October the 4th, 2021 - Ferragosto is typically ''celebrated'' by Italians in Croatia during the blisteringly hot month of August, and whether or not the coronavirus pandemic has changed this habit, or something else has altered, there were more Italians in Croatia in September this year.

As Novac/Jutarnji/Barbara Ban writes, the Croatian travel company Croatia Luxury Rent recorded an increase the arrivals of Italians in Croatia during the month of September. This is an increase of three percent when compared to August, which they say was one of the most successful months for Croatian tourism in the last few seasons. A turn of events few expected back in spring.

''The causes of such sales results should be sought in more economic and sociological details. First of all, it should be noted that due to economic circumstances, Croatia as a destination has become too expensive for Italians to visit to some extent. That's why they're looking for arrangements outside the prime part of the tourist season, when they are more favourable. Furthermore, Italy is extremely sensitive to the effects of coronavirus due to high mortality in their country at the very beginning of the global pandemic, so the reason for their later arrival in slightly larger numbers on the Adriatic is probably the fact that due to fewer tourists in destinations, there is no greater threat of infection,'' they explained from CLR.

There are very few retirees...

They also presented information on the types of Italians in Croatia this summer, and there were very few retirees to speak of.

''Demographically speaking, the largest percentage of Italians in Croatia since the beginning of the summer season were families with children and travellers of younger age groups, who were looking for isolated accommodation in destinations not far from the most popular tourist centres. There's been a slightly lower percentage of Italian guests of the older age group,'' CLR claims.

Istria and Kvarner

They are also satisfied with this, a small shift, because in the last few years, Italians have been choosing Croatia less and less for their summer holidays.

''As the number of arrivals of guests from this market has been systematically decreasing over more recent seasons, such sales results are in a way, quite the surprise. The Italians who visited Croatia in September chose Istria and Kvarner once again, of which the most sought after destinations were Porec, Rovinj, Umag, Crikvenica and Opatija,'' they concluded.

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September 28, 2020 – The tail end of 2020's unparalleled summer offers opportunity for pause, contemplation and appreciation, as it's loyal and not luxury guests that have saved this year's Croatia tourist season.

In this day and age, things always have to get better. There's no room to sit still. Life without improvement is deemed a failure. Nowhere is this more true than the Croatia tourist season.

The numbers of overnight stays in the Croatia tourist season sometimes seem to be the only measure by which its success is judged. Year after year, the numbers must rise. Any decrease is unthinkable. At the same time, hungry eyes still want more. Some want to reposition themselves. A new class of guest is wanted, from faraway nations. They must be of a better quality. They must stay longer, in more expensive dwellings. They must spend more.

Incredible initiatives are undertaken to turn this want into a reality. But, at the end of the 2020 Croatia tourist season, perhaps it's time to pause and reflect. For this year, it is undoubtedly loyalty and not luxury that's saved the Croatia tourist season.

In the year the coronavirus pandemic hit, arrivals by charter plane and cruise ship were seriously curtailed. So much for the flying visits of premium guests from far-flung lands. Instead, the tourists who came were from much closer to Croatia.

The English language that most on the coast are so familiar with was this year useless. On the beaches of Istria and northern Dalmatia, it was Slovenian, Polish, Czech, German, Slovakian and Italian that was heard. The packed bars of Makarska echoed with the familiar call of 'Đe si, bolan?' (where are you, bro? - in Bosnian dialect). Many of those who came drove to Croatia. And many do so every year.

© Jeremy Segrott

Sighs and light-hearted jokes about some of these guests persist in some places. “That family come every year, but they only ever order one pizza to share between the four of them.” The choice of footwear of some German-speaking and Czech visitors frequently draws chuckles, in particular, the classic sock and sandal combo. But, just where would the 2020 Croatia tourist season have been without the 60,000 Czech and Slovak visitors who this year arrived by train?

Just two days ago, Jutarnji reported on phenomenal numbers of Polish visitors this year. Would anyone else really have taken the place of the returning family of four sharing a pizza? Just what would the season in Makarska have looked like without bolan?

Croatians are famously very appreciative hosts. On the ground, there's no doubt that such loyal guests are warmly welcomed and thanked each year by accommodation renters, restaurateurs and others. They greet returning visitors with smiles of familiarity and reserve for them their favourite place. In September 2020, gratitude to such guests was echoed by The Croatian National Tourist Board as they launched a new campaign 'Thank you', directed at the tourists who this year chose Croatia.

Perhaps it is time to ensure that this gratitude extends into any grand new initiatives for growth in the Croatia tourist season? Such loyal guests should not be taken for granted, nor forgotten.

