April 19, 2022 - The 2022 Croatian Easter tourism figures are impressive, with most tourists visiting from Germany, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria and many domestic tourists, too. 

The director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, said that we could be more than satisfied with the 2022 Croatian Easter tourism results, reports Dnevnik HRT.

"We recorded even more than 140,000 overnight stays on Saturday, which is the largest number so far in this part of the tourist year. Most guests were from Germany, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria and domestic guests. We must be satisfied because we have exceeded last year's Easter figures many times over," he said.

He reminded us that we had not had a pre-season for the last two years due to the pandemic, while this year is different.

"We have a trend that we have been following since the beginning of the year. We are above 90 percent of realizing tourist traffic, our goal this year. We are now at 96 percent. Today, there are over 120,000 tourists in Croatia, and I hope that we will have a good May and June and enter the main tourist season on a good basis," said the Croatian National Tourist Board director.

Many European countries have a strong campaign to promote holidays in their own country due to inflation and fuel prices.

"In the last two years, we have shown that we know how to resist all challenges. I believe that the tourism sector will know how to respond to price competition. It is important to stick to quality and provide something more for a certain price, and I believe that even then, results will follow," he said.

When asked if we could relax and believe in a good season, Staničić said there was no time for relaxation.

"This is the first passing time, and so far, we can be satisfied, but the main work is yet to come. We will intensify promotional activity, marketing campaigns, and tourism markets. Minister Brnjac and I are convinced that we have an excellent position in the Czech market, which also applies to Austria and Germany. We will take it a step further and present Croatian tourism in the USA. We have over 460 announced airlines, which is the level of 2019, but there is no relaxation; there is a lot of work ahead of us," he concluded.

For more on Vir tourism, check out our travel section.

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Croatia's tourist industry expects an increase in turnover during the forthcoming Easter holidays, according to findings of a survey conducted by the National Tourist Board (HTZ). However, uncertainties stemming from the war in Ukraine can affect these expectations.

During the Easter holidays last year, when Easter was on 4 April, Croatia registered 36,000 tourist arrivals and 140,000 overnight stays.

This year, Easter falls on 17 April, and the norm is the later the date that Easter falls in, the more tourists can be expected.

Easter and the school spring holidays are usually seen as the heralds of the summer season.

According to the survey, the Rijeka coast and islands off Rijeka as well as Dubrovnik-Neretva County are the most optimistic about this Easter season, expecting a 20% rise in comparison to last year's results.

The Istria and Zadar counties expect a growth ranging between 16% and 20%, while the forecasts of  the Šibenik and Split counties are about 10% rise.

Concerning the mainland of Croatia, the capital city of Zagreb expects a growth higher than 20%.

During the Easter holidays, hotels usually start opening their doors, and the highest number of hotels that have announced the reopening for the new season in mid-April are in the Dubrovnik and Šibenik counties.

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

April 3, 2022 - The Guardian recently featured 'hidden Croatia' or the lesser-known gems in the country you should visit this year. 

The British daily The Guardian published an article about Croatia as a tourist destination, emphasizing hidden destinations it recommends visiting this year, including Silba Island, Papuk Nature Park, Tribunj, Mrežnica River, and other locations, the CNTB reported.

This is a special series in The Guardian about hidden destinations worth visiting this year the first of which is dedicated to Croatia.

The article about Croatia and its tourist offer is featured on four pages of the printed edition and online and was created as a result of the cooperation of the CNTB with the editorial board of The Guardian. The Director of the CNTB office in London, Darija Rejić, believes that the publication will reach millions of readers and positively impact the perception of Croatia as a quality, attractive, and sought-after destination.

"This extensive presentation of the Croatian tourist offer and lesser-known sites on four pages is the result of quality cooperation with the editorial board of The Guardian. We are extremely pleased when, with logistical support in the field and quality cooperation with journalists, we, in turn, receive valuable media releases that reach millions of readers, which significantly affects the perception of Croatia as a quality, attractive and sought-after destination," said Reić in detail. 

The article on Croatia suggests places and destinations for this year's tourist discoveries, natural beauties, distinctive and picturesque towns, and preserved and untouched landscapes of seven lesser-known Croatian regions, said the expert and multi-award-winning journalist Mary Novakovich.

This is how The Guardian thus showcases Tribunj and its rich historical heritage, Papuk Nature Park as a wooded and exciting UNESCO Geopark, the island of Silba for its preservation, the river Mrežnica for its beautiful environment enriched with 93 waterfalls, and the cities Karlovac and Slunj. The journalist also mentioned the Neretva Valley, Dinara Nature Park, and more prominent destinations near these sites and presented the authentic gastronomic offer of local restaurants, the unreal beauty of Croatian beaches, and numerous bike trails.

