ZAGREB, August 12, 2019 - This summer Croatia got two new campsites in the interior of the country: one within the Terme Tuhelj spa and the other at Vrhovine in the mountainous region of Lika – which increased the number of inland campsites to about 30.

The director of the National Association of Camps (KUH), Adriano Palman, has told Hina that the number of inland camping facilities has risen twofold over the past 10 years.

In Croatia there are a total of 785 campsites with accommodation capacities for 248,500 people.

Of them, some 30 are in the interior of the country and they can cater for 4,500 guests.

Although those figures are relatively low, inland campsites can be regarded as valuable investments and Palman praised those private initiatives, explaining that those inland facilities are usually family-run businesses.

A majority of those campgrounds are places where visitors can set up their tents or stay in their camp trailers.

A smaller part of the capacities at those sites include camping chalets, tree houses or glamping tents.

Palman underscore the role of the KUH in efforts to develop inland camping tourism and in this context, he mentioned the association's cooperation with the Tourism Ministry in the organisation of workshops for potential owners of inland campground facilities and in promotion of this type of the tourist trade.

More news about camping in Croatia can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, August 6, 2019 - The number of tourists visiting Croatia in July fell by 0.7% as against July 2018, however, the number of visitors in the first seven months increased by 3.7% compared to the corresponding period in 2018, according to figures collected by the e-visitor system.

In July, a total of 4.7 million arrivals were registered. Of them 4.24 million were foreigners, down by 1.3% as against July 2018, whereas the number of arrivals of Croatian guests increased by 7.9% to 356,089, according to the data provided by the National Tourism Board (HTZ) on Tuesday.

Overnight stays in July fell by 1.3% to 30.5 million. Overnight stays by non-resident visitors declined by 2.2% to 26.97 million, whereas overnight stays by resident visitors increased by 6.1% to 3.56 million.

In the first seven months, Croatia registered 11.5 million arrivals, up 3.7%, and there were 10.1 million arrivals by foreign tourists (up 3.2%), who made 49.96 million overnight stays, up 0.2%. Domestic guests made 1.39 million arrivals (+7.1%) and 6.9 million overnight stays (+5.4%).

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, July 24, 2019 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli on Wednesday said that it was time for tax changes in tourism and recommended a VAT rate of 13% on food and beverage services to be part of the fourth round of the tax reform.

"I've been asking for that from day one," Cappelli told reporters ahead of a government meeting.

He informed that he is calling for a VAT rate of 13% on all food and beverage services and added that it was time for that to occur in the fourth round of the tax reform.

Asked whether that would lead to lower prices, Cappelli said that VAT is not the only problem and that the entire tax reform needs to be observed. He said it was time for "tourism to feel an additional step in the fourth round" of the reform and that it was necessary to improve quality and increase wages to make tourism more competitive.

He recalled the recent reduction of VAT on food and accommodation for personnel who work outside their usual place of residence.

"I think that it is time for an extra step, either through personal income or VAT, which would create the opportunity to increase wages and for tourism to start breathing in that segment," he said.

Asked to comment on some cases of "rudely high prices," Cappelli said that the state would not intervene in that but that these cases were not good.

"I'm reading about what is going on. Gone are the times when you could make easy money in a month or two. Tourism has become real business," he said.

Asked whether it was time to discourage apartment-style accommodation, he said 70% of apartments had 3 stars and that he would insist on a reclassification and for quality to be improved.

"They won't be ruined but they will get the message: improve your quality or you will have to shut down," he said.

The Croatian Tourism Association said it welcomed the possible reduction of VAT on tourism products, adding that it would enable the necessary investment in better quality as well as higher salaries.

More news on the Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, July 23, 2019 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli commented on the press conference by the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday, saying that they confirmed what he himself had been saying, that a VAT cut would help the Croatian tourism industry.

The SDP said earlier in the day that increased wages and investment in quality tourism facilities and services, along with a reduced VAT on hospitality and accommodation, were strategic objectives for the tourism sector.

"The SDP said at the press conference what I have been saying about the need to increase the quality and about too many facilities that are not good. They did me a great favour by confirming everything what I have been saying and that I am right," Cappelli told reporters before a meeting at government headquarters.

Asked to comment on the SDP's demand for a lower VAT on hospitality and accommodation, he said that a fourth round of tax cuts was being prepared and that this matter would be given consideration.

Cappelli said that a VAT reduction would help Croatia in relation to its competitors, recalling that he had said last year that this year Croatia would be "on the edge" of last year's tourism results, which he considered "a huge success".

