Return of Asian Guests: Croatian-Chinese Police Patrol to Assist Chinese Tourists During the Season

As the WHO officially declared the end of the state of emergency due to COVID-19 in May (which has become a routine illness), the return to normal life also marked a return to old habits, including travel. It is no secret that Asian tourists, especially Chinese, are keen to choose Croatia as a European destination, so this year the beginning of a return to pre-pandemic numbers is expected.

To ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible, a joint Croatian-Chinese police patrol was presented at the Chinese embassy, which will assist Chinese tourists at the most frequented tourist locations – in Zadar, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Plitvice. At a ceremonial event, the Chinese ambassador to Croatia, Qi Qianjin, emphasized the good cooperation between the two countries in tourism.

– The joint patrol project has effectively enhanced the tourist experience for Chinese visitors in Croatia. It also contributes to the promotion of Chinese-Croatian cooperation in tourism. The police patrol was first organized in 2018, with a pause during the COVID period. A total of 30 Chinese police officers joined the project to provide safety not only for Chinese tourists alongside their Croatian colleagues. After a strict selection process, this year, eight police officers from Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangxia, Henan, and Hubei joined the project. The joint police patrol has significantly improved the experience of Chinese tourists in Croatia, with a positive effect on overall tourist arrivals.

Croatia is a gem of the Mediterranean and a popular seaside destination in Europe. About 240,000 Chinese tourists visited Croatia in 2018. In the year before the pandemic, the number exceeded 300,000. Of course, it is difficult to expect everything to return to those levels immediately, but with Croatia’s entry into the Eurozone and Schengen, cooperation will certainly strengthen, Qi Qianjin stated, adding that the world is in a complicated situation, globalization and multilateral cooperation are facing significant challenges, but cooperation like this elevates relations between the two countries to a new level.

Croatia is extremely attractive to Chinese guests, as they no longer need a special visa for Croatia after completing the entry formalities into the Schengen zone. Chinese guests traditionally enjoy visiting this part of Europe, and according to some research, nearly 80 percent of Chinese travel agencies believe that Southeast Europe will be the leading destination after China opens up.

After all, as analysts hope, the Chinese love to travel and learn about other cultures, and they are guests who travel year-round, not just in the summer. Although it is difficult to expect numbers like in 2019, when more than 350,000 overnight stays were recorded, a significant increase is still expected – it is estimated that more than 17,000 Chinese guests will visit Croatia this year. Next year could be the year of full return for this market.