September the 27th, 2022 - Istrian camps and hotels are continuing to break records during 2022's post-season, despite the poor weather conditions which are currently causing issues in that and other parts of the country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, even the bad weather over the last few days hasn't succeeded in spoiling the excellent tourist results for Istrian camps and hotels during the post-season. For the whole year, compared to the record, pre-pandemic year of 2019, the number of overnight stays is now only 3% behind. Of the 350,000 tourists currently staying in Croatia, about 100,000 of them are on the gorgeous Istrian peninsula, as reported by HRT.

There are now much smaller crowds, the sun is still warm but not brutally hot, and the sea hasn't cooled down all that much either, meaning swimming is still very much a possibility, this combination is ideal for guests from the north. The Fazana camp is still half full, and among the 2,000 guests, the majority are retirees, parents with small children and school groups on trips away.

"The season is better than that of 2019. I can say that cumulatively, in total, the whole year will end with some 10% plus compared to 2019," said Roland Cinkopan, the director of the Bi-Village camp in Fazana.

Even in the camp in Pula, the cottages are still full, and the rent of several hundreds of euros per night is now half the price. "We wanted to stay a few days, but it's beautiful, especially with this view, so we're staying the whole week," said Paola from Germany, and that view extends to a luxury hotel with all the accompanying facilities. Although it has just been renovated, it was immediately recognised on the market and will not be closed even over winter. In the coming months, it will host congresses, and now individual guests, mostly Austrian nationals, are staying there.

Raising the overall level of quality and increasing consumption is part of the strategic plan for tourism development not only in Istria but across the rest of country, crowd reduction is also a top priority.

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

September the 27th, 2022 - For the first time, the Zagreb Tourist Board will mark World Tourism Day outside of the capital city, looking to Eastern Croatia and choosing Vukovar.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb (TZGZ) traditionally celebrates World Tourism Day every single year, and this year will be the first time it will do so outside of the City of Zagreb, presenting the long-standing educational high school project "Culture of Tourism" in Vukovar. As such, in cooperation with the Croatian Association of Tourist Journalists and Writers in Tourism - FIJET Croatia, the projects of the students of Zagreb will be presented within the a programme called "Culture and tourism in the revival of the continental tourist offer".

The Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Martina Bienenfeld, said on this occasion: "World Tourism Day is celebrated on September the 27th under the auspices of the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation), so I'd hereby like to send my sincere congratulations to the entire tourism industry of Zagreb and Croatia. In accordance with this year's slogan, Rethinking tourism, we focused on our "Culture of tourism" project, which we're implementing in cooperation with the City Office for Education, Sport and Youth.

With this project, we're involving young people in participating in environmental protection programmes, raising their quality of life, preserving ethnological, historical and cultural heritage, raising the level of hospitality and creating a welcoming climate, and with their great work, they're showing how well tourism can truly be thought through. With an emphasis placed on year-round tourism, Zagreb has a developed, sustainable, equal and responsible tourist offer and has achieved great tourist results in the previous part of the year. Cooperation with Zagreb's high school students provides the foundations for shaping the future of tourism in a way that makes it sustainable, stronger, more inclusive and empowering both for our city and for the country as a whole."

Through the systematic education of Zagreb high school students for whom tourism and catering are not primary, the Zagreb Tourist Board hopes the "Culture of Tourism" project will succeed in its aim to raise the students' awareness of their own city and introduce young people to its touristic, cultural and natural potential. Over the years, all schools in the City of Zagreb have participated in the project, and this year there were six of them. They will present their projects in Vukovar this year.

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

September the 24th, 2022 - There are promotional prices on offer for those wanting to pay a visit to various Virovitica-Podravina County attractions next week, with entrance fees for all sorts of historical and cultural sites totalling a mere 20 percent of their usual costs.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the gorgeous Jankovic Castle in Suhopolje is worth paying a visit for not only the beautiful architecture but all of the stories this location boasts, such as the story of the noble family which once lived there. Historical gossip such as why Ilka Jankovic refused to allow her husband, Count Elemir, into the matrimonial bedroom for a while might also be of interest.

You may also be interested in the Drava story (Dravska prica) in Noskovci, where, among other things, there is a rehabilitation and recovery centre for white storks, and you can also get to see what the beautiful Papuk Nature Park looked like back during the age of the Carboniferous swamps.

