January the 10th, 2023 - When looking at Croatian tourism, we're constantly focused on three months during the summer season and very little else. What about more niche events? The WRC Croatia Rally 2022 gave the country a considerable sum of cash.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the WRC Croatia Rally 2022 brought over 105 million euros to Croatian tourism, with more than 310,000 spectators following the speed tests carried out on Croatian roads, 170,000 overnight stays were generated, and a third of the spectators came from abroad, according to an expert study of the impact of this event created by the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zagreb.

The WRC Croatia Rally 2022 as such confirmed its status as a rather unique regional event, given that a third of the visitors came from Central, Western and Southeastern European countries, Oliver Kesar, professor from the Department of Tourism at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economics, pointed out at today's presentation of the study.

"First of all, we're talking about a mega sports spectacle, the effects of which the Republic of Croatia has not had before with any sporting, cultural or any other form of event. The results of the 2022 study showed that this project is both economically and socially sustainable and that Croatia should continue to host the WRC," said Kesar.

The WRC Croatia Rally 2022 also resulted in a great level of media interest, 400 media representatives arrived in Croatia, and the average consumption per spectator of the Croatia Rally is higher than the average, amounting to 263 euros, while total budget revenues exceed 12 million euros. The majority of visitors from outside Croatia came from neighbouring Slovenia and Hungary, as well as from other European countries such as the Czech Republic, Romania, the UK, Finland, Norway, Belgium and others, and they benefited local service providers in Varazdin, Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Karlovac and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties, as well as those located here in the City of Zagreb.

The Croatian Government has supported and continues to support the race with three million euros for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. The World Rally Championship is set return to Croatia for the third time this year and will be held from April the 20th to the 23rd.

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

March 27, 2022 - WRC Croatia Rally 2022 returns to Croatian roads from April 21 to 24, featuring the best drivers in the motorsport world.

The first edition aroused great interest in Croatia and delighted the international motorsport community. The excellent organization was awarded a new three-year contract which put Croatia on the WRC map.

The first WRC Croatia Rally dramatically finished with winner Frenchman Sebastien Ogier - and exciting races await us this year as well. 

Schedule and stages: Where is WRC Croatia Rally 2022?
All locations in Croatia are known. 

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Shakedown Okić (9:01)
Friday, April 22, 2022

SS1: Mali Lipovec - Grdanjci 1 (8:33)
SS2: Stojdraga - Gornja Vas 1 (9:26)
SS3: Krasic - Vrskovac (10:19)
SS4: Pećurkovo brdo - Mrežnički Novaki 1 (11:32)
SS5: Mali Lipovec - Grdanjci 2 (15:05)
SS6: Stojdraga - Gornja Vas (15:58)
SS7: Krasic - Vrskovac 2 (16:51)
SS8: Pećurkovo Brdo - Mrežnički Novaki 2 (18:04)

Saturday, April 23, 2022

SS9: Kostanjevac – Petuš Vrh 1 (7:43)
SS10: Jaškovo – Mali Modruš Potok (8:419
SS11: Platak 1 (10:09)
SS12: Vinski Vrh – Duga Resa 1 (11:38)
SS13: Kostanjevac – Petruš Vrh 2 (15:16)
SS14: Jaškovo – Mali Modruš Potok 2 (16:14)
SS15: Platak 2 (17:42)
SS16: Vinski Vrh – Duga Resa 2 (19:08)

Sunday, April 24, 2022

SS17: Trakošćan – Vrbno 1 (7:18)
SS18: Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec 1 (8:38)
SS19: Trakošćan – Vrbno 2 (10:26)
SS20: Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec 2 (Power stage – 13:18)
Podij – Zagreb, Trg svetog Marka (15:30)

Croatia Rally 2022: Tickets and instructions for spectators

A special feature of this year's WRC Croatia Rally is the organized arrival of the audience. The organizers expect around 350,000 spectators from Croatia and abroad. Tickets range from 75 to 300 kuna and can be purchased HERE.

Who will drive the WRC Croatia Rally 2022? The order of the drivers before the race
Like last year, Kalle Rovanpera arrives in Croatia as the leader in the WRC rankings. The 2022 season is the first with a new generation of hybrid cars.

WRC standings after two races (Monte Carlo and Sweden):

1. Kalle Rovanpera (Toyota) 46
2. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) 32
3. Sebastien Loeb (Ford) 27
4. Gus Greensmith (Ford) 20
5. Sebastien Ogier (Toyota) 19
6. Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) 18
7. Craig Breen (Ford) 16
8. Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) 15
9. Andreas Mikkelsen (Škoda) 12
10. Olivier Solberg (Hyundai) 8
11. Ott Tanak (Hyundai) 5
12. Ole Christian Veiby (Volkswagen) 4
13. Elfyn Evans (Toyota) 4
14. Erik Cais (Ford) 2
15. Jari Huttunen (Ford) 2
16. Nikolaj Grjazin (Škoda) 1
17. Egon Kaur (Volkswagen) 1
18. Adrien Fourmaux (Ford) 0
19. Lorenzo Bertelli (Ford) 0

Which Croatian drivers are at the Croatia Rally?
The biggest Croatian hope will be Viliam Prodan, the Croatian rally champion. Last year, due to car problems, he had to finish the race early. 

Rally and Croatia: What is the WRC, and how did it get to Croatia?
After Formula 1, the WRC (World Rally Championship) is the largest car race in the world. It has been held since 1973. It is estimated to be watched by more than 850 million people, and the broadcast goes to 250 TV stations worldwide.

In addition to promotion, Croatian tourism will benefit as the WRC attracts thousands of high-paying guests. Croatia Rally is also a great promotion for motorsport in Croatia. 

In 2021, Croatia hosted the WRC caravan in Zagreb and its surroundings for the first time. This is due to many years of efforts of the organizers whose perseverance and effort defeated much richer countries and were given the opportunity to host this great sporting event.

Source: Gol.hr

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