Reporters also asked Finance Minister Zdravko Marić about the SDP's demand, and he said that a fourth round of tax changes was in the pipeline and that specific measures would be announced in the coming days.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, July 22, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) said on Monday that increased wages and investments into quality tourism facilities and services, along with a reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on hospitality and accommodation, were strategic objectives for the tourism sector because value for money was important to tourists.

"Our efforts in the tourism sector have to be directed at improving quality because people working in tourism are warning that all those who have invested in quality over the years are not experiencing any problems with occupancy," SDP MP Branko Grčić, the author of the party's proposals relating to the tourism sector, told a press conference.

Improving the quality of tourism facilities and services has to be the number one priority, he added.

He is concerned about attempts to compensate the shortage in demand by raising the price of services, saying that this is wrong because it could later cause additional problems in the tourism sector.

It is essential to see if data on the number of tourists indicate negative trends and what estimates of the real financial effect of the tourism season will be like, Grčić underlined. He added that emphasis however should be on the number and quality of services provided and consequently on the revenue generated.

"The most important thing for our guests is 'value for money', and whether they are getting the services they deserve for the money they are spending in Croatia," he said.

Grčić reiterated that the SDP wanted the government to reduce the 25% VAT on hospitality, which is the highest in the EU, to 13% and see if there was any room in fiscal policy to cut VAT on accommodation next year or the year after that from the current 13% to 5%. He added that this does not mean that prices should be reduced but for wages and investments in tourism to be increased.

He noted that a similar thing had occurred in 2013 when VAT was reduced to 13% and that in two years' time the number of those employed in tourism had increased and that revenue and investments doubled.

Grčić called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to refrain from reducing the general VAT rate from 25% to 24% because that would be throwing money away if the effect is not felt in one's pocket while that money could be more effectively used.

"Once again we reiterate, let's help the tourism sector to be more competitive, so that it can increase wages for its workers and be in a position to further invest in quality," he said.

The head of the SDP's Pula branch, Sanja Radolović, recalled that when France and Germany reduced their VAT rate that had a positive effect, directly contributing to new jobs being opened and increased investments in hotels. She said that it was necessary to discuss reducing VAT with large hotel groups so that they increase net wages by at least HRK 2,000.

She also recommended reinstating the dual education system in tourism and hospitality schools where students attend classes for half the year and then do practical work in the second half of the year and during the tourism season through student contracts with future employers.

"At that time, we did not have a problem with a shortage of workers and that is a demand that we will address to the Ministry of Science and Education," she added.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, July 22, 2019 - In order for Croatia to keep its position on the tourist market and successfully fight the competition, it is necessary to increase funding for promotion on European markets as of next year already and expand activities overseas, National Tourist Board (HTZ) director Kristjan Staničić has told Hina.

This year, like in 2018, the focus is on China, where the HTZ opened an office in Shanghai last year and where it will attend the China International Import Expo in November. That same month there will be promotion in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in Singapore in October, while in September the HTZ and the Slovenian Tourist Organisation will hold joint promotional events in Seoul and Tokyo.

Staničić says the US, South Korea, Canada, Japan and Australia are also important overseas markets this year, with increases recorded in all of them in the first half of the year, by almost 20% in arrivals and 10% in nights. Plans include promotion in India and South America as well.

In September and October, the HTZ will open offices in Los Angeles and Seoul, Staničić says, adding that focus on overseas markets will partly reduce the dependence of Croatian tourism on European markets and stimulate turnover in the off-seasons.

He says the HTZ plans to open an office in Madrid, with a decision expected by the end of the year.

As for European markets, he says this year's turnover is better or the same as last year, with a mild decrease in some of them, but notes that the peak July and August weeks are still ahead.

Staničić says the HTZ's promotional campaigns and cooperation with PR agencies in those markets contribute to results.

A recent survey conducted in the eight most important markets - Germany, Austria, the UK, Italy, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Poland - shows that awareness of Croatia's tourism brand has risen from 57% in 2013 to 72% last year, he says, while understanding of the brand and what Croatia offers has risen from 25% to 31%.

Those percentages show that there are about 18 million potential visitors from those markets aware of Croatia's tourism brand now, he adds.

Staničić also credits the communication activities of local tourist boards, hotel companies and tour operators.

He says the HTZ is currently promoting Croatia in 18 European markets on TV, in key print media and on social media as well as in cooperation with world travel platforms and media such as Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and the BBC.

A recent campaign with Expedia in the US has resulted in "more than 16 million impressions... the booking of 5,900 nights and the purchase of 7,900 airline tickets for Croatia totalling 2.8 million dollars," says Staničić.

