October 1, 2020 - Data from Booking.com revealed that Croatian travelers discovered domestic destinations this summer as the coronavirus pandemic hindered usual travel plans.
HRTurizam reports that travel plans changed drastically in 2020, which allowed travelers to explore destinations closer to home, discovering or rediscovering hidden destinations that are practically on their doorstep.
Studying the realized trips this summer, Booking.com revealed that the average distance traveled by passengers from Croatia traveling June - August decreased by 56% compared to the same period last year, which is slightly less than the global average of 63%.
Looking at the data obtained in the summer of 2019, passengers from Croatia traveled an average of 726 kilometers per booking. This summer, that distance was reduced to only 322 kilometers per reservation, which is slightly more than the distance Zagreb-Sibenik.
As much as 68% of the distance traveled by passengers from Croatia between June 1 and August 31, 2020, was within Croatia, compared to only 17% in the same period in 2019.
Many of them took the opportunity and traveled to visit family and friends they could not meet during travel restrictions and physical distance measures. Although Croatia is at the top of the list of most popular destinations booked by travelers from Croatia this summer, followed by Germany, Italy, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, and Austria, the data shows that some travelers from Croatia traveled abroad to enjoy their travels but still stayed within the continent.
Many travelers from Croatia have rediscovered domestic destinations led by islands for which there has been increased interest this season. This summer, domestic destinations that were in great demand are Starigrad-Paklenica and the island towns of Stari Grad, Hvar, Malinska, and Korcula.
Although some rural destinations are becoming increasingly popular, long-term proven urban favorites are still at the top of most desirable destinations. This summer, those destinations for travelers from Croatia are Zagreb, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik.
As far as accommodation choice is concerned, this year, travelers from Croatia most often chose to stay in camps, then in villas and holiday homes.
The increase in the reservation of accommodation in camps shows a change in travel trends, points out Booking.com, and adds that if we compare the data from the end of 2019 before it was known that a global pandemic would hamper our travel plans in 2020, only 13% passengers from Croatia intended to stay in camps while as many as 64% planned to spend their holidays in hotels.
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