March the 14th, 2023 - Do we need to be worrying about the Croatian 2023 tourist season this summer as prices continue to rise? With even the faithful Germans saying that Croatia is becoming too expensive, there's room for improvement.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, there are currently around three and a half thousand guests staying in the wider Kvarner area, which is a very good number for this time of year. The announcements are good for spring and summer across nearby Istria as well.

However, there are more and more warnings that we have to change the trends within the Croatian tourism sector. Overcrowding is an issue nobody enjoys and which is increasing, the real estate business is booming, and the prices of both accommodation and services are rising. And it won't stop there...

Winter is coming to an end and this country's most faithful guests of all, the Germans and Austrians, are busy warming up after the cold. Owing to that, gorgeous little Opatija, a favourite of both the Germans and the Austrians, is never empty.

"We're happy that in just the first two months of this year we achieved even 40 percent more overnight stays than we did back during the record year of pre-pandemic 2019. But that's a trend where, for a decade or so now, we've been see an increase in the number of arrivals outside of the main summer season from year to year," stated Irena Persic Zivadinov, the director of the Kvarner Tourist Board.

Kvarner's many hotels have prepared various arrangements and packages aimed at attracting guests for the Croatian 2023 tourist season, but they're now more expensive, writes N1.

"Considering the input costs, of course the situation is very uncertain for the entire market. We're really trying to be flexible here, but we're also working in accordance with the rate of inflation on the entire price policy. In accordance with the rate of inflation, there will probably be an increase in prices, but again, we're doing our best to be fair,'' Ivan Sarajlic, the spokesman of a hotel group, stated.

Impressions from the largest tourist exchange which was recently held in the German capital city of Berlin are still settling in. The Germans traditionally love Croatia and have been among the country's most faithful and most frequent visitors of all for many years, but even they are raising their eyebrows at some of the prices nowadays.

"Now some other countries in Croatia's immediate neighbourhood are already seriously competing with us, such as Montenegro, which is fighting for Western tourists after losing Russian and Ukrainian tourists, and there is also Albania with its beautiful coast, which is very competitive both in terms of quality and values. The Germans are saying Croatia has become too expensive,'' warned tourist consultant Nedo Pinezic.

Both expensive and overcrowded, warned Istria County's prefect, as the Croatian 2023 tourist season rapidly approaches.

"I think that, when we talk about quantity, we've reached that certain maximum. Istria has 468,000 registered beds. If 200,000 of us live there and take into account the number of unregistered facilities among that, the question is to what number we can go? Has Istria exceeded its limit in this sense? I think it has,'' said Boris Miletic.

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

February the 27th, 2023 - As is the case every year with this country's seasonal employment curse, the hunt for Croatian seasonal employees is now on as we approach Easter. Here are the professions would-be employers are seeking staff for.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, snow might have fallen (at least here in Zagreb), Easter is gradually approaching and there are more and more ads appearing as potential employers seek out Croatian seasonal employees for summer 2023. The Employment Office in Rijeka is looking for 670 cooks, but only 123 have applied, 1,000 waiters are needed, and 223 have applied, more than 600 maids are wanted, and there are only 50 of them registered as unemployed and seeking work. HRT has also investigated what the situation is like at this moment in time for Opatija's ever-popular hotels.

As a favourite year-round tourist destination for all sorts of guests, but particularly for the Germans and Austrians, Opatija has more and more hotels that are remaining open all year round. This alone increases the chance that quality Croatian seasonal employees will be accepted into permanent employment positions. Until they are employed, the students of the Opatija Hospitality School regularly compete, practice and study.

"As part of the Regional Centre of Competence, we have the opportunity to send children to competitions, so they like it even more, and hotels and restaurateurs can't wait to hire them," says Sibila Roth, director of the Opatija Hospitality School, for HRT.

After two pandemic-dominated years, students are increasingly interested in becoming employed as cooks, waiters, pastry chefs and receptionists. While Croatian seasonal employees are preferred, there remains a serious lack of qualified labour on the domestic labour market, and it is increasingly certain that Croatian restaurateurs and hoteliers will continue to look for workers from outside of Croatian borders for this season as well.

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