Croatian tourism is nearing the end of another successful tourist year during which Croatia has further solidified its position among the leading tourist destinations in the Mediterranean and has become an example of a country with one of the fastest tourism recoveries. Indeed, in the current part of this year, Croatia has recorded over 104 million overnight stays according to eVisitor data, which represents a high 96 percent of the results compared to the same period in the record year of 2019. A complete recovery of Croatian tourism and a return to pre-pandemic trends is expected during the next year, in which Croatia enters from an even more competitive position due to our country’s entry into Schengen and the Eurozone.
– Croatia’s entry into Schengen and the introduction of the Euro as the official currency are two components that represent an exceptional gain for Croatian tourism. Significantly less congestion at border crossings and faster and easier flow of goods and services bring a new dimension and an even more competitive position to Croatian tourism, especially in the European market from which about 90 percent of total tourist traffic in Croatia is generated. What we additionally expect is an increase in the number of shorter weekend trips, particularly from markets in our vicinity, such as Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, as well as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, etc. Furthermore, guests will not incur conversion costs from next year, will find it easier to navigate displayed prices, and there will generally be greater transparency. A positive consequence of the introduction of the Euro will certainly be the further improvement of business processes between domestic and foreign tourism entities, and the geopolitical context is also important, as well as Croatia’s right to directly participate in shaping and implementing a common monetary policy at the level of the European Union – stated Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board.
Positive effects of entering Schengen and the Eurozone are also indicated by certain analyses which suggest that a common monetary policy and open borders will benefit the Croatian economy, including the tourism sector. More specifically, when there are no prolonged border controls or hours-long waits at borders, this leads to significant savings in time and money for travelers themselves, as well as for travel organizers, thereby creating additional space for increased spending by travelers and new investments by entities that offer packages for Croatia in their offerings.
