Croatia is working on extending the summer season and increasing visitor numbers in autumn, winter and spring.Continue reading
Never before have so many Hungarian tourists visited Croatia as this year. The 2019 record was already very close at the end of August, and with the number of nights spent in the meantime, it was broken by the end of this week. Hungarian visitors have always been one of the top ten most important markets for Croatia, writes Világgazdaság.
Croatian hosts are justifiably satisfied with the Hungarian demand. Hungarians have always been among the top ten most important foreign markets, but this year they spent even more overnight stays in the neighboring country than in 2019, which was a record year so far, Mira Horváth, senior staff member of Croatian National Tourist Board said in Világgazdaság‘s podcast.
At the end of August, it was already a record year, as the counter was at 3.17 million nights, compared to the 3.275 million Hungarian overnight stays in 2019, and then
September started with an extraordinary pre-booking surplus, with volumes signalling a record-breaking.
Moreover, summer is not yet over in Croatia, as the weather in the southernmost parts of the country is still excellent and the sea so pleasant that it is still possible to swim in October. Although Ryanair only operates flights to Zadar from Budapest until the end of September, it takes five to six hours by car from Budapest to the Croatian coast.
Photo via Facebook/Ugray Adrián
With direct summer flights and sleeper coastal rail services, car tourism from Hungary remains dominant, but a qualitative leap in demand can be seen.
Hungarians prefer private accommodation,
and within this category, demand is increasingly shifting towards the higher end of the market, with an increasing number of people looking for hotels with half-board or full-board accommodation. Many people have realized that half-board is no more expensive than having to provide their own meals.
Due to significant developments in Croatia in recent years, 3-4 star campsites and bungalows are also becoming increasingly popular with Hungarian families.
Camping villages are becoming increasingly popular. Photo via Facebook/Éva Pap/Horvátország nyaralás, szállás tippek
Attractions and activities are to be offered all year round in Croatia, noted Mira Horváth. The priority is to extend the high season and then, after the coast, to increase the number of visitors to the mainland.
The Baranya region in Croatia, Međimurje (Muraköz), known as the country’s flower garden and green destination, with its spas and local gastronomy, still has huge untapped potential for pre- and post-season tourism.
Typical landscape of Međimurje. Photo via Wikipedia
Comparing Lake Balaton and Croatia is pointless, as the sea experience is quite different from a lakeside holiday, and the Hungarians’ love of the Adriatic is undiminished, said the Croatian tourism expert, who also touched on the hottest topic of the summer: prices. As she emphasized, the increase in prices is not a local phenomenon- prices have risen globally, and in Croatia there is a wide range of accommodation and restaurants in all price categories.
Via Világgazdaság, Featured image via Pixabay