What interest in Croatia do representatives of travel agencies expect this year? “This year, we certainly believe that (the record) will be broken, because already there is not only an increase in orders and sales, but also it can be seen that people who go to Croatia will take advantage of the fact that it is already possible to swim there, it is not yet full season, correspondingly lower price and fewer tourists,” Michal Veber, executive director of AKP CR, told Blesk Zprávám.
“As the season is longer, a lot of seniors have figured out that they can travel as early as May,” added Veber, noting that better transport options also help – “the block to go to Croatia by car is disappearing”, air travel is more affordable.
Statistics also confirm this thesis. “Last year, almost 850,000 tourists from the Czech Republic visited Croatia, which exceeded the results of 2019 by 6 percent in terms of the number of arrivals – the last year before the outbreak of the pandemic. The figures for less than the first five months of this year confirm that Croatia remains a popular destination for Czechs. So far, more than 36,000 tourists have arrived since the beginning of the year alone (note the data until May 18, 2024), which is 11 percent more tourists than in the same period last year. current statistics were presented by Miodrag Mlačić, director of the representation of the Croatian Tourist Board for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Croatia almost did not increase in price
It was also said that Istria has long been the most popular among tourists, either by own transport or by tour bus. In Istria, the most popular resorts are Poreč, Rabac and Rovinj, according to the travel agency ČEDOK.
Vacationers also choose stays on the Makarska or Dalmatian Riviera, but also in the vicinity of Zadar. Among the resorts for air tours, for example, hotels in Primošten, Drvenik or on the island of Hvar in Dalmatia are popular.
The prices of trips to Croatia are comparable to last year, they changed at most in percentage units for selected hotels. In general, there was no widespread increase in the price of tours in any of the destinations either last year or for this summer season. Prices in Croatia are stable after the changeover to the euro.
And even for fuel prices, high sums cannot be expected. “Regarding fuel prices, I think last week it was cheaper or the same as in the Czech Republic,” said Blesk Zpravám Mlačić.
Travel advice
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends tourists to register in the DROZD system. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that you properly register in the DROZD system before each trip abroad and study the information on the relevant country in the Rozcestník on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” informed Pavel Pešek, director of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Through the DROZD system, the ministry sends notifications, warnings and other important information in the event of a crisis, which help Czech citizens in deciding how to behave in an often life-threatening moment,” added Pešek.
He also stated that this year Czech consular offices will be open in Split from June 15 to September 30, in Rijeka from July 1 to August 31, and in Burgas, Bulgaria, also between July 1 and August 31. According to him, Czech police officers will patrol the Croatian cities of Omiš, Vodice and Šibenik.
Are there tourist taxes in Croatia?
In connection with the excessive interest in Croatia, the question also arises whether there are plans to introduce tourist fees in some places, similar to Venice. “There was a proposal, but that won’t work in the 2024 season,” pointed out Blesk Zprávy Miodrag Mlačić, director of the Croatian Tourist Association.
There was also a question about the tourism law. “The tourism law is a long process. All small towns in Croatia will have it, so all small towns have to do an analysis,” stated Mlačić.
According to the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, it will be necessary to find out how much water and electricity is needed in a given city and what the infrastructure must be. He added that the state has done something, but the cities will have to do the next process individually. “They will do an analysis – it will take a year, two, three. So I think that the law will practically start working in 2026 at the earliest,” said Mlačić.