The Croatian coast might get all the attention, and Zagreb is now getting a lot too, but the rest of the continental part of the country, including Virovitica-Podravina County, is often overlooked. It's perhaps best to say that it is very wrongly overlooked as this part of the country is just as full of history and culture as the coast. In the period from September the 26th to October the 2nd, tickets for all attractions of cultural, historical and natural heritage in the county will come at a cost of just 20 percent of their usual entry/ticket prices.

"On the occasion of celebrating World Tourism Day on September the 27th, the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board is providing all visitors with an 80 percent discount on tickets for museums and visitor centres  in the county's wider area," said Martina Jakelic, the director of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board.

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

September the 16th, 2022 - Croatian tourist season air traffic has reached heights that outdo those we saw back during the record breaking, pre-pandemic year of 2019.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, even with numerous difficulties still being faced by airlines, air travel to Southeastern Europe throughout the summer season so far has significantly exceeded pre-pandemic levels. This also includes Croatian tourist season air traffic levels.

Both Turkey and Greece exceeded the levels of arrivals of international visitors they recorded back before the pandemic struck by 9 percent and 2 percent respectively, and of the capital cities, Istanbul had the strongest growth of 2 percent compared to 2019, according to an analysis by ForwardKeys.

Most guests are from Germany

The number of arrivals to nearby Albania has also increased by as much as 28 percent, although it only accounts for 1 percent of the market share in all European air arrivals. All other countries are still in the red compared to the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, and neighbouring Slovenia has seen the smallest drop of a mere 7 percent compared to the pre-pandemic period, followed by Iceland with a drop of 8 percent, and Portugal, which lags behind by 10 percent.

According to the latest published data published by the Croatian Statistical Institute, the number of air passenger arrivals to Croatia fell by 11 percent in July alone.

In the period from January to July this year, 5.1 million passengers were recorded as having passed through Croatian airports, equal to 81 percent of the country's pre-pandemic traffic, with the largest number of passengers in the first seven months of 2022 being recorded from Germany, followed by the United Kingdom and then France.

In July this year, the highest level of Croatian tourist season air traffic was achieved by Split Airport, followed by Dubrovnik Airport and then Zagreb Airport. The most significant amount of international passenger traffic was achieved with British airports, which accounts for almost seven times more than last year, when the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic were in effect.

When it comes to European cities, Athens had 7 percent less arrivals by plane in July and August than it did back in 2019, Reykjavik and Porto saw drops of 8 percent, and Malaga saw a considerable drop of 13 percent.

The main drivers of air traffic growth for Turkey are the constant decline in the value of the Turkish lira and its openness to the Russian market, from where direct flights to most of Europe are prohibited.

Departures within Europe were 22 percent lower

European destinations could have attracted more visitors during the summer months this year if the airline industry had coped better with the surge in travel demand during the late spring and early summer. If there had been no disruption, ForwardKeys estimates that the recovery of flight reservations within Europe would have been five percentage points higher. An analysis of departure markets reveals that within Europe, Greece has proven to be the most resilient, with departures to European destinations in July and August at 2019's impressive levels.

Poland saw a minus of 9 percent compared to 2019, Spain saw a drop of 12 percent, the UK saw one of 13 percent, Denmark saw a drop of 14 percent and Portugal had a drop of 15 percent. In total, departures within Europe were reduced by 22 percent. The strongest non-European market was the USA, with only a 5 percent drop compared to 2019. It was followed by Colombia and Israel, both with 9 percent.

The outlook for the next three months is optimistic, despite the still unstable circumstances. As of August the 31st, there were 21 percent less flight reservations when compared to the same period back in 2019, and the exceptions were once again Greece and Turkey, which both enjoyed a higher number of reservations than they did back in 2019, of 5 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

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

September the 12th, 2022 - Just what is it that makes Croatia so recognisable to foreign visitors? From Game of Thrones to waterfalls and Christmas events, the list is varied.

As Morski writes, the well known travel blog Travel Drafts Croatia has stated that ''Croatia is a beautiful country in the Western Balkans, which is actually a part of the former Yugoslavia... Although it is a very popular destination among newlyweds, families with children and backpack tourists, this country has recently experienced a small renaissance".

