With the want and will to be recognized as the new star of tourism in the Dalmatian skies, Klis musters up a development strategy with the construction of a hotel, with an expected opening over the next few years.
Let’s take a look at the tourist numbers for Klis over the last few years: 2013 had only 200 overnights, with this year (2016) a recorded 5000 overnights so far - making a 200% increase in the number of overnight stays compared to last year.
“With only 10,000 visits and ticket sales for the Klis fortress from three years ago, in 2016, we have grown with more than 30,000 visits. All of this motivates us to work even harder and to persist in the municipality of Klis, recognized as a new star of tourism in the skies of Dalmatia,” says Tonči Glavina, Director of Business Incubator Klis.
Glavina said that the development of Klis as a tourist destination has been long-term and is hard work.
“In addition to the ancient Klis fortress, the Klis municipality 3 years ago did not have the tourism infrastructure, no tourist products, and had very few accommodation possibilities. The only tourist arrivals were daily guests for the Klis fortress, which totaled to around 10,000 a year,” states Glavina.
In the last three years, a synergistic effort between the Municipality Klis, Klis Business Incubator and the Tourist Association have built Klis into a tourist destination which already shows very promising results. With the help of Split-Dalmatia County and the Conservation Institute from EU funds, Klis has now opened more than 200 kilometers of new bike paths and the construction of the single track that runs through Klis, linking Klis from Solin and Split. The Klis Cultural Summer and Christmas advent also organized many interesting performances and events, and of course, the Klis gastronomy, most recognizable by their lamb, has been represented through a number of tours and events.
Instead of the traditional ways of promoting tourism destinations, Klis was introduced to the world largely through joint advertising, digital marketing and specialized portals in foreign languages.
“Ultimately, our goal is to develop public tourism infrastructure and monitor the development of private tourism infrastructure. This is precisely what is happening today because the municipality of Klis has over 20 accommodation facilities which are mainly attractive holiday villas, and for the following season we hope to announce the opening of a few more. The development strategy is also for the construction of a hotel in Klis, and we hope it will be open in the next few years,” concluded Glavina.
Source: Dalmacija News
