Making an income in the winter, what a concept! Slobodna Dalmacija reports of a new trend in Dalmatia – luxury villas inland, being rented out-of-season for various celebrations.
I have been living in Croatia for three years now, the diversity and richness of nature and surroundings still continues to leave me in awe; the fact that this is not being utilised more out-of-season has always blown my mind. That, combined with the potential for luxury tourism should seriously be considered by the country at large.
It seems finally people are starting to clue onto this; while most ‘close up shop’ during the winter months, leaving thousands of rental properties sitting empty for another 6-months, awaiting the next summer rush… a few have realised that there is incredible potential in this, that indeed, one can make money in the off-season – what a concept!
A few luxury villas have offered their properties out-of-season for various celebrations and festivals and the offer has been taken up with enthusiasm. Hens or Ladies’ night, stag nights, team building… many properties in Dalmatia offer the perfect atmosphere and ambiance for such an event. At 2 – 3,500 kuna for 24-hours, the cost is not exactly negligible but often the house can sleep up to 15 people, so for a luxury and unique experience the cost is still more affordable than most may realise. And, by simply renting out weekends, owners have the potential to make 10 – 12,000 kuna per month during winter – which is a hell of a lot better than zero.
Many villa owners are still reluctant to have young guests for fear of damage to property or furniture but agents manage the negotiations and it is clearly stipulated that any damage done is payable by the clients.
Croatians love a good wedding, so marketing to this crowd is a great way to increase rentals over quieter months. A lot of weddings are organised in the wider Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik hinterland where there are large wedding halls which should bode well even for the smaller apartments in Dugopolje, Klis, Dicmo, and Imotski. This year, Dugopolje received 35,000 guests with hundreds of thousands of overnight stays; the Dugopolje Tourist Board told Slobodna Dalmacija that they are extremely happy with the summer and now winter traffic.
There is enormous potential in marketing this concept to a much wider audience as well. Just think about it, there are thousands of people out there who look to book a getaway – corporate team buildings, yoga retreats, a luxury weekend or a week in the country escaping life… Over the summer, I was part of helping to organise a last-minute weekend for some very wealthy clientele and saw just how much they were willing to pay to be away from everything and everyone else.
Croatia is only just starting to scratch the surface of its full potential (away from being a 6-month only destination) and I am curious to see where this all goes.
In the meantime, I am going to think about an excuse to book one of these properties for myself!
Credit: Santo-bol-croatia.com
Excerpts taken from Slobodna Dalmacija