Rejić also points out that the added value of this publication is confirmed by The Guardian's position as a leader in the growth of online subscribers, with a reach of one million readers in the UK.

For more, check out our travel section.

March the 18th, 2022 - A tender is being announced by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ/CNTB) for six new representation directors who will be placed to work their terms abroad.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, a tender is being announced for the selection and appointment of directors of Croatian National Tourist Board representative offices in six markets, given that the contracts of the current directors in the markets of Austria, the Czech Republic, China, Hungary, Slovenia and Sweden will expire at the end of June this year.

The decision to announce the tender was made recently at the Tourist Council of the Croatian National Tourist Board, chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Nikolina Brnjac, in the presence of the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Stanicic.

"Despite the fact that the geopolitical situation for the tourism sector has brought with it uncertainty and modified the original plans for 2022's tourism, we're continuing to work intensively to adjust our activities to maintain our status as a responsible and desirable tourist destination. In addition to the message of destination responsibility and flexibility of reservations, we're also sending out a message of environmental, economic and social sustainability to our emitting markets. The decisions made at the recently held session of the Tourist Council will enable us to adequately respond to the challenges currently facing tourism, and also maintain Croatia's position as one of the most successful destinations in the Mediterranean,'' said Minister Brnjac.

"In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, which has strongly affected the travel sector over the last two years, the situation in Ukraine is now having an impact on overall trends. As a negative consequence, the Croatian tourism sector is currently noticing a trend of the slowing down of bookings and reservations, but there have been major cancellations, nor a decline in general interest in travel. Our goal is to maintain Croatia's market visibility and its quality relationships with partners, and we want to position the country as a safe and well-prepared destination that attracts its guests with an attractive and top quality offer. The decisions of the Tourist Council are aimed at achieving those goals,'' said Stanicic.

The members of the council also adopted decisions on announcing the Call/Invitation for expressions of interest for the implementation of marketing cooperation with the organisers of top events for the year 2022, and the Call/Invitation for expressions of interest for the implementation of marketing cooperation with top Croatian athletes in 2022.

The goal of cooperation with the organisers of top events is to raise people's general level of awareness of the Republic of Croatia as an attractive year-round tourist destination with a diverse tourist offer, which will have a positive impact on increasing tourist traffic and general consumption. Additional visibility of the national tourist brand will be ensured through cooperation with Croatian athletes through the implementation of various promotional activities on communication and advertising channels.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - The booking for tourist accommodation in Croatia is currently somewhat slow, but without any major disruptions to the travel market, Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) director Kristjan Staničić said on Thursday.

He said it was very hard to make any forecasts right now considering the Ukraine crisis and its impact on present and future tourism trends. "Unless the situation in Ukraine stabilizes soon, it is realistic to expect that the crisis will start to spill over to countries in its immediate vicinity and then to the rest of Europe," he added.

Staničić said that this year Croatia could hardly count on visitors from remote markets, such as the United States, Canada, and China, who see Europe as a single destination. On the other hand, Croatia could benefit from the fact that it is primarily a car destination, easily accessible by road, which in the present circumstances is a comparative advantage.

Staničić relayed today's statement by the European Travel Commission, of which he is vice-president, in which the representatives of national travel organizations condemned the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

"ETC strongly condemns this violation of international law and calls for all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution," Staničić said, adding that all ETC members and partners were called upon to help by providing transport, shelter, and food to those in need.

ETC believes that the conflict will have a negative impact on the travel and tourism sectors in European countries, which are slowly beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Staničić said.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 24 Feb 2022 - Croatian Tourism Association director Veljko Ostojić said on Thursday that after two years of the pandemic, the latest events in Ukraine brought another period of insecurity and uncertainty.

Any war situation, regardless of the vicinity, deters from travel, he told Hina, adding that at the moment it is impossible to predict how the Russia-Ukraine crisis will impact Croatia's tourism.

He said one could expect bookings on the main markets to slow down in the days ahead, but is confident in last-minute bookings as in the last two years.

Croatia's big advantage is that it's predominantly an auto destination and very safe, which will be important in preparing for the summer season, Ostojić said.

The Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ), which has an office in Moscow covering Ukraine as well, told Hina that next week more would be known about the impact of Russia's attack on Ukraine on travel from the two countries. The Tourism Ministry concurred.

According to HTZ data, 145,000 Russians visited Croatia in 2021, generating 800,000 nights, respectively 94% and 80% of the figures registered in 2019, a record year for Croatia's tourism.

Ukrainians generated 146,000 arrivals and 857,000 nights, respectively 4% and 2% more than in 2019.

This year to date 2,000 Ukrainians visited Croatia, generating 12,000 nights, up 47% and 53% on the year respectively.

