Zagrebački hotelijeri trljaju ruke: Osim Hipodroma Ed Sheeran napunio i smještajne kapacitete

– Believe me, I do not take this for granted. I used to play in front of two or three people in pubs, and I would do it again because I love what I do, and today I sing in front of a full stadium. I know that many of you booked hotels and flights, organized transportation, and found babysitters to be here tonight, and I thank you for that – these are the words with which British musician Ed Sheeran expressed his gratitude during his concert at the Zagreb Hipodrome to the 70,000 fans who came to listen to him from all over Croatia and beyond.

And indeed, an unprecedented musical and visual spectacle lasting almost three hours attracted a large audience of all ages to Zagreb, and considering the two ‘opening acts’ – Croatian musician Dino Jelusić and British singer Calum Scott – the entire event lasted a total of five hours.

It was worth traveling from distant places, and as we unofficially learn, hotels in Zagreb were fully booked over the past weekend. This proves that Ed’s concert had a very positive impact on the business of hoteliers during this summer period when most guests traditionally flock to the Adriatic.

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foto Donatella Pauković

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However, by the time this article was concluded, we were unable to obtain data on the specific number of guests in several Zagreb hotels we contacted. But that the visitor numbers in Zagreb were certainly ‘in the plus’ is confirmed by the Zagreb Tourist Board. Moreover, not only did guests come to the city for Ed’s concert on Saturday, but they also extended their stay into Sunday and even the beginning of this week, so specific numbers are only available now.

Namely, as reported by TZGZ, since the concert took place during the second weekend in August (on Saturday, August 10), when comparing data with the second weekend in August last year, the number of arrivals increased by 11 percent to 19,824, while overnight stays were 9 percent higher (32,062).

Of the total number of guests, 2,838 were from Croatia from Friday, August 9, to Sunday, August 11, while the remaining 16,986 were foreigners. Additionally, 3,963 domestic guests and 28,099 foreign guests stayed overnight in Zagreb.

– In terms of countries, along with guests from Croatia, the highest number of arrivals was from Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, and Austria. In overnight stays, along with domestic guests, the highest was achieved from Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, and the USA – they add from the Zagreb Tourist Board.

The majority of guests, 63 percent, stayed in hotels. Thirty percent chose private accommodation, while seven percent of guests stayed in hostels and other types of accommodation.

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Ed Sheeran u Zagrebu

foto Donatella Pauković

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Thus, Zagreb, thanks to Sheeran, became the center of attention on the international scene for one weekend.

– These visitors often extend their stay to explore the city and its attractions, generating revenue not only for concert organizers but also for spending on accommodation, food, drinks, shopping, and transportation. Additionally, the city is profiling itself as an attractive destination with a top cultural offer, further strengthening its reputation and appeal, as well as its capacity and readiness to organize similar events in the future – they state from TZGZ.