Couleur Croatie

Brief overview of tourism in Croatia

Tourism is one of the country's main economic resources. Since joining the European Union in July 2013, development programs have been put in place to make Croatia most visited country in Europe.

THE BEGINNINGS OF TOURISM IN CROATIA

- The beginnings of tourism in Croatia in the early 19th century. This is a rather national tourism, specifically focused on the pilgrimage and hydrotherapy. Tourist structures begin to build around the baths, mainly in the central part of the country; Varazdin is the 1st and spa.
- The development of infrastructure and roads in the second half of the 19th century facilitated the development of tourism.
By this time the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy makes Croatia its destination, attracted by its mild climate and its geographic proximity. The 1st resort is born: Opatija in the Kvarner becoming a popular destination for the European elite. The first hotel was built in 1840 called 'Austrian Nice' and luxurious villas.
Other coastal communities become centers of tourism in the Highlands and elsewhere, including Hvar, Dubrovnik, Zadar ...
Some dates:
- 1862: publication of the first Croatian tourist guide about the city of Zagreb
- Creation of the first tourist offices: in 1866 in Krk and in 1868 in Hvar
- 1936: first naturist beach in Rab. For the record: the English King Edward VIII and his wife on vacation in Rab, were permitted to bathe naked in the Bay of Kandarola bay is still called English beach by locals. Naturism will quickly develop in Croatia which is now a key destination.
- In the 60s, economic expansion benefits the Croatia began to attract mass tourism.
- War from 1991 to 1995 leads to a collapse of the tourist industry will know that a slow recovery and redeployment from 2000. 

ADVANTAGES OF CROATIAN TOURISME

- Its geographical features
 easy access to both European countries to the east and Europe to the west
 its diversity: sea, islands, mountains, plains, lakes, rivers, forests ...
 its Mediterranean coastal climate with hot summers and mild winters
- The richness of its historical, cultural and natural
 ancient cities, varied architecture
 7 sites to the World Heritage of Unesco, 14 elements of intangible cultural list of UNESCO, perennial traditions
 447 protected natural sites
- The transport making it a destination of close
 good accessibility from the European motorway network
 many air links
- The good recreational infrastructure
 60 marinas spread over the entire coast and islands with a total capacity of about 17,000 rings
 Many docks and moorings
- A good accommodation capacity in the types of varied accommodation
- Membership in the European Union since the 01/07/2013 

TOURISM IN CROATIA TODAY - Information of Croatian Ministry of Tourism

Some key figures of tourism in Croatia:

- The capacity
The structure of the offer of accommodation is very specific term in Croatia with significant weight of private accommodation rentals.
The total capacity is 980000 beds, as follows:
 48.2% in private accommodation (rent homestay)
 Camping 24.2%
 13.6% in hotel
It is noteworthy that 94% of the supply of accommodation is on the coast and islands.
The Top 5 regions by number of beds:
 1 Istria (256,000 beds)
 2 Split (195,500 beds)
 3 Primorje-Gorski Kotar (179100 beds)
 4 Zadar (130200 beds)
 5 Dubrovnik (73,000 beds)

- The number of tourists is constantly increasing:
 2013 was a record year: 12.4 million of which 11.2 million foreigners
 2014: 13.1 million including 11.6 million foreigners, accounting for 66.5 million overnight stays
 2015: EUR 11.5 million from June to September for 66 million nights ..
The number of foreign tourists amounted to almost 3 times the number of inhabitants in Croatia (4.2 MB)

- Who are the foreign tourists?
4 of 5 tourists from the countries of the European Union
The top 5 foreign tourists:
 1 German (2 MB)
 Slovenian 2 (1.1 MB)
 Italian 3 (1 Mio)
 Austrian 4 (1 Mio)
 5 Czech (661000)
The French are approximately 456000 in 7th place and dynamic growth (+ 7.5% in 2 years).

- Where are they going?
85% of tourists choose the coast and islands.
The top 5 islands according to the number of arrivals:
 1 Krk (662000)
 2 Pag (336000)
 3 Hvar (242000)
 4 Losinj (241000)
 5 Rab (234000)