The study should be completed by the spring of 2018.
The Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County, by a public tender published in June this year, has contracted and commissioned scientific material from the Institute for Tourism that will answer questions about the capacity of tourism and the infrastructure of the county. The study conducted will show, precisely, where there is room for growth and where there isn't, reports HRTurizam on September 11, 2017.
The goal of the study is to define the total accommodation capacity for each of the six clusters in the county, according to the Institute for Tourism. The study will calculate the supporting capabilities of the Split Riviera and especially the City of Split, the Makarska Riviera, Inland Dalmatia, and the islands of Brač, Hvar and Vis.
Based on the analysis of current accommodation capacities, the possibility of receiving and arranging beaches, traffic and communal infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources, the study will look at the capacity of overnight stays and arrivals of tourists in the county during the year, and especially in the "peak" season of July and August. It will then determine whether tourists are endangering the sustainable development and quality of life of the local community.
"It is necessary to determine the maximum number of accommodation capacities in certain parts of the county given its spatial specificity. From the study, we expect to find that for each of the tourist clusters of our county, the tourist numbers and space can be withstood and the figures will not compromise the balance in the supply of electricity, water and energy. Additionally, we hope to find that the areas are not spatially endangered by overbuilding, and do not significantly impair the quality of life of the local population. These are legitimate issues after years of great growth in the popularity and arrivals of tourists to our county. All of this will be the basis for the work of destination management that will manage the development of the county’s tourism,” says Joško Stella, Director of the Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County.
The Split-Dalmatia County Tourism Capacity Building Study, made by scientists from the Zagreb Institute of Tourism, should be completed by the spring of 2018. The study is the only such example in Croatia.
Many problems present in the tourism sector are the result of non-strategic development. This study is great news for Croatian tourism, and especially Split-Dalmatia County. We can only hope that other tourist destinations will follow this positive example as the strategic development of tourist destinations is the only real path to the long-term development of tourism.
Split-Dalmatia County has remained at the very top of the tourist regions in the country by its results and high tourist turnover in August. In August alone, according to the data from eVisitor, Split-Dalmatia County was visited by 892,328 guests who made up 5,969,680 overnight stays, which is 6% more in arrivals and 7% more in overnight stays than last year.
During the first eight months, Central Dalmatia ended with an impressive 2,791,556 arrivals, which is 13% more than last year, and 15.7 million overnight stays. The tourist star of the season is the city of Split, which still ranks at the top of the chart as the most popular tourist destination in the country - recording 2,031,003 overnight stays during the first eight months. Makarska recorded 1,244,076 overnight stays, which is 13% more than last year, making these two cities among the top 20 tourist destinations in Croatia.
"All of the announcements say that an excellent number of visits will continue in October, making Central Dalmatia an example of the extension of the tourist season for all parts of the county," Stella said.
Split Airport also pulled excellent results this year, recording 2,123,209 passengers so far (+24% from last year). Split Airport has thus become the first airport for travel in Croatia.
Translated from HRTurizam