 For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February the 22nd, 2022 - The new and updated version of the frequently-praised Croatian eVisitor system has been created as part of the much wider Croatian Digital Tourism project.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as part of the Croatian Digital Tourism project, which is being carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and co-financed by the European Union (EU) within the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Programme 2014-2020 from the European Regional Development Fund, a new and upgraded version of the Croatian eVisitor system was created, which is intended for the registration of tourist traffic and for the calculation and control of tourist tax collection.

"One of the segments of the Croatian Digital Tourism project is the upgrade of the award-winning Croatian eVisitor system in order to be even more efficient and better adapted to the needs of its users. New functionalities have been introduced that will improve business processes, so it will no longer be necessary to physically go to the tourist board to register a non-commercial facility (cottage), and communication between landlords and tourist boards has been improved. Ultimately, the Croatian Digital Tourism project will create a complete digital story, a set of innovative tools to facilitate the business of stakeholders in the tourism system.

The Croatian Digital Tourism Project, along with the Croatian eVisitor system, envisages the development and improvement of public e-services in tourism through TURegistar - a Central Register for Hospitality and Tourism Services, TUStart - Registration of activities and business start-ups in the field of tourism and hospitality, TURiznicu - an allocation system available support in tourism and Croatia.hr - Tourist Information Portal,'' said the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Nikolina Brnjac.

The Croatian eVisitor system has positioned the country at the very top of the world in terms of innovative technological solutions when it comes to tourism, and the most significant innovations include a completely new design that is in line with the design of the wider Croatian Digital Tourism project. Additionally, it has been made possible to display basic information about tourist membership fees, download payment slips for said tourist membership fees, and it is now easier to edit and post pictures of accommodation facilities on the Croatia.hr portal.

"The Croatian eVisitor system is a domestic product that makes this country unique in comparison with the rest of the world. The fact that this is an exceptional technological solution has been confirmed with the winning of an award from the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), which this project won in the category of innovation in research and technology. Now we've further upgraded and improved the system, functions have been introduced that will further contribute to the ongoing development of the Croatian tourism sector, while for many users the system will be an even more powerful tool in developing tourist offers, ie defining their marketing and promotional activities,'' explained CNTB director Kristjan Stanicic.

Additional connections with other systems and institutions are planned, such as the Joint Land Registry and Cadastre Information System, the State Inspectorate, the OIB system, etc, while the connection with the Central Tourist Register will significantly change the current process of the registration of commercial facilities. On top of that, the business of tourist boards, private renters and other users of the Croatian eVisitor system will be greatly facilitated and improved.

For more, check out our travel section.

February 11, 2022 - A Croatia-dedicated ADAC brochure has been released to persuade German tourists to choose Croatia for their 2022 holiday. 

With the intention that many German guests come to Croatia this summer, the Croatian National Tourist Board is highly active in marketing in this area. As Nera Miličić, head of the Branch Office of the Croatian Tourist Board in Munich, revealed, the German ADAC has published a brochure entirely dedicated to Croatia, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

The largest German and European car club, with 22 million members, has published a brochure entitled "Kroatien: ein Land zum Verlieben" ("Croatia: a country to fall in love with"), which is entirely dedicated to Croatia as a tourist destination.

"The ADAC is the most important source of information for Germans when it comes to traveling abroad, which is especially important if we know that over 70 percent of guests from Germany in the pandemic years realize their travels by car. In this context, our cooperation with ADAC is of great importance because, in this way, we provide our guests with accurate information on travel conditions and planning. Furthermore, we also have the support of one of the most influential German institutions that enjoy the great trust of its citizens and our most numerous guests," said Miličić, adding that Croatia is presented in the brochure as a destination of rich diversity and unforgettable experiences.

The brochure highlights Istria as a picturesque peninsula among the Croatian regions, which stands out for its medieval towns and places, beautiful beaches, Venetian heritage, Roman relics, and numerous bays. Kvarner is said to be a region that stands out for its beautiful coast and islands, of which Krk, Rab, Cres, and Lošinj stand out. Plenty of sun, natural beauty, and cultural heritage are associated with Dalmatia; the capital Zagreb is highlighted as the center of Croatia, while Central Croatia and Slavonia are shown as hidden gems of our country.

"The importance of ADAC is evidenced by the fact that this voluntary association enjoys the greatest trust of citizens in Germany and is the first address for service information when planning a trip. Furthermore, ADAC operates in more than 150 branches throughout Germany and is one of our most important strategic partners in the German market," said the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić.

At the very end of the brochure, many readers will find helpful information about traveling to Croatia, from tips for traveling by car to camping-related information.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, 8 Feb 2022 - A total of 178,700 tourists visited Croatia in January 2022 and generated 586,300 overnight stays which, despite the surge in coronavirus infections, are increases of 89% and 71% respectively compared with January 2021, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) said in response to a query from Hina.

