For the first time, revenues from foreign tourists who visited Croatia in 2018 exceeded 10 billion euro. Tourism Minister Gari Capelli also has high hopes that tourism will continue to bring positive results this year, reports Poslovni.hr on March 30, 2019.
This is the first time that revenues from foreign tourists in Croatia exceeded 10 billion euro, i.e., almost 10.1 billion euro, which is about 603 million euro or 6.4 percent higher than in 2017, according to the Ministry of Tourism data of the Croatian National Bank (CNB).
According to Croatian National Bank data, in the fourth quarter of 2018, foreign tourism revenues amounted to almost 852 million euro, which is also more than in the same period of 2017, by 5.6 percent or nearly 45 million euro.
Commenting on this data, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli emphasized that after last year’s revenue growth, this year also began with the continued growth of tourist traffic, which, as assessed, is a prerequisite to boost competitiveness on a yearly level and generate even higher revenues, thus driving the entire economy.
The Ministry of Tourism also reminds that in the Satellite Tourism Account (TSA) of Croatia in 2016, total tourist spending, foreign and domestic, reached 10.4 billion euro in that year.
Just last week, Cappelli assured that everything is ‘under control’ for the upcoming season, even though there have been reports of weaker bookings.
“Tourists reserve accommodation later, and we have to get used to it. There will be bookings in April and May. As for the preseason, we have about 13 percent more tourists and about 9 percent more overnight stays. Current predictions speak of a small minus in the peak season, but in the end, it should be at the level of last year's results,” said Cappelli before adding that new markets are opening up.
Namely, the US and China have double-digit growth in the number of tourists in Croatia. While the British market began to grow, it undoubtedly slowed down after Brexit announcements. Minuses can be seen in countries such as Spain, France or Portugal, which are essential destinations for British tourists. At the same time, the tourism minister claims that the growth of British bookings in Croatia is 3 to 5 percent.
As for other traditional markets, everything is under control.
"Italy and Austria are somewhere in the middle, Slovenia has a slight growth, Germany was a bit in the minus, but we expect things to straighten out. Russia again has made a huge step forward, and has grown about 20 percent."
Easter this year falls on April 21, which is often an indicator of how the season will continue. Cappelli said a 10 percent increase is expected as many will enjoy Easter until May 1, which could be an “outstanding two weeks”.
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