Even though Croatia is red on the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) corona map, thanks to the standardization of travel processes within the EU, tourist flows continue, reports HRTurizam.
The same or similar rules apply to most countries depending on the epidemiological situation in individual countries. Therefore, regardless of Croatia being in the “red”, tourists who return to their home countries do not currently need self-isolation but must present a negative PCR or rapid antigen test if they are not vaccinated.
“A favorable epidemiological situation is a precondition for the best possible development of social and economic events. More than half a million tourists are still staying in Croatia, which is more than in the same period in 2019. This should be an incentive and a reminder to everyone that with responsible behavior, tourism can still achieve excellent results. Therefore, I call on everyone to continue to adhere to epidemiological recommendations and vaccinate as many as possible to protect themselves and everyone living in Croatia,” said Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac when the new ECDC map was released.
To provide all travelers with everything they need on their journey, taking into account travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional 350 test points have been set up across the country so that, if necessary, all tourists can be tested in accessible locations before returning to their home countries.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has provided the distribution of one million and 81 thousand tests at more favorable prices for tourists who spend three or more nights in commercial accommodation, and the purchased tests were distributed to the county public health institutes. Also, given the conditions on crossing borders and the interest of vaccination in tourists, vaccination in Croatia is possible for foreign citizens.
Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić also commented on the impact of the new ECDC map:
“We do not expect that the new map will significantly affect tourist flows in the country, especially if we know that certain markets are important. Furthermore, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the USA, etc., have their own methodology system for monitoring and publishing travel recommendations, according to which Croatia is still a safe destination. However, I hereby appeal that we all continue to adhere to the prescribed epidemiological measures and to vaccinate in as many numbers as possible to achieve the best possible tourist results by the end of September and in October,” said Staničić and stated that the tourist results in the previous part of the year, in which almost 73 million overnight stays have been realized so far, confirm that the tourist season in Croatia is very successful.
According to current data, about 550,000 tourists are currently staying in Croatia, while in the record-breaking 2019, about 470,000 were in the country at this time. By the way, more than 70% of the population in the EU is vaccinated, which means that most Europeans can travel without restrictions.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel and border rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and coronavirus testing centres located up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.
