The project will make the center of Split more accessible for people with disabilities. 

Split is a hit, once again, as confirmed by Ex-Yu Aviation who reported on Thursday, January 17, 2019, that the Dalmatian airport was the fastest growing airport in the former Yugoslavia last year! 

Namely, Split Airport welcomed 3,124,067 passengers in 2018,  which is an increase of 10.9% from the year before and is an additional 305,891 passengers compared to 2017. The General Manager of Split Airport Lukša Novak claims that catching up to the capital city is not so far out of reach anymore, and in 2018, Split was ahead of Zagreb Airport for half of the year. 

"Almost half of our annual traffic is achieved during July and August. During the four summer months, we have the most passenger traffic in the country. We are extremely seasonal in character, but when looking at it on an annual level, we are in second place and have never been closer to Zagreb. In the aviation sector, 5% - 7% passenger growth on an annual basis is the norm. If you are lucky enough, you can double your numbers in about fifteen years. We have managed to achieve that in just six years, and that is a truly amazing feat,” Novak said.

But that’s not all. 

Ex-Yu Aviation also reported that Split Airport is still Croatia's most profitable airport. 

"The substantial passenger growth and the control of our expenditures have resulted in this level of profitability. We have not altered our fees over the past ten years as we do not want to jeopardize our growth with our pricing. I think this has proved worthwhile,” Novak added.

Novak also believes fighting seasonality in Split is vital. 

"We need attractions which are not only of interest to locals, but must be competitive with European metropolises because we need to measure up to them. This is not easy or cheap and it requires time, energy and vision. There are some good developments, but we have to work on creating an appealing offer for tourists to come outside of the peak season and then we will have more aircraft arriving in the winter. Carriers say they don't want to fly to a destination where they register fantastic results between April and October, which then have to cover losses generated over the winter. They want certainty and that is why there are so many airlines in Split in summer and few in winter,” Novak said.

Perhaps the best news of all, however, is that Split Airport is currently undergoing the construction of the new (and highly anticipated) terminal, which will be ready this July. 

Some of the perks include 30 check-in desks, five new baggage carousels and a modern baggage handling system, an observation deck, a car park, observation deck and business class lounge for the elite travelers. 

"This is a complex investment taking place over an area of almost 80.000 square meters, with the terminal taking up 35.000 square meters. Upon completion, the entire terminal complex will spread over 48.000 square meters, which is comparable to our counterparts in Zagreb and Dubrovnik,” said the airport's Assistant Director, Pero Bilas. 

Split, along with Zagreb and Dubrovnik airports, welcomed a record 8,999,789 passengers last year, which is an additional 766,501 on 2017. 

To find the latest on flights to Split (and Croatia), follow TCN’s travel section. 

Need some inspiration for your upcoming Split day trips?

The City of Split has announced a competition to develop the ICT solution Split Smart City Suite. 

January 15, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia's airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates from Split and Zadar.

Pedestrian and cycling paths will finally connect Podstrana and Split! 

January 13, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates from Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. 

Flights to Croatia: LOT boosts operations from Poland

Polish national carrier LOT Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, announced the introduction of a new line from Poland in their 2019 summer timetable. In 2018, LOT introduced the Dubrovnik-Warsaw line, which ran six times per week - or every day except Tuesday. 

While this line will remain in traffic this summer with the same number of weekly flights, a new route between Dubrovnik and Krakow (“Pope John Paul II) will operate once a week, on Saturdays, from May 25 to September 28, 2019, AvioRadar reported. The Embraer ERJ-195LR will be used on this line. 

The line between Dubrovnik and Krakow already operated in the past by Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope, which ran two flights a week but halted operations in 2009. Following them, Polish regional carrier EuroLOT managed this route, though they also cut off all traffic in 2015. 

Flights to Croatia: Eurowings increases operations from Cologne 

German low-cost carrier Eurowings has extended their flight offer from Cologne to Croatia for the peak season. Namely, additional flights will operate from July 15 to August 23, 2019, from Cologne to Pula, Rijeka, Split, and Zadar, announced AvioRadar. 

On the Cologne/Bonn - Pula line, there will be an additional rotation on Monday. On the line to Rijeka, there will be two additional flights in the heart of the season - on Tuesdays and Fridays. The route to Split will now fly every day with the addition of the Wednesday service, and an additional flight on Thursday will boost the line to Zadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Air Transat confirms cancelation of Toronto-Split service

While we reported earlier this week that it looked as if Air Transat canceled their new service between Toronto and Split for 2019, Air Transat's Marketing Director, Debbie Cabana, confirmed the news for EX-YU Aviation. 

"For commercial reasons, we have decided to cancel our summer 2019 program for Split, Croatia. Nevertheless, Croatia remains a key destination for Transat and, given the interest shown by Canadians in the summer of 2018 and its potential for tourism development, we will be adding a third weekly departure from Toronto to Zagreb. Flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during peak season. Passengers from Montreal and Vancouver will also benefit from a connecting flight to Toronto to take advantage of this added flight to Croatia. This third flight will make Zagreb accessible from Calgary as well, via return connecting flights to Toronto". 

