Located a 15-minute boat trip away from the mainland, the Brijuni islands are a must-see destination for any tourist visiting Pula or Istria in general. No matter where they are staying, be it in Fažana, Pula, Medulin, Rovinj or any other Istrian town, a large number of tourists make sure to put aside an entire day for a trip to the loveliest archipelago in Istria.
The Brijuni had great success last year, seeing around 31.000 overnight stays and more than 160.000 visitors in total. However, this season just might break a record or two, according to Vesna Danko Klunić, the head of marketing at the National Park Brijuni.
"By August 1, we recorded more than 20.000 overnight stays and a little over 100.000 arrivals. The Brijuni were visited by more than a thousand boats as well – we're noticing an increase in stays and arrivals of 5%, which corresponds to the percentage of our revenue growth. There's also the noticeable increase in the number of yachts sailing into the Port of Brijuni. We're not a marina, but yachtsmen love to spend some time here, and they usually stay in the National Park Brijuni for a couple of days", said Danko Klunić. She added that visitors mostly arrive from Istrian hotels and camps, and that the management of the National Park is always happy to see former guests return to the Brijuni the following year.
The guest structure is diverse, as they come from all parts of the world, mostly from German-speaking countries. The Brijuni are frequented by a large number of Croats as well, but the locals tend to visit out of the peak season.
Apart from the great numbers the National Park is generating, its employees have two more reasons to be satisfied: they have applied two projects for EU funding and their proposals were approved. The Brijuni now just have to wait for the end of the month, when the contracts for funding in the amount of HRK 28 million should be signed. More on that soon!
Translation of excerpts from Glas Istre.
