ZAGREB, April 14, 2020 - Croatia's commercial accommodation facilities recorded increases in tourist arrivals and overnight stays in February compared with the same month last year, of 5.4% and 11.1% respectively, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS).
Industry professionals and analysts agree that positive results could hardly be expected in the coming months given the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of hotels, camps and other accommodation establishments as well as restaurants.
Figures from the e-Visitor system for March have indicated considerable declines in tourist arrivals and overnight stays, and Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli has predicted that the overall drop might be between 60% and 75% provided that the healthcare situation improves and at least some turnover is generated in the summer and early autumn.
In February, 279,000 tourists stayed in commercial accommodation facilities, up by 5.4% compared with February 2019, and they generated 610,500 overnight stays, an increase of 11.1%.
Of the total number of tourists, 170,000 were foreign visitors (+1%), while the number of domestic tourists rose by 13.15% to 106,700. Foreign tourists generated 396,000 overnight stays (+11%) and domestic tourists 215,000 (+11.3%).
Most of the foreign tourists were Slovenians, who generated nearly 20% of foreign overnight stays, followed by Austrians, Germans, Italians and visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and the United States.
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