ZAGREB, 19 April 2022 - Revenues and the number of people on the payroll of camping businesses and campsite service providers rose on the year from 2016 to 2019, however, they dropped in the pandemic 2020, show the data collected by the Croatian Financial Agency (FINA).

However, the number of businesses in this sub-sector of outdoor tourism has increased from year to year: in 2016, there were 146 camping businesses in Croatia to grow to 165 in 2017, 177 in 2018, 187 in 2019 and 197 in 2020.

They employed as many as 1,354 workers in 2019, to see a drop to 1,169 in 2020, while in 2017 there were 1,226 employees and 1,224 workers were in those businesses in 2018.

Revenues according to annual financial statements

The revenues kept rising from nearly HRK 600 million in 2016, to HRK 662.5 million in 2017 and 855 million in 2018 to reach a record high 874 million in 2019 and in the pandemic 2020 it dropped to 585 million.

Five businesses earn 50% of total revenues in this sub-sector

In 2020, in terms of the volume of revenues and the number of employees, the top performer was the Rovinj-based Valalta.

Its revenues came to HRK 192.3 million, making up 33% of  total revenues in this tourism business activity. There were 333 employees on its payroll, and their average monthly salary was HRK 6,237.

The second-ranking business was Industrial Projects from Fažana, with the revenues of HRK 30 million and 31 employees.

The Zagreb-based Proficio ranked third, with the revenues of HRK 25.6 million and 74 employees.

The remaining top five included the Zagreb-based Noa with HRK 21.4 million in revenues in 2020 and 22 employees, and the Lošinjska Plovidba, based in Mali Lošinj, with 41.4 million kuna in revenues and 52 employees.

These five businesses realised a half of the total revenues of all camping businesses in 2020.

Also, Proficio ended the year in the red and its loss was HRK 18.1 million.

In 2020, 64% of businesses registered in the camping sub-sector registered losses, and 36% wrapped up the year in the black.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020 - This year so far campsites have recorded 7.7 million nights or 51% of last year's results and although there are still tourists and many planned to stay open until October, most could close earlier due to tighter coronavirus restrictions in the main markets, according to the Croatian Camping Union (KUH).

KUH director Adriano Palman has told Hina's initial forecasts indicated that 2020 would see about 30% of last year's results. He recalls that most of them opened between May 15 and June 15 as borders were reopened.

At the moment, most of the tourists are from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Palman says "it's impossible to forecast" what the situation in September will be and that it will primarily depend on the number of coronavirus infections in all relevant countries and Croatia.

Campsites in Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and Zadar countries have recorded 82% of this year's nights, he adds.

So far, campsites in Istria have recorded 3.6 million nights or 46% of last year's figure. Campsites in Lika-Senj County have recorded 62% of last year's nights, followed by Zadar County (60%) and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (56%).

Palman says campsites in the southernmost Dubrovnik-Neretva County, although the furthest from the main markets have recorded 53% of last year's nights.

This year has seen a higher demand for mini camps, which have recorded 90% of last year's nights, although they account for only 4% of total campsite nights, he says, adding that four and five-star campsites, the most expensive ones, account for 52% of this year's nights.

This year so far, German, Slovenian and Austrian campers have generated 71% of all campsite nights. Polish and Czech tourists rank fourth and fifth, having generated 65% of last year's nights.

Palman says revenue is likely to be well below 50% of last year's figures and that campsites expect the adoption of new aid measures to avoid restructuring and retain jobs.

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