Croatia Records 1 Million Tourist Overnights from UK in 2017

Vis (Photo credit: Zoran Jelača / Source: CNTB)

According to the latest data from eVisitor, Croatia saw 190,479 arrivals and 885,166 overnight stays since January. Compared to the same period last year, the number of arrivals has increased by 36.74 % and the number of overnight stays by 37.14 %.

(June 19, 2017 – London, UK) British visitors in Croatia peaked this year according to eVisitor system that records tourist traffic made in commercial and non-commercial facilities and nautical charter (eCrew). June solely marks 28.94 % rise in arrivals and 30.74 % in overnight stays indicating that British visitors’ figures witness an all-time high.

From January to the 15th June, most overnight stays were made in Dubrovnik-Neretva County (369,419), Split-Dalmatia County (212,158), Istria (178,601) and Zadar (42,478). It is followed by Zagreb (29,159) the most visited on the continent, Primorsko-Goranska (22,576), Sibenik-Knin (18,824), and Lika-Senj County (5,302). June attracted the greatest number of British overnights to Dubrovnik-Neretva (122,866) and Split-Dalmatia (81,654). Istria closely followed (67,123), and witnessed 37,60 % increase in comparison to the same period last year.

Split

Most of the British overnight stays since January, were made in hotels (565,827), private accommodation (178,842), other catering facilities (57,322) and camps (33,760), while more than 42,795 overnight stays were made in nautical charters. According to the first week of June, the most visitors preferred hotels (183,832), but the camps have the biggest rise in popularity amounting to 57.91 % compared to the same time last year.

Dubrovnik

A big contribution to the results so far is the increase in the number of flights that now link Croatian destinations with many metropolises throughout the UK. Ivona Grgan, Director of the UK Croatia National Tourist Office explains: “Total of 20 new flights to Croatia from various major UK airports, including new BA flights from Heathrow airport to Pula and new Monarch fights connecting Gatwick and Manchester with Zagreb, will certainly make a positive impact on already record numbers of visitors from the UK. Having said that, there’s no doubt Croatia is becoming more attractive to the British visitors every year, and is reinventing itself as the all-year-round destination. Zagreb, recently winning the title of Lonely Planet’s Best Destination in Europe in 2017 proves we are no longer talking about the tourist season, but about the tourist year. This is topped with Croatia becoming the first world’s destination that offers UberBoat for island-hoppers, which confirms the country is becoming a tourism game-changer and a growing favourite among the British tourists.”