He adds that by the end of the year the HTZ will promote the shoulder season in a number of European markets as well as health tourism, business tourism and Advent, while in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry it is preparing a special campaign to motivate domestic tourists to travel around the country in the post-summer season.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

July 21, 2019 - A new sign telling people who are already in Jelsa where they are is a symbol of one of the biggest problems in Croatian tourism. And quite easy to fix. 

This is not an article criticising my beloved adopted home town of Jelsa, although it could easily be one. I am actually working quite hard documenting various parts of the summer season, such as it is, in Jelsa, with the aim of producing a detailed and constructive report on what is going wrong with the town's tourism and - I hope it will be useful - several concrete and easy to implement steps to improve the quality of the tourism offer. 

But a new attraction to Jelsa this month caught my eye and was probably the best visual explanation of one of the biggest problems in Croatian tourism. And one that is quite easy to fix. 

The official town Facebook page announced a new tourist attraction for Jelsa a few days ago - a new red sign with big letters on the Jelsa waterfront close to the main square. The post got 161 likes, 50 more than a post a few days earlier when Jelsa announced 270 million kuna of EU funding for EU infrastructure, so very popular. 

In this Instagram age, I can see the logic in it. Some people love it, and some people hate it (my opinion is irrelevant). But then if you have the formula for how to please everyone in Croatia, please send it on. 

And this is the view of the new attraction that people already in Jelsa see. It is also the view from the main square, and the view most familiar to the tourism chiefs and people who came up with the idea. 

And this is the view from the water, the first impression and welcome to Jelsa when you arrive by boat, as many do. 

Not quite the same. The first impression a foreign tourist will have of Jelsa. 

(Photo credit Secret Dalmatia)

One of the things I do when selling TCN services is to explain that we are a website with local knowledge and a foreign eye. As a foreigner who has travelled to 95 countries and lived in 10, I have learned a lot over the years on my travels, and my observation skills are not too bad these days. As an adopted local living in another country, I have access to that local knowledge. Knowing what a foreign tourist wants and being able to provide the best information is one of the key things which has made TCN so successful. Let me give you an example of what I mean. 

Every local in Split knows where to buy tickets for the ferry and the catamaran.

Almost no tourist does. 

So, 7 years ago when we started Total Split, we provided a guide how and where to buy tickets for each service, including this map above. 

The reaction was interesting. I got so many comments of thanks, and many people added the link to their accommodation rental pages. Here was something very useful to enhance the experience of their guests, as well as saving the hosts from repeating the same information at the same time. It remains one of the most popular articles on Total Split. 

"I would never have thought about how hard it must be for foreign tourists to get this information," remarked more than one person. 

Local knowledge with a foreign eye. It is something that Croatian tourism is desperately missing. Please don't think I am advocating for myself - I am no expert at all, I just write about things as I see them. 

But not getting a foreign expert eye to help is fairly widespread in Croatian society. Why pay for a competent international expert when you can make a Croatian cousin a little richer? 

Croatia held yet another branding conference a few weeks ago - maybe one of these conferences will end up providing a brand at some point. This from my previous article Branding Croatia for the Future: 5 Gifts and Trends to Focus On:

The other observation another friend participating made was that the speakers were all Croatian, and that surely for such an important topic, the input of international experience and viewpoints were essential. If Croatia is to develop a global brand, then surely one should take on board the views of those living in the global community. To not do so, my friend said, would be akin to having the big fish in a fishbowl talking with authority about things that happen in the ocean.

A last word on the use of the sign. They can work well, especially if you have them facing the right way. The last time I saw one was on the magnificent island of Zut as Restaurant Festa held its second Festa Days with 5 Michelin Star chefs and 5 of Croatia's top chefs. 

Festa is an incredible story of how to build incredible tourism from nothing. In 1993, in the middle of the war and on an uninhabited Kornati island with no water, electricity or ferry connection, a restaurant opened. It is one of the best culinary experiences I have had in Croatia, and a great example of what can be achieved with the right vision and determination. You can read about my extended look at The Paradox of Croatian Tourism: Case Study - Restaurant Festa, Island of Zut. 

Interestingly, not only does Festa put the sign the right way around, but they also take lots of international advice and opinions. 

July 20, 2019 - How does the perception of Croatia as a good value destination for British visitors compare with its competition. A new survey featured in the Daily Mail has more. 

Perception is everything in the modern age, and in order to best understand where Croatian tourism stands in relation to its competition, getting an understanding of how Croatia is being presented to would-be tourists is essential for our tourism chiefs. 

And it doesn't look good... 

One of the most read English-language media in the world with 53 million unique visitors a month, has published a price comparison for a family holiday for ten popular destinations, seven of which are in Europe. 