Compared with January of the record 2019, the number of tourist arrivals was about 17% lower and the number of overnight stays was only 1.5% lower.

Of the 178,700 tourists registered in the eVisitor system, 101,700 were Croatians and 77,000 were foreign nationals. Compared with January 2021, the number of domestic tourists increased by 34% and that of foreign tourists by as much as 313%.

The number of domestic tourists was 11% higher than in January 2019. The 265,000 overnight stays that they generated in January 2022 was 20% higher than in January 2021 and 12.3% higher than in January 2019.

Although the number of foreign tourists was considerably higher than in January 2021, it was 38% lower than in January 2019. This past January they generated 321,300 overnight stays, up by 162.7% from January 2021 but down by 10% from January 2019.

The Istria and Kvarner regions recorded the largest numbers of tourist arrivals and overnight stays in January this year. Istria registered 124,100 overnight stays, up by 62% compared with January 2021 and by 17.5% compared with January 2019. With 103,600 overnight stays logged, Kvarner saw an increase of 71% from January 2021 and of 20.4% from January 2019.

Zagreb recorded 106,400 overnight stays in January 2022, which is 133.6% more than in January 2021 and 11.5% fewer than in January 2019. As for tourist arrivals, Zagreb topped the ranking with 42,500 arrivals, which is 175% more than in January 2021 and 24.1% fewer than in January 2019.

The results for January include the New Year and winter school holidays, when people traditionally travel more. Zagreb also hosts the Snow Queen Trophy skiing competition, business and similar events which attract visitors.

January the 29th, 2022 - Could Croatian Easter tourism this year look anything like the ''old normal'' from back in pre-pandemic times this year? It seems so as optimism for the pre-season is high.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, this may not be being indicated by the current booking rates, which have slowed down and in some unfortunate cases stopped due to the current epidemiological situation, but the pre-season in Croatia will certainly still function according to the last minute model, without significant organised traffic to speak of.

"This year, we're entering the pre-season under significantly different circumstances than we did over the past two years, which gives us a sense of optimism. If the pandemic starts to subside in the spring, with the vaccination rate being higher than last year, then we have plenty of time to prepare for Croatian Easter tourism, as Easter will fall relatively late this year, and that’s a good circumstance.

Easter is closer this year to May the 1st, and we'll have, if we're lucky, the theme of filling up in terms of tourist numbers for the rest of May, as was the case back during normal years. Moreover, it could positively surprise us because our partners are confirming that people's desire to travel is very strong, and customers are now just waiting for the administration procedures to loosen up,'' said Boris Zgomba, president of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK).

In this sense, the new rules of the Council of Europe have already been well received in the sector, according to which the individual status of passengers will be looked at instead of just going by larger epidemiological maps. It is also to be expected that the chances of the country ending up in a very bad situation pandemic-wise will fall further and further as we head towards spring.

The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) expects further growth in interest in travel and even a better pre-season than last year, and this includes Croatian Easter tourism numbers. "This is being indicated by the current course of tourist traffic. In Croatia, more than 502 thousand overnight stays have been realised so far this year, which represents 98 percent of the results from the same period back in 2019.

The highest number of overnight stays was recorded by local guests, followed by those from Germany, Slovenia and Austria. At the level of the whole of 2022, we expect the realisation of about 90 percent of the results from the record year of 2019, and the results achieved in the pre- and post-season periods will play a big role in that,'' believes Kristjan Stanicic.

When it comes to promotional activities for the pre-season, in the German market on the most important and largest travel and booking platforms such as Weg, Expedia, Reise reporter and Urlaubspiraten, a campaign will be conducted during the month of February to target those who tend to book holidays much earlier.

"There is great interest in the German market for early travel reservations. Promotional activities will be carried out in other markets that will be assessed to likely have the best response to those promotional activities, and additional optimism is being provided by information and announcements from certain European markets, such as the United Kingdom and Denmark, which will introduce much more lenient epidemiological protocols as of February which will go hand in hand with the revitalisation of the travel industry,'' added Stanicic.

More lively air traffic

From the beginning of April, a higher intensity of air traffic is expected, as well as a reduction of restrictions, ie the simplification of measures related to international travel. The Croatian National Tourist Board expects that Croatia will record a larger number of flights in the rest of the year than it did in 2021.

"The interest of airlines in programmes to Croatian destinations is at a high level, which is, among other things, certainly due to the fact that Croatia has been at the top of the Mediterranean for two years in a row in terms of the interest of tourists and tourist traffic," concluded Stanicic.

For more, check out our travel section.