March the 29th, 2021 - Easter might be rapidly approaching, but this means very little for the country as the coronavirus pandemic and all of the various travel restrictions rage on. Croatian coastal tourism usually begins waking up with the arrival of Easter, but this year will be different as a result of the current unfavourable global situation.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, here in Croatia, the Easter holidays usually mark the beginning of a more intense arrival of guests, particularly along the Adriatic coast. However, due to the continuing pandemic, this year, for the second time in a row, this won't be the case. Hotels up and down the coast have a few reservations to boast of, but nothing in comparison to what they're used at this time of year, and most tourist workers are preparing anxiously for yet another uncertain and unstable tourist season.
Scenes from April 2019 for tourist workers now seem like a strange and very distant dreamlike memory, despite the fact that this year there are more tourists in the Zadar area than there were last year, when we were in a complete "lockdown". Most of these people are, however, Croatian tourists from other parts of the country. Due to the unfortunate epidemiological situation, the expectations for Easter in terms of Croatian coastal tourism are also quite poor.
"We're also afraid that what we have reserved at the minute will just end up being cancelled. Entries to Croatia have been simplified with these rapid coronavirus tests, but unfortunately for people returning home to neighbouring countries, things continue to be complicated,'' said Tomislav Fain, president of the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies.
Owing to the problems surrounding travel and lockdowns still reigning strong in many European countries, particularly in the UK, the expectations are that only Croatian residents travelling around the country are to be expected. Frane Skoblar from Turisthotel believes that Croatian hostels throughout this pandemic crisis have drawn the short straw due to their connection to air traffic, which has been unreliable and costly.
The short straw was also drawn by private accommodation owners/renters who have almost no reservations to speak of. On the other hand, hotels and large resorts claim that they're more or less satisfied with reservations for the upcoming Easter holidays.
"We're mainly focused on the Croatian market, and some guests from Austria and Slovenia are also coming," said Goran Sremec from Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera.
Guests feel safe in the camps as well. Misela Lastric (Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences Borik) says that they expect increased interest from local guests and that the bookings are looking very good for now, adding that they're currently at more than half capacity.
The ongoing pandemic has completely changed the tourist picture all over the world, with Croatian coastal tourism taking a very, very heavy blow.
"There will certainly be no Slovenes coming here at this moment in time. On the days of Corpus Christi, which come after that, the Germans traditionally come, and you know yourselves what sort of situation they've found themselves in,'' said Mario Paleka, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Zadar.
All tourist workers expect the first large number of tourists to arrive only in June, reports HRT, and that still depends entirely on the epidemiological situation not only in Croatia but in the country's emitting markets, as well as the rate of vaccination.
For current coronavirus information specific to Croatia, including border and travel rules, as well as testing centres across the country, bookmark this page.