The carrier was to fly between the two cities once a week from June 20 to September 12.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

According to eVisitor data, there were 19,110,498 overnight stays and 3,698,159 million tourist arrivals in Split-Dalmatia County in 2018, which is a 9 percent increase compared to 2017 and a 5 percent increase in overnight stays, reports HRTurizam on January 11, 2019. 

This is also the most significant growth achieved in all coastal tourist counties in 2018.

In Croatia's total tourist turnover, Split-Dalmatia County has a share of nearly 20 percent, or, in other words, every fifth guest of Croatia in commercial accommodation has stayed in Central Dalmatia.

"Numerous Advent events in the towns and cities of our County attracted a large number of visitors in December, so Split-Dalmatia County hosted more than 33,000 guests in that month, achieving growth in December and the New Year's holidays by as much as 18 percent in overnight stays and 34 percent in arrivals. Thus, the business year was completed in the best way by continuing the excellent trend that marked the growth of tourism turnover in the last year, and the biggest in the pre-season and post-season, which, together with the growth of quality services, was our main goal,” says Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, who added that the goal is to position Central Dalmatia as a desirable and indispensable destination for rest, fun and relaxation throughout the year.

In the Split-Dalmatia County area, up to 197 million euro will be invested in tourism in the coming year, with the city of Split being the most attractive for investors, and where eight hotels with 4 to 5-stars are being constructed. 

Thus, Split-Dalmatia County, measured by the growth of tourist traffic in the months outside of the season, is the overall winner of tourism. From March until the end of December, the growth of tourist arrivals was the largest in the country, while the real star was the city of Split, which recorded double-digit growth in visitors and overnight stays throughout the year. 

"Record investments in accommodation capacities for the 2019 season in the Split-Dalmatia County area reach 197 million euro, where the city of Split will be the most attractive to investors to raise the quality of services and give new reasons to extend the season further," concludes Stella.

In the area of Split-Dalmatia County, the largest share of overnights was the Split Riviera, followed by the Makarska Riviera. The biggest growth in traffic last year was recorded by Inland Dalmatia, which had 15 percent more overnights than the year before. 

Thus, Central Dalmatia has firmly positioned itself as the second strongest tourist region in the country, just behind Istria, and in front of Kvarner, which has been the second place in the country for decades.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Špiro, the wild boar on Marjan that became the hit of Split over the last two years, is no longer a part of the Split park. 

As part of the second edition of the "Meet Your Country" project, the Croatian Tourist Guides Association and partners will organize free guided tours in many cities across Croatia. The free guided tours will take place on the International Day of Recognition in Croatia, Sunday, January 13, 2019, at noon, reports HRTurizam on January 9, 2019. 

The guided tours are intended firstly for locals to get to know their city better and become ambassadors of Croatian tourism, but, of course, to all other visitors and tourists too.

“We wanted to highlight the importance of protected land sites in the country and the Ordinance on the List of Protected Locations (which is still under construction), which are the only places in Croatia which will be presented exclusively by tourist guides who have been educated in the Republic of Croatia,” said Kristina Niuć Prka, the president of the Croatian Tourist Guides Association, adding that the initiative this year includes 58 cities.

The list of cities and municipalities where free guided tours will be organized are Trogir, Split, Solin, Klis, Sinj, Trilj, Dubrovnik, Korčula, Šibenik, Drniš, Zadar, Rab, Opatija, Vepribac, Lovran, RIjeka, Krk, Vrbnik, Trsat, Labin, Rovinj, Pula, Vodnjan, Pazin, Buje, Poreč, Karlovac, Zagreb , Varaždin, Slavonski brod, Lipik, Osijek, Vukovar, Vinkovci, Otočac, Plitvice, Đakovo, Buzet, Roč, Hum, Motovun, Viškovo, Imotski, Cres, Novalja, Krapisnke Toplice, Jastrebarsko, Pag, Bakar, Daruvar, Hrvatska Kostajnica, Nin, Kastav, and Sisak.

In Croatia, there are a total of 555 local self-government units, namely 428 municipalities and 127 cities, making it interesting that not all cities and tourist boards are participating in this action. 

“Meet Your Country” is an excellent tourist story and a significant segment in the mosaic of Croatia’s tourism story which the country cannot continue to neglect. It is the people that make up the best cities, thus the locals are tourism and the best ambassadors of Croatian tourism. The local population gives a rhythm and pulse to the destination, and visitors want to be introduced to the city by locals through their culture, lifestyle, customs, and stories because it is precisely the essence of tourism.

In conclusion, getting acquainted with your city and transforming citizens into ambassadors of Croatian tourism is crucial for the development of tourism. Get out there and learn more about your city this Sunday! You can find out more about where you're meeting in your city here. 

To learn more about tourism in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.