A wonderful gem from the past, thanks to our friends at Dalmacijaland, and a look at how tourism used to be 50 years ago. The report from Slobodna Dalmacija on October 29, 1967, reports on Jelsa's hotels being sold out for the entire season before the beginning of November! Good times indeed, and statistics that would be the envy of any tourist destination in the world today. After a few rough years, Jelsa tourism is getting back on track, and the hotels are increasing their numbers year on year. With most of the main infrastructure work now done, the good times seem to be around the corner once more. But will any destination in Croatia ever reach the golden heights of yesteryear? It should be noted that capacity in Jelsa is much bigger these days, and overnight stays are over half a million, rather than the 162 thousand mentioned here.
Jelsa Hotels Sold Out for Next Season
All available hotel accommodation and a part of private accommodation in Jelsa are already sold out for the period from mid-march to end of October of next year. Thus already in March next year Jelsa will be visited by groups of Czechoslovakians, English, Germans and tourists from other European countries. Accommodation demand is so high, the local Tourism Board says, that not all will find a bed. However, the situation will be improved somewhat, as there are new hotels being built in Jelsa and Vrboska areas, while private accommodation is expanding as well.
In the nine months of this year Jelsa saw 162 thousand overnights, 70 thousand of them by foreigners. As there are three times as many foreigners visiting this year compared to last, the exchange offices of the Tourism Board and hotel have exchanged foreign currency in the value of around 150 million old dinars, while in the entire past year only 60 million dinars were exchanged. It should also be noted the tourism season in Jelsa has been extended from two and a half to an entire six months.
