Split The Big Tourism Winner This Year

One of the real winners so far this tourist season in Croatia has been the Dalmatian city of Split, and the Split Tourist Board say that the record-breaking results are no fluke.

In July there were 66,957 registered tourists in Split, up 20% from the same period last year, the largest growth for any region in the country, says the tourist board. On top of the registered visitors, there are also thousands of tourists passing through the popular port city daily or on a day trip.

“Tourism in Split has not happened just by chance. Split’s tourism development strategy for the period from 2005 to 2015 was created, after a contest, by the company URBOS. Today we are bearing the fruits of this plan and the long-term branding of the city. Do not forget that last year Split was declared the champion of tourism in Croatia,” Split Tourist Board’s Vedran Matošić told daily Slobodna Dalmacija, before adding that next year they will invite tenders to create the new tourism development strategy for the period 2015 to 2020.

The Brits have been the cities biggest visitors in July, followed by Americans, Australians, Germans and French. Matošić also says that currently there are 2100 hotel beds in the city, and the plan is to increase that number to 5,000, whilst there are 5,400 beds in private accommodation in Split.