the sun and sea, is no longer happening.

Now we have tourism from March probably until the end of the year, which is the kind of continuous tourism we are striving for. Of course, this is something to which we all have to adapt, from restaurateurs and tourism workers to the local residents.

But this is something that will bring benefits to us all.

Adaptations are needed, they are happening, and what we are experiencing now will only extend in the coming years. There are certain problems for people who did not plan for this, but I think it is better to have the kind of steady growth we are seeing now than fluctuations that only bring problems,” Banovac explained.

“We Are Changing, Our Visitors Are Changing”

Banovac also spoke about changes in visitor habits.

“We are changing, and our visitors are changing, which is perfectly normal. We have to be honest that people with higher purchasing power are starting to avoid the peak season when it is too hot and are coming in the pre-season and post-season, where we have seen better results.

Every guest is welcome, and we must offer them an experience; we are here for them, not the other way around,” Banovac emphasised.

(Photo credit: Andrew Buchanan/Unsplash)

He also addressed whether Dubrovnik has the workforce capacity to handle the dispersion of visitors in the pre-season and post-season.

“Dubrovnik will handle it; Dubrovnik has the strength, knowledge, and experience to be a champion. I believe it will be again this year. We are not playing with tourism; we live from tourism; we have no alternative.

Therefore, I think we are on the right track, and we need to put in even more effort because we have no alternatives. We must aim for sustainability, normality, and creativity, creating an experience and creation for us all,” Banovac explained.