August 8, 2023 – Osijek-Baranja County reported on their tourist numbers for July, which according to all indicators, is a record, bringing new firsts for tourism in Slavonia.
As SiB reports, the county has continuously recorded excellent tourism results in recent years. This is the result of continuous work on the development of the destination through the Tourist Association of Osijek-Baranja County, but also a series of grants that Osijek-Baranja County provides to all entrepreneurs in tourism through the Administrative Department for Tourism, Culture, and Sports.
“This year, we announced three public tenders for grants in rural tourism, for which we allocated 167,230.00 euros from the Budget. The tenders relate to improvement and development, i.e., the construction, extension, and expansion of tourist facilities and accommodation capacities, but also to raising competitiveness and investments in marketing activities”, said the Prefect of Osijek-Baranja County, Ivan Anušić.
The Data
According to the data from the eVisitor system, in the area of Osijek-Baranja County, from January 1 to July 30 this year, 142,627 overnight stays were recorded, which is an increase of 18% compared to the same period of the previous year. Likewise, in the same period, there was a 16% increase in guest arrivals in Slavonia and Baranja.
The biggest surprise is that during July, the highest number of overnight stays so far in 2023 was achieved and that, for the first time, foreign guests outnumbered domestic guests, 60% of them in July and 40% of domestic guests. Thus, besides local guests in Slavonia and Baranja, guests from Germany, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina enjoyed themselves the most.
“This year exceeds the results of 2022, which was a record year. The results for July, which was normally not that attractive to guests on the continent due to high temperatures, are surprising, but it seems that guests are increasingly recognizing the potential of the continental destination and are increasingly looking for attractive facilities to fill their time instead of sun and sea,” said Ivana Jurić, director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board.
Events the Base for Tourism in Osijek
Spring and autumn are always attractive to visitors on the continent due to all the events, and August in Slavonia and Baranja offers a whole series. While the 50th Colony of naïve sculptors in Ernestinovo ends, and the 12th Šokačka alka and the largest continental international family festival, Land without Borders, taking place from August 2 to September 1, 2023, in Valpovo, Beli Manastir, and Đakovo, will soon follow.
The Osijek summer of culture goes on throughout August. The new edition of the Land Art Slam takes place from August 12 to 13, followed by the cheerful Gumiranje na Dravi in Osijek, the Greenroom Festival in Valpovo, and the Old Sports Olympiad in Brođanci at the end of August.
