Dream Vacation or Nightmare: These Are the Biggest Concerns of Croatian Tourists

Revolut, a global financial app used by over 40 million users worldwide and more than 400,000 users in Croatia, conducted a survey involving over 15,000 people across 15 countries, including 1,000 in Croatia, regarding their travel concerns related to traveling abroad.

When asked about travel risks that could completely ruin a vacation, the majority of Croatian respondents highlighted bad weather and natural disasters, such as storms or fires (48% of responses). This recently happened to tourists traveling to Dubai (floods), and last year to tourists visiting Greece (fires). In Europe, as the biggest concern while traveling, bad weather was most emphasized by Croatians, followed by Spaniards (29%) and Swiss (27%). Europeans aged 18 to 34 are less likely to highlight bad weather (34%) compared to older age groups.

The second biggest concern for respondents from Croatia (35%) is the loss, damage, or theft of luggage, for example at the airport.

The luggage incident is a nightmare for citizens of other southern countries as well, such as Spaniards (51%), Portuguese (48%), and Greeks (46%), while it concerns Lithuanians (23%), Hungarians (26%), and Germans (26%) less. In Europe, flight delays are most feared by Italians (33%) and Spaniards (32%), while Croatians and Hungarians are the least worried about such obstacles, with 14% of respondents.

Beware of Fake Renters

The third main concern (33%) is the risk of fraud, for example when a booked apartment looks worse than advertised or does not exist at all. Questions regarding travel insurance are also among the biggest fears (22%) – mainly whether the insurer will refuse to help in case of an accident or illness. One in five Croatians fears card data theft, as well as theft of funds from accounts. And 13% of surveyed Croatians fear nothing, as traveling is an adventure for them. The bravest travelers seem to be in the age group of 55 to 64 years (19%).

What is the situation with other European countries? Fraud related to vacations concerns Lithuanians the least (20%) and Czechs (22%), while it concerns Poles (38%) and Portuguese (40%) the most. Portuguese and Spaniards (38% each) are more skeptical about the help of insurers in case of accidents and illnesses than Bulgarians (20%) and Lithuanians (22%). On the other hand, Germans (31%), Austrians, and Swiss (30% each) are particularly afraid of card data theft and robbery.

Always Stay in Touch with Loved Ones While Traveling

In case of unforeseen events while traveling, it is important to stay in contact with family, the travel agency, the embassy, have internet access, and a good internet connection. Unfortunately, problems sometimes arise with the aforementioned. When asked if they have ever had problems with their phone/internet while traveling abroad, many Croatian respondents (40%) answered affirmatively. They stated that their data transfer was slow/limited while on vacation (13%) or on a business trip (3%), and that their GPS signal was lost while on vacation (11%) or on a business trip (2%). One in ten respondents in Croatia admitted that using their phone/internet abroad costs them a fortune, and 1% admitted that their device was damaged or stolen during their travels abroad.

How to Prevent Internet Connection Problems While Traveling?

As many as 40% of surveyed Croatians have never had problems with their phone or internet while traveling abroad. Simply put, some respondents have their own methods of ensuring good data transfer while traveling abroad: 12% stated that they purchase roaming from their telecom company, 10% that they mostly travel within the European Union, where roaming is available at the same price as within the country, 3% use a mobile WiFi router, and 2% purchase a digital eSIM card and use it abroad.

– The availability of the eSIM digital card in the Revolut app means that Croatians can rely on Revolut from the very beginning of their journey to its end. From booking accommodation through Accommodation to enjoying access to lounges in over 1,000 airports, as well as peace of mind with various types of insurance. Users can also use the Experiences feature to book various tours and attractions, as well as spend like a local with the ability to convert at competitive rates in over 30 currencies. And with eSIM, users no longer have to worry about excessive roaming costs – says Ingrida Daunaraviciene, Revolut’s communications manager for Croatia.