Things are starting to return to a semblance of normal.
The important North American tourism market, long in love with the majesty of Dubrovnik, is beginning to reengage with the Pearl of the Adriatic after the COVID-19 interruption. Last year, Dubrovnik was connected to New York directly for the first time, but not one but two major carriers – Delta and United. So happy were United with the new route that they have decided to launch 2022 operations a month earlier than last year, with the first 170 passengers arriving yesterday. Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic was clearly pleased at the news, posting on Facebook:
“Today, the first direct flight from New York with 170 passengers landed at Dubrovnik Airport. The American airline United started flights a month earlier this year, and what makes us especially happy is that this year Dubrovnik will be the only Croatian city directly connected to the United States of America having direct flights from New York four times a week until the end of October.
With the increasing number of passengers in air traffic, the connection to almost 80 global destinations, through 48 foreign and domestic companies, but also the return of ships on round trips the tourist recovery of the City is more visible every day and I believe that we will achieve great results in this season.”
According to ExYuAviation, United’s results from last year exceeded expectation, with 17,264 passengers contributing to a 77.9% load factor, as well as 405 tons of cargo. Andrew Nocella, Chief Commercial Officer for United, acknowledged the success of the new Croatian route, which was initiated as a result of Croatia’s policy of open borders for Americans during the pandemic.
“We started in a few new markets in Europe last year. In fact, we loaded those for sale very late. And those new markets were actually some of our top-performing city fares, because Croatia and Greece in particular, made it clear to the world that they were open for business. And in fact, our customers responded to it immediately, and our new flights degrees did incredibly well.”
Dubrovnik enjoyed considerable coverage of its welcome to Americans during the pandemic, including a feature on Good Morning America, which was watched by 12.5 million people. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board has also been running a successful campaign in various airports in the States.
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