Initiative within the Croatia tourist sector is vital. The unlocking of continental Croatia's potential is simply a must. That too of the Dalmatian hinterland and inland Istria. The exploitation of world-class Croatian assets such as nature, agriculture and health and wellness services are also perfectly on-point. The desire to attract a better class of bigger-spending visitor to luxury holidays on the Croatian coast should surely be a lower priority. After all, eyes that covet can all too frequently fail to appreciate that for which they should already be thankful.

© Oddman47

Lead image adapted from an original photograph by © Marco Verch

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August 16, 2020 - Italian TV reports shocking disregard for social distancing as young Italians go wild on Pag

Italian TV have aired shocking footage showing their young countrymen on holiday. The report, aired on the TG1 segment of Rai Uno TV shows hundreds of island holidaymakers packed into nightclubs as young Italians go wild on Pag. They display a wanton disregard for any social distancing.

One young Italian lady is interviewed and claims there is no more Coronavirus. Another, a male, says he'll get tested upon returning home, although he's not worried because he is young. Perhaps his elderly relatives should be more worried?

Young italians go wild on Pag

After a slow start to the season, scenes from the report appear to show the famous nightlife of Pag now in full swing. With so many holidaymakers from Italy currently enjoying the island, its clubs and the alcohol they serve, it appears it would be a struggle for the venues themselves to enforce social distancing regulations. But, the holidaymakers do not appear keen to take on the responsibility for themselves.

While it makes a change for judgemental TV reports from the Croatian holiday season for once not to feature British youths, this is hardly a matter for amusement; Italy was one of the first European countries hit hard by COVID-19. It took a sustained and painful effort to bring the number of infections down. Italians at home must be watching such scenes with horror. They are terrified of the virus re-emerging at the uncontrollable level seen earlier this year. Already 30 young people who had been on holiday in Croatia this year returned home with Coronavirus infections.

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As Morski writes on the 6th of August, 2019, Italy represents one of the most important markets for the Croatian tourism sector, from which Croatia achieved an impressive 579,000 arrivals and 2.3 million overnight stays so far, representing a 1.3 percent increase in arrivals and 2.4 percent increase in overnight stays when compared to the same period last year.

Positive results were also achieved back in July, during which Italian tourists accounted for 209,000 arrivals and 1.1 million overnight stays, which represents a growth of 1.5 percent in arrivals and 3 percent in overnight stays when compared to July last year.

Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) Director Kristjan Staničić points out that the above results are excellent indicators for Ferragosto, the period when the largest number of Italian tourists come to stay in various Croatian destinations.

''The majority of tourist traffic from the Italian market is yet to come, as was confirmed by the announcements for August and the first half of September by key partners, tour operators and agencies. This is the result of a continuous and proactive promotional strategy for Italy, which includes numerous marketing and PR campaigns, but also excellent cooperation with Italian partners,'' said Director Staničić, adding that the increasing traffic connections between Italy and Croatia is a driving factor for the further growth of tourist traffic from this particular, neighbouring market.

Italians usually travel by car, with almost 60 percent of them doing so, followed by airplane, with 20 percent of Italians doing so, followed by train, bus, and then boat travel. When it comes to booking their trips, about 56 percent of Italians book their trips directly, 37 percent don't book/make reservations at all, while about 7 percent book their trips through an agency. When it comes to accommodation in Croatia, they prefer household facilities and hotels, while as tourist offers, they tend to value gastronomy, natural beauty, nautics, and even health tourism after the main tourist season in the summer.

''We have conducted some key promotional activities on the Italian market, which is evident from the results achieved, but also from numerous positive announcements that certainly contribute to creating a positive image and recognition of Croatia on this important market. Traditionally, Italians travel the most in August, and their favourite foreign destinations are Greece, Spain and Croatia, where they most often travel to Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia, but they're also increasingly discovering the continental part of our country, especially Zagreb,'' emphasised Viviana Vukelić, the director of HTZ's representative office over in Italy.

The popularity of Croatia among Italians is evidenced by numerous publications in the Italian media.

On the eve of the main tourist season, the most things written by the Italian about Croatia were about the islands and the coastline, summer festivals, locations where the popular series "Game of Thrones" was filmed, national parks, beautiful beaches, and detailed reports on trips that can be taken with motorcycles and motorhomes were published.

The specialised magazine "Caravan e Camper" dedicated its cover to the beautiful island of Korčula, referring to it quite righly as ''timeless'', while the cover of the popular Dove magazine features Vrbnik on the island of Krk, and the Hvar lavender fields and the Makarska riviera adorn the cover of Bell'Europa.

The June issue of the specialised sailing magazine "Il giornale della Vela" published a detailed report on sailing in Croatia, providing extensive information on where to sail in Croatia, in which bays to anchor, what destinations on the islands and the coast are worth visiting, all of which were illustrated by gorgeous, glossy photographs, with the Kornati islands on the front page.

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