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.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 23, 2021 - The Biševo Blue Cave boom was anything but expected this summer, with skippers refusing over 15 inquiries from guests per day!

Tourists on Hvar have gone crazy for the Blue Cave, which has been experiencing a tourist boom in recent weeks. And when they find out that everything is reserved that day or even a few days in advance, they do not hesitate to throw an immoral amount of money at skippers in the hope they'll be able to experience this natural wonder, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Unfortunately, reservation lists on all excursion speedboats are full days, and some even weeks, in advance.

"And what can I tell you? It is not craziness but madness. Everyone wants to see the cave. Some booked a spot a few weeks before their arrival. They prepared better. There are no boats, no spots; there are so many reservations that you have to wait for days to go. Nobody expected this kind of madness, this surpassed everything, this is more than anything," says Antonija Maljković, a skipper from Hvar who has taken guests for years to tour Komiža, Biševo, and the Blue Cave.

She says that people know how to beg and admits that they offer generous amounts of money to find a seat on the boat - but the law is clear. There can be exactly 12 guests and two crew members in the speedboat, which is why she has to leave many behind on the shore. This summer, everything is up and running at full speed. 

"I have to refuse ten, 15, or more inquiries a day. It's not just like that with me. And you know how many of them came to Hvar and did not manage to board? There is also madness in front of Biševo; already around 8 am, 9 am, the invasion of fast boats from Split, Omiš, Trogir, Makarska, Hvar, Bol, Vis, and Komiža begins. And where are the sailors? Everyone is heading south; everyone is running to find a place in line to not wait for hours. And it is known that at the entrance, considering how many people there are, they wait for four or more hours," Antonija added.

Guests come from all over Europe, and there are many French, British, American, and English tourists. Crowds die down only in the afternoon, after 4 pm. 

"To see that morning scene on the high seas. The speedboats are just rushing there. It's like watching an invasion in which everyone would like to come first," Antonija said, remembering just how poor the season was last year. 

Great interest in visiting the Blue Cave is confirmed by the Nautical Center Komiža, an authorized concessionaire for receiving visitors and conducting visits to the protected natural monument, the Blue Cave in Mezoporat Bay on Biševo Island. Visitors must board one of the boats operated by the center's experienced sailors to enter the cave.

"This year, we are really recording great interest of visitors compared to last year's pandemic year. By July 31 this year, we had achieved 58.45 percent compared to the record tourist year in 2019 and 136 percent compared to last year. Given the overall situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, our expectations of interest and attendance at the Blue Cave for this year were 30 percent higher than the results achieved in 2020. Therefore, we believe that the effects of attendance in July and August are a pleasant surprise for all entities related to tourism activities along the Adriatic," concludes Brigita Fiamengo, director of the Nautical Center Komiža.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 30, 2018 - Dalmatian island hopping just got easier, with the launch of a new weekly high-speed catamaran service connecting the islands of Brac and Vis to Split each Thursday. Will you be on the first trip tomorrow?

A promising initiative for Vis island and its natural treasures 

Could there be a better advert for the stunning Adriatic coast of Croatia?