And Pula, Croatia is the most expensive of all. 

It is also the only destination where prices increased. 

In fact, last year, according to the survey by M&S Bank, Pula was cheaper than four of the European destinations mentioned. 

Not any more. 

As prices have gone down elsewhere - more than 20% in the Algarve, according to the survey - prices went up in Croatia. 

You can read the article and the methodology here. For me the stand out sentence was:

Bulgaria and Turkey benefit from both affordable accommodation and low-cost options for eating out.

So if the Croatian tourism strategy is to pack people in with its sun and sea offer, the perception for Daily Mail readers is that there is much better value elsewhere. 

Reduce the VAT on restaurants, I hear you cry. And you are correct. 

But isn't the problem a little deeper than that?

Croatian tourism needs a reset, at least in my opinion. Here is how I would do it.

July 18, 2019 - As Croatia's unusual tourist season continues, and with access to official statistics restricted in another officially record year, is Croatia full of empty beds?

A record year with millions of tourists and - much more importantly for the Kings of Accidental Tourism - millions and millions of overnights. We all love statistics, right? At least until they don't work quite as you want, and then you restrict access to them, as the Ministry of Tourism did recently to their internationally award-winning, transparent tourism statistics reporting system, eVisitor. 

So with access to official statistics restricted, how can we find out how the season is going, and how to get a better understanding of the QUALITY of the Kings' beloved overnights?

There are various Croatian agencies offering last-minute deals on the coast. I decided to check out one of them to see what kind of availability and prices were on offer - Integral Zagreb. There are other sections of the site, but I chose 'Adriatic Sale.' You can check what is available in the link in the previous sentence. 

(Jelsa main square - July 14, 22:00)

For the purposes of this article, I decided to focus on one example I know well - Hotel Fontana in Jelsa, which is about 50 metres from my Jelsa front door. I was surprised to see not only so much availability, but also such incredible prices for a waterfront hotel on Croatia's premier island. Fontana is a 2-star hotel, so there is not much luxury in the hotel, but the location is divine. 

And, as you can see from the lead photo, the prices are very good indeed. A family of two parents and child under the age of 12 can have a 7-night stay, with free parking and WiFi, breakfast and buffet dinner, for a total price of about 475 euro. The cheapest advertised price above is 1,750 kuna per adult and one child goes free. Prices go up a little in August, but not that much. 

I checked Booking.com for private accommodation, and the cheapest I found for the same family for a week starting tomorrow in Jelsa was 405 euro. That is before you start to eat. 

So a family can have a great 7-day stay in Jelsa for under 500 euro. There is no need to spend money in the restaurants, as the hotel provides everything. Perhaps an ice cream or two on an evening stroll. 

Meanwhile, the number of overnights increases so that the Kings can boast yet another successful tourism season of record growth. 

Except even with these crazy prices, there is still lots of peak season availability. 

Croatia, Full of Life? More like Croatia, Full of Empty Beds, which will probably get filled when the prices go down further. And so we can all celebrate another record year. 

As the Kings have restricted access to the statistics, all we can do is speculate. Anecdotally from cafe and restaurant owners, the higher spending Jelsa guests from Scandinavia and the Brits, are down, but there seem to be more Bosnians and Hungarians, who do not spend as much, if at all on their hotel package. I don't blame them. If you can get such a great location for a holiday for such a price, why not? 

This is the worst kind of tourism for Croatia, a country blessed with so many natural gifts, but missing one thing - a tourism strategy. 

(Jelsa main square - July 16, 20:35)

ZAGREB, July 13, 2019 - A ceremony marking the participation of eight Chinese police officers in the 2019 Safe Tourist Season was held in Zagreb's main square on Saturday.

The Chinese police will patrol together with their Croatian colleagues the most popular destinations in Croatia for Chinese guests: Zagreb, Zadar, Dubrovnik and Lika-Senj County.

The Croatian Chief of Police Nikola Milina said at the ceremony that he was satisfied with the expansion of this cooperation. Last year, six Chinese law enforcement officers were included in this project, and this year there are two more policemen from that Asian country.

The Safe Tourism Season project includes foreign police officers, and the first to join the project were Hungarian police, in 2006.

Over the years, a total of 804 police officers from 19 countries have come to Croatia during the tourist season to assist their Croatian colleagues.

Milina underscores that this season, there are a record high number of 95 police officers from a total of 19 countries.

The project has been recognised in international police forums, Interpol also recommends it as a project of the best international police practice, he said.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Erwen said the inclusion of Chinese police in the project confirmed traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

More news about relations between Croatia and China can be found in the Politics section.