The digital platform is making itself at home in Croatia, especially along the coast where tourism creates high demand for beds
One of the more important topics of this year's edition of OMGcommerce conference is digital business in tourism, what Airbnb and similar solutions mean to Croatian tourism and how digital channels can help in maintaining good relations with tourists, as reported by Telegram.hr on June 2, 2016.
One of the main reasons behind Airbnb’s expansion is, besides affordable accommodation rates and simple accessibility of options, that the platform offers lodging outside of tourism centres, in residential areas of destinations. This gives guests the possibility for a much more authentic experience than using generic hotels. There is of course the fact that reviews are readily available.
Numbers for four cities show that Airbnb is quite present in the Croatian market. Dubrovnik had 2,047 active units on May 24, while on May 31 the number was 2,388. Split saw a rise from 1,886 to 2,340, Zadar from 1,181 to 1,283 and Zagreb from 968 to 1,014. This shows the flexibility of the platform, adapting to demand and season.
Airbnb in Croatia is a stylized, but logical and expected digital continuance of what ‘zimmer frei’ signs were in the 1980s and 1990s. Although there was no internet, rooms and apartments were rented even back then to foreigners coming for vacation. A personalized approach is key for returning guests, which can be achieved today through digital tools, whether its hotel chains, apartments or smaller accommodation.
