Croatia enjoys record year for tourism

Trogir

ZAGREB, 16 January 2020 – According to the data from the eVisitor system, which shows the generated tourist traffic in commercial and non-commercial facilities and nautical charters (eCrew system), Croatia registered 20.7 million arrivals in 2019 (+ 5 percent) and 108.6 million overnight stays (+ 2 percent), of which foreign tourists accounted for 18.3 million arrivals (+ 4 percent) and 94.8 million overnight stays (+ 2 percent), while there was also a 9 percent increase in arrivals and an 8 percent increase in overnight stays among domestic tourists, the Croatian Tourist Board reported.

“Another record tourist year in terms of arrivals and overnight stays is behind us, but what is even more important is that we have registered an increase in tourist revenue and an increase in tourist spending. According to preliminary research results carried out by TOMAS Croatia 2019, the average daily tourist spending has increased by 20 percent compared to 2017 and it amounts to 97 euros per day. This reflects the continuous increase in quality of the tourist offer, investments in accommodation capacities, and new travel motivations. This year is sort of a turning point in terms of the start of the implementation of new tourism laws, the end of the current Tourism Development Strategy, and the start of the development of a new Strategy which will be centred around sustainable and responsible tourism based on quality and greater added value, while focusing on linking tourism with other accompanying activities through various selective forms of tourism. We will also advocate sustainability and responsibility in the management of the tourism sector as part of Croatia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and for a better visibility in distant markets, we will put forward a proposal for the creation of a European tourism brand for the joint promotion of Member States”, said the Minister of Tourism, Gari Cappelli.

“In order to promote Croatian tourism during 2020, we will carry out four major promotional campaigns aimed at further strengthening the national tourist brand, as well as promoting the tourist offer in the pre and post season periods. We will also focus on the promotion of special products such as nautical or business tourism, and we are preparing a special campaign aimed at promoting tourism on the domestic market, which will focus on stimulating domestic tourist traffic. Throughout 2020, in cooperation with our representative offices, we will present the Croatian tourism at more than 40 fairs around the world, as well as in more than 100 special presentations and workshops which we will organise in key markets”, said the CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić, adding that numerous international events, such as the European Football Championship, the Tokyo Olympics, Rijeka ECoC or the Dubai EXPO, will be utilized to further promote Croatia.

In 2019, most overnight stays were registered in Istria (28.7 million), in the Split-Dalmatia County 20.5 million overnight stays were registered, while the Kvarner region registered 19.3 million overnight stays. They are followed by the Zadar County with 15.1 million overnight stays, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County with 9.2 million overnight stays, and the Šibenik-Knin County with 7.3 million overnight stays. The Lika-Senj County registered 3.4 million overnight stays, while 2.7 million overnight stays were registered in Zagreb. In continental Croatia, not including Zagreb, 1.2 million arrivals (+ 7 percent) and 2.4 million overnight stays (+ 7 percent) were registered, and by counties, the highest number of overnight stays were recorded in the Karlovac (638,000), Krapina-Zagorje (373,000), Osijek-Baranja (234,000), Zagreb (230,000) and Međimurje counties (201,000).

At the national level, most overnight stays were recorded from the markets of Germany (21.2 million), Slovenia (10.9 million), Austria (7.8 million), Poland (6.1 million) and Italy (5.5 million), and according to the type of accommodation, the highest number of overnight stays was recorded in household facilities (39.3 million), hotels (25.8 million) and camping sites (18.8 million). Going by the number of overnight stays, the top destinations in 2019 were Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Poreč, Split and Medulin.

(Photo: HTZ)

In addition to presence at fairs and special presentations, as well as the implementation of promotional campaigns and activities linked with major international events, Croatian tourism will also be promoted through the cooperation of the Croatian National Tourist Board with Google in 2020, among others, as well as through the cooperation with world-renowned travel platforms such as Expedia, Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor, and media such as National Geographic, eDreams, Skyscanner, etc. Among the key projects and activities which will also mark the year 2020 are the Croatian Digital Tourism project, the development of a new Strategic Marketing Plan of Croatian Tourism, and the processes of adaptation of the tourism sector to the new legal framework that came into effect earlier this year will also be of great importance.