Staničić Reveals Most Visited Destinations: Rovinj, Poreč, and Dubrovnik Lead
HTZ Director spoke to RTL about July results, prices, and expectations for August. Croatia hosts 1.08 million guests daily.
HTZ Director spoke to RTL about July results, prices, and expectations for August. Croatia hosts 1.08 million guests daily.
After a somewhat weaker June, July brought encouraging news for Croatian tourism. Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, confirmed growth in arrivals and revealed which destinations are currently in highest demand in an interview for RTL from the island of Rab.
According to Staničić, July saw one percent more arrivals compared to the same period last year. "In July, we achieved one percent more arrivals compared to last year, and overnight stays are following a similar trend," stated the HTZ Director. Although precise figures have not yet been processed in the eVisitor system, he shared an impressive statistic about current occupancy. "I can only say that Croatia hosts one million and eighty thousand guests daily," emphasized Staničić.
The Director expressed satisfaction with the season so far, noting that July demonstrated a job well done. "We also achieved higher tourist turnover than last year," he added, mentioning Tax Administration data on increased spending as an additional reason for optimism. Final figures are expected by the end of next week.
Staničić also shared unofficial information about the destinations leading in guest numbers during the peak season. "Currently, according to unofficial information, our most visited destinations in the first part of July, and also, let's say, in this main part of the tourist season, or year, are certainly Rovinj, Poreč, Umag, Medulin, Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar," he said. As he explained, these are the largest coastal destinations with the greatest accommodation capacities.
He also addressed frequent criticisms about high prices in Croatia. "Certainly, price, or rather security, is one of the decisive factors influencing the decision when choosing a destination to travel to," said Staničić. He added that the pronounced trend of last-minute travel has further highlighted the importance of price competitiveness. He believes that prices in some segments have been adjusted following numerous appeals over the past months. "It's good that we reacted in that way and achieved positive tourism trends in this part of the tourist year," he asserted.
Nevertheless, he admits there is room for improvement. "But, all in all, Croatia has shown that it is neither too cheap nor too expensive," concluded the HTZ Director, emphasizing that price must always be accompanied by appropriate quality in all segments, from accommodation to hospitality and transport.
As for the rest of the season, Staničić is optimistic. "We have the whole of August ahead of us, that is, the continuation of the peak season, when we will see a slight growth in numbers, but also the post-season, which, according to announcements, should also be very good," he announced. He expects a particular boost from the German market, traditionally the most important for Croatian tourism. "So we expect a greater influx of Germans in August, and in that sense, I look optimistically toward the future, that is, the end of August," he said, reminding that school holidays for German families are just beginning.
