For the first time in the history of tourism in Istria, the region has seen 300.000 guests in one day – on Thursday, July 27. Since the beginning of the year, more than 13 million overnight stays have been recorded, making for a 2-million increase compared with the same period in 2016, according to data provided by the Tourist Board of Istria County.
Tourist board director Denis Ivošević stated this was a historic achievement for Istrian tourism. "Last year was a record one as well, as we've seen an increase of 1.6 million stays", commented Ivošević, adding they are only halfway through the year and the region is probably heading for an all-around record year.
German visitors generated the largest number of overnight stays – 3.9 million, making for an increase of 31% since the beginning of 2017. Compared with 2016, that makes for an additional million of stays, making up half of the total mentioned increase of 2 million. Another prevalent group are the Austrians with 200.000 more stays and Slovenians with 160.000 more stays.
"As we expected, these great figures come from the so-called secondary markets such as Poland with 31% more stays, the UK with an increase of 33%, Denmark with 17%, Sweden with 20% and Norway with 24%", said Ivošević and explained the increase had a lot to do with new flights to Croatia that were introduced recently.
TB director emphasized Istria holds a firm position as the most successful and best visited region in Croatia. "Such good results don't only stem from Istria's numerous attractions, but are also owed to efficient organisation and preparation for the season; long-term cooperation of the public and private tourist sector is another important factor. These statistics don't only represent mere counting of arrivals and stays, but are seen as a result of a well-organised tourist destination as a whole", concluded Ivošević.
Translation of excerpts from Glas Istre.
