Fewer western tourists visit Croatia

The number of western tourists visiting the Croatian coast appears to be dropping off, but part of this decline in tourism is reportedly being off-set by an increase in visitors from Eastern Europe and Asia. Recent statistics suggest that fewer Germans, Italians and Austrians are traveling popular destinations in Croatia, such as Dubrovnik, Opatika and Rijeka, but the number of Russians, Chinese visitors and Indians are expected to increase in the coming years.

Thus far, Germans represented the most important client base for Croatia-a country whose economy relies in large part on a healthy tourism industry. In fact, more than 40 million Germans go on trips each year, making this country central to tourism across all of Europe. Croatian tourism officials found that accommodation reservations on the part of German visitors have been slower than usual all summer and fewer Italians are coming as well. Part of the reason may be that while only a few years ago Croatia was an up-and-coming vacation destination, in recent years prices have gone up quite significantly and therefore this country is no longer quite as appealing to westerners looking for to travel on a budget. Additionally, Croatia is now facing more competition from developing destinations, such as Bulgaria, which boasts an attractive strip of the Black Sea coast.

Thank you to Origo for the initial report.