August 28, 2022 - The secret is out, Croatia is a beautiful country with untouched nature, delicious food, and some of the friendliest people. This kingdom of accidental tourism is still relatively new on the world vacation scene, but it is coming up quickly and aggressively. Whether that is family or active holidays, luxury escapes or hot girl summers, the demand has been incredible. The question is, can we take it? Is Croatia equipped to deal with the massive influx of vacationers? Not that it's all on us - are our guests too self-entitled to care? UNESCO heritage site rules don't seem to bother influencers.
The popularity and the fame that come with becoming known as one of the top world tourist countries come with some significant numbers. Numbers, of course, are people, and people, unfortunately, are not always very nice. TCN has been covering the tourist season 2022 extensively, and though it has not always been the best news, credit where credit's due - the institutions have been working together to implement strategies and rules to try and keep the rowdy crowds under control. Now, many problems remain, as witnessed in some of the scenes from Split, and not all strategies have immediate effect.
To enjoy and share a tourist gem such as Croatia, while managing it all in a smart way is not an easy task. Unfortunately for some, not all experiences can be exclusive, and the effort needs to go both ways (effort very loosely defined here). Let's not be oblivious to the fact that Croatia needs good marketing just as much as tired holidaymakers and excited adventurers need Croatia. After the rise of social media, influencer marketing on Instagram has become a valuable tool for destinations and tourist boards, as well as hospitality providers. The relationship between the businesses is often based on an exchange of services, with, e.g., hotels offering free luxury accommodation for marketing content on social media. The problem arises with the fact that social media influencers need to become big before they can start making a living from their influencer business. Now, since the market is already so saturated, they will often go out of their way to seem more interesting, fun, a little bit daring, whatever it takes to be noticed.
Like any sought-after market, Croatia has had its share of such encounters. More recently, we've had the pleasure of viewing and enjoying the adventures of Sabina Särkkä and Julia Toivola, the interesting friends of the Finnish PM. A few particularly lucky crew and passengers on a random Jadrolinija ferry even had access to some exclusive content. Both of them, alongside others from their group, have been publicly sharing on her Instagram all about their summer in Croatia, stay in Hvar, sailing the islands, swimming, partying, and just enjoying life. We are grateful for her enthusiasm, especially the ferry mentioned above. The question for the Croatian authorities, though, is what makes them special?
Screenshots: Sabina Sarkka and Julia Toivola Instagram stories, highlights CROATIA SAILING and Croatia sail, still active on their profiles
As Index writes, in their Instagram stories, both Sabina and Julia publicly shared videos of their group swimming in the Blue Cave in Biševo, where swimming is strictly prohibited to preserve the wildlife. The Blue Cave, a UNESCO Heritage site is famous for its unique colour which is a phenomenon that occurs around specific times of the day when the sun hits the inside of the cave in just the right way to highlight its anatomy and reflect the most beautiful blue of the Adriatic Sea. Visits to the cave are only possible with paid tickets, and don't last long due to the demand and the crowds keen to witness the beauty every day. In Sabina and Julia's videos, where the location was clearly marked, it looked like the group of friends not only enjoyed the visit in private, but also the opportunity to soak in the beauty in a way in which simple folk would not, by taking a little swim right in the middle of the Blue Cave. Whether or not they were fined for it we don't know, but in a world where the only thing we ask of you is to respect our environment to preserve it for both me and you, please, don't be like the above-mentioned influencers. It's not that hard.
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