The massive inflow of tourists during the summer greatly increases the number of inhabitants in the Adriatic towns and municipalities.
Nin in Zadar County and Medulin in Istria County are absolute winners judging by the increasing number of residents during the summer season, reports Jutarnji.hr, on August 16, 2017.
According to the new estimates of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) for this year, the population of Nin, a town with about 3000 inhabitants, and Medulin, a municipality with about 6500 inhabitants, has increased almost six-fold due to the great number of tourists visiting these towns in summer.
HGK estimates show that the number of inhabitants of Nin grew by 461 percent in August, while the number of Medulin residents almost 