Game of Thrones

One of the most watched series ever to be produced used the Croatian city of Dubrovnik as King's Landing, the fictional capital of the seven kingdoms in the series. Because of this, among other things, word spread about how beautiful this city is. Tourists flock there to see where Cersei had her Walk of Shame, and to tour the sets of the hit series.

The blog then goes on to state that would-be visitord should know that the city is full of tourists during the hot summer months and is much easier to explore during the off-season.

Beautiful waterfalls

Krka National Park is home to the most famous waterfall in all of Croatia, known as Skradinski buk. Plitvice Lakes are also home to numerous beautiful waterfalls. Although they are not so well known individually, this is one of the ten world heritage sites located in Croatia which is under UNESCO protection and one of two natural sites under UNESCO protection.

Red tourism (so-called)

Red tourism is travel to communist, socialist or ex-communist/socialist countries, usually by people originating from non-communist/socialist countries to learn about the heritage of those forms of government. Tours of communist monuments are a great way to learn about what life was like in Yugoslavia. The blog recommends people to start with the Podgaric monument, which is one of the most striking examples of all of this form of ex-Yugoslav public art.

Even traditionally beautiful places like Dubrovnik offer opportunities for people seeking red tourism. Here, you can tour the Red History Museum, which is the first interactive museum in all of the Republic of Croatia dedicated to educating visitors about what life was like during communism.

The World Cup and football

Croatia made it all the way to the finals of the 2018 World Cup. Although they ended up losing to France, they were the pride of Europe and showed the world exactly how outstanding and passionate Croatia is when it comes to the most popular sport in the world. The blog notes that the footballing tradition in Croatia is strong, explaining how the country has actually competed in the World Cup five times as an independent nation. Croatia had its very first performance back in 1998, when it came third! Of course, before that, the Croats competed in the larger Yugoslav team.

Beautiful islands

The Greek islands may be more famous, but the Croatian Adriatic islands are just as (if not more) beautiful. From Pag to Hvar, each one is a small perfect gem located in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. One of the most popular ways to experience the Croatian islands is to go on a sailing adventure and visit the most beautiful islands in the country/ Different islands have different reputations. There are islands known for their nightlife and parties, while others are known as real family-oriented places. Others have a more romantic atmosphere.

There are over one thousand two hundred islands dotted along the Croatian mainland, and almost fifty of them are inhabited. The blog tells its readers to be sure to do their research beforehand and choose the right island (or combination of islands) to suit the type of trip they might want to take.

Ancient Roman ruins

The blog says that if its readers enjoy visiting ancient Roman ruins, then they'll absolutely love visiting Croatia. In Split, you'll very easily find the Diocletian's Palace which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Diocletian, one of the most famous Eastern Roman emperors, ruled from the year 284 to the year 305. Back during that time, his palace was built in the very heart of the City of Split (Spalato), which was his main residence. Other important historical landmarks in Split that are part of this UNESCO World Heritage List include churches from the twelfth century and palaces from the fifteenth century.

The cravat

Considered an original Croatian product, it spread throughout Europe during the seventeenth century thanks to Croatian soldiers serving in the Thirty Years' War, where it became a recognisable fashion detail. The French were among the first to adopt it, and it entered their language under the name cravate, and later also in other European languages ​​under similar names. Croatian ties, or cravats, are slightly wider than modern ties and are an extremely popular Croatian souvenir, especially in Zagreb, the country's charming capital.

Croatian honey

The Balkans is a region famous for homemade honey. While all countries in the region produce honey and claim that theirs is the best, you really don't want to miss trying it in Croatia. Or buying it as a souvenir.

Christmas markets

While many people think of Croatia as a summer destination, it is actually a fantastic place to go in the winter too! The Zagreb Christmas Market has been awarded the title of "Best European Christmas Market" for three years in a row. The people of Zagreb really turn their city into a winter wonderland, with an ice rink, amazing lights, traditional food and drink, and festive shows.

While Zagreb gets the most attention, Dubrovnik and Split also have great Christmas markets that are worth seeing, the blog adds.

Pag cheese

This hard cheese with an extremely distinctive and strong taste comes from the island of Pag and is made from sheep's milk. It is considered the most famous specialised cheese in all of Croatia, and can be found in many markets outside the country.

Lavender fields

The blog lets its readers know that the most famous lavender fields are located on the stunning Central Dalmatian island of Hvar. This island has been growing lavender for centuries, and during the months of July and August the fields become beautiful, and the air is permeated with the distinct smell of lavender.

''Croatia is an absolutely amazing country and I strongly encourage you to plan your own Croatian adventure! The top five destinations that you should not miss are Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb and the island of Hvar. However, Rijeka is currently famous for its role as the European capital of culture, so you should put it on your itinerary for Croatia,'' Travel Drafts tells its readers.

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

September the 11th, 2022 - There were less Croatian tourists staying in commercial accommodation up and down the country in July 2022 than there were back during the same month last year.

As Morski writes, in July 2022, commercial accommodation facilities across the nation received 4.3 million tourists, equal to 23 percent more than last year. With an impressive 25.2 million overnight stays, that number for July was also up by 20.6 percent, according to the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), which shows that 93 percent of tourists in that accommodation were foreigners, and that there were 9 percent less Croatian tourists than there were last year.

A total of 335.2 thousand Croatian tourists came to stay and were registered in commercial accommodation during the month of July, achieving 1.6 million overnight stays, which is 9 percent less than back in July 2021.

In almost all of the Croatian Adriatic counties, Croatian tourists and their number of realised overnight stays were less than they were last year, between 7 and 11 percent less to be more precise.

Foreign tourists accounted for 93 and 95 percent of the total arrivals and overnight stays in this accommodation segment for the month of July 2022, meaning that there were 26.6 percent more of them than last July (four million), and they achieved 23.2 percent more overnight stays (24 million) compared to the record July of 2019. These figures still represent a lag of 0.7 percent when it comes to arrivals and one of 1.6 percent when it comes to overnight stays.

Overall, July 2022 was a mere percent behind the same month back during the pre-pandemic July of 2019 in terms of occupancy of commercial accommodation, but 0.4 percent more tourists came.

Among foreign visitors, the most numerous in July were the faithful Germans, and in commercial accommodation they accounted for 21.2 percent of the total number of foreign overnight stays and an increase of 19.2 percent compared to the number of overnight stays realised by Germans back in July 2021. Almost 70 percent of German tourists chose only two counties for their stay - Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar, which also accounted for about 50 percent of all commercial tourist arrivals and overnight stays in July.

In terms of overnight stays realised in July, Slovenians come second, followed by the Czechs, Poles and Austrians.

When it comes to the type of accommodation, among all types of commercial offers, tourists mostly chose rooms, apartments and holiday homes (private accommodation), which accounted for more than half of July's overnight stays, or 14.2 million of them, which is 19.6 percent more than in July 2021, but less than in July 2019, by 2.5 percent.

Campsites came in second place with almost 6 million overnight stays or 19.4 percent more than in July 2021 and 5 percent more than in July 2019, while hotels with 3.5 million overnight stays were up 26 percent compared to last July, and in the minus of just 3 percent when compared to July 2019.

The CBS also stated that back in July 2022, 410,000 rooms, apartments and places for camping were offered to tourists in commercial accommodation, with 1.1 million permanent beds, which is 4.6 percent more than last year, and by about 2.4 percent less than in 2019.

In the first seven months of 2022, a total of 9.8 million tourists stayed in commercial accommodation facilities, or 67 percent more than last year, and 47 million overnight stays realised in total represent an encouraging increase of 54 percent, as reported by HRT.

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

September the 11th, 2022 - Forbes has thrown to spotlight onto no less than the gorgeous Istrian Peninsula, part of Croatia which is absolutely bursting with things to see and do and as such is more than worth visiting during the cooler autumn months.

As Morski writes, another extremely valuable bit of promotion for the Istrian peninsula has come in the form of the famous American publication, Forbes, dedicating a large write up to it.

Unless one has been living under a rock, it's very well known that Forbes is one of the most influential media outlets in the entire world, and it has recently published a large report about the Istrian peninsula in its online edition under the title Gorgeous And Gourmet: Now Is The Time To Visit Istria.

Renowned journalist Ann Abel, the author of the Forbes reportage, invites travellers and adventurers to visit and experience everything that the truly stunning Istrian peninsula has to offer. Describing her experiences, she highlights the wide range of gastronomic and cultural offers that tourists can immerse themselves in, including historical facts and many traces of the past. She also highlights the picturesque hotels and traditional gastronomic destinations that travellers should visit when there.

''Over the past ten years, Forbes has quoted and written about the Istrian peninsula several times, but the most important step forward took place back in 2018, when Forbes declared Istria one of the eight most interesting destinations to visit. Since then, we've had regular publications like that, and this year alone, we had four publications with the most important investments and news for 2022, with the fact that this last one is definitely the crown of all of this year's publications. Such a large and extensive reportage from such an influential media makes a significant difference. In addition, it was written by the extremely well-respected journalist Ann Abel, which further raises the reputation of Istria,'' said the director of the Istria County Tourist Board, Denis Ivosevic.

The PR activities of the Istria County Tourist Board definitely prove to be perhaps the most important tool for communication and promotion of the Istrian peninsula and all its destinations.

Abel, who spent time in Istria at the end of June of this year, highlighted the experience related to truffle hunting as well as the delicacy itself as something special, concluding "it's always truffle o'clock somewhere". The author also provides a special review of Istrian cheese, Istrian extra virgin olive oil, specific local wines and the peninsula's extremely valuable and varied gastronomic offer.

Leading the reader through Istria, Abel additionally highlights the beautiful Brijuni National Park, and the cities of Pula, Novigrad and Rovinj.

The Forbes portal otherwise enjoys an incredible 56.5 million unique views on a monthly basis, so the published report means exceptional advertising for the Istrian peninsula, all its destinations and for Croatia as a whole.

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

September the 8th, 2022 - The new CNTB campaign is focused primarily on boosting continental Croatian tourism, with so many sights and experiences to be enjoyed far away from the coastline.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport have launched the second part of this year's CNTB campaign which focuses on the rural parts of the country with the aim of generating stronger tourist traffic during the post-season. This new CNTB campaign is primarily promoting Lika and Senj, Posavina and Pozega, Podunavlje and Konavle in the extreme south of the country, the CNTB reported.

"Th new CNTB  campaign puts Croatian rural destinations in the foreground, as well as Croatian guests, with whom we're discovering the charm and beauty of continental regions through creative materials. Croatia offers much more than sunshine and the sea, and our task is to bring that wealth closer to both domestic and foreign tourists," said CNTB director Kristjan Stanicic.

He also emphasised his satisfaction with the results of the CNTB campaign so far, which, according to him, has been confirmed by the increase in tourist traffic in the continental counties of the country where - excluding the City of Zagreb - around 1.7 million overnight stays have been achieved so far this year, equal to an impressive 40 percent more than last year.

The Minister of Tourism and Sport, Nikolina Brnjac, noted that the goal of sustainable tourism development across Croatia is the stronger use of the continental part of the country's rich potential and year-round tourism.

"The rural areas of Croatia offer tourists all year round a lot of content, a handful of which we show in this new campaign, from activities in nature, enjoying an authentic gastronomic offer to exploring historical attractions and getting better acquainted with the culture and lives of the local population. Such content is increasingly attracting modern tourists, as evidenced by the fact that in the current part of the year, the tourist traffic in continental Croatian counties has reached 95 percent of the numbers realised back during the same period in 2019,'' said Minister Brnjac.

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

September the 7th, 2022 - When it comes to Croatian complaints, what precisely do foreign visitors to these shores moan the most about? Judging from a lot of what we've seen, the biggest complaints tourists have about the country are... other tourists.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, other tourists seem to bother tourists visiting Croatia more than much else does. Many visitors regret the times when visitors bypassed Croatia and instead simply went to Spain and Italy and Croatia remained somewhat of a secret to the crowds. Crowding bothers many tourists, and they also complain about bus and ferry transportation. But apart from criticism, there is also a lot of praise - primarily because of this country's utterly beautiful nature.

"Croatia used to be a cheap, niche destination because people mostly flocked to Spain and Italy. Now there are hordes and hordes of tourists everywhere you look. The ferry tickets sell early. Airbnbs and hotels are full. Tourist traps are everywhere - they'll charge you 50 kuna for a basic bottle of water. You can't even get an Uber. Long queues lead to each ticket office. All places, from restaurants to attractions, are full of tourists, and moving through the rivers of tourists on the steps is just awful.

I also don't understand why transportation is so confusing here, despite Croatia being a tourist hotspot. The ferry timetable is confusing. There are about four different operators with different opening hours. The ticket booths aren't easy to find because Google doesn't show them. When you try to buy tickets online, it says tickets are unavailable without explaining why, but when you get to the box office, you can buy tickets without a problem.

And yes, it's ironic that I'm complaining that the place is as touristy when I myself am tourist, but if I'd known all that, I wouldn't have come to Croatia," said a disappointed visitor on Reddit, who was advised by other forum members not to travel during the busiest times or to choose quieter destinations because Croatia has a long enough coast where everyone can find somewhere to their liking.

When it comes to other Croatian complaints, we move inland. One visitor to the stunning Plitvice National Park had a lot to say about the crowds. Crowds in the country's most visited national park during September, while there is still a solid number of tourists all over Croatia enjoying the lower temperatures.

"Plitvice National Park in Croatia was a disappointment. I expected less crowds on a Monday morning in September (not peak season, not a weekend). The reality: a park that is absolutely packed with hyperactive, selfish, bickering visitors. At one point I was trapped on the path and desperately tried to squeeze through the crowd to see the waterfalls," says a tourist who said he was told to visit Krka instead of Plitvice if crowds were an issue, as reported by punkufer.

It isn't all just Croatian complaints, however, and on the list of things that delight tourists is the beautiful nature and architecture, as well as the fact that, due to the low crime rate, you can walk freely even at night, without fear of being robbed. There are low prices and the generally friendly people are also a plus.

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

September the 7th, 2022 - Tourist spending has been excellent so far, but with Croatian energy bills soaring just like across the rest of Europe, it's difficult to say just how much cash businesses have actually managed to pocket.

As Morski writes, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that year's summer tourist season will definitely surpass all previous ones in terms of revenue earned, primarily due to higher prices caused by inflation, but what about energy and food prices?

Due to there never having been so many concerts held at the Pula Arena before, the number of daily visitors to this historic structure was only slightly less than back during the record year of 2019. However, this wasn't felt in terms of consumption, not even in the souvenir shop, where people still spent a decent amount.

''Things weren't expensive, just 22 kuna, it's fine,'' says Renie from the Netherlands, who bought a small ceramic souvenir from the famous Istrian city.

''This year, we generated income in the souvenir shop of 1,660,000 kuna, last year it was around a million, and even that is a 4 percent increase when compared to 2019, which means that people have had deeper pockets, people are spending money as if there's no tomorrow,'' said Darko Komso, director of the Archaeological Museum of Istria.

The terraces of Pula's restaurants and cafes are still full, and it seems that main season is still going on.

''The prices are fine, they're not too expensive, about the same as in Poland,'' says Camil, a guest from Poland. Even some Americans, who have been travelling in Croatia for several weeks now, have no objections to anything except payment methods. ''The only thing is that in Split we had to pay for everything in cash, and here we can pay by card everywhere, which is much more convenient for us,'' says Dean.

There is no doubt that there has been truly excellent consumption, but restaurateurs are still worried about energy and food prices as Croatian energy bills continue to soar.

Consumption was growing even back during the pre-season, and according to the Chamber's data, 30 percent more bills were issued in Istria, and their value was 80 percent higher, and back then there was no inflation and higher prices. In Fazana, they say that the demand for fish dishes has never been better.

''It's definitely been the best so far, even better than the record year of 2019. The terraces are full, both here and across the whole of Fazana. The guests are relaxed, more and more of them are coming and asking for tables, and waiting in line to get one,'' said Almir Mahmutovic, a restaurateur in Fazana.

However, Croatian energy bills are rising, and the sources of energy used for everything involved in their business are three times more expensive for restaurateurs. This means that the purchase price of food is at least 20 percent higher, too.

While restaurateurs are figuring out how to stay competitive and still make money at the same time, the umbrella association of hoteliers expects compensatory measures from the state to moderate price increases. They point out that otherwise, not only will profitability and the investment cycle be put at risk, but the viability of doing business completely will also.'' writes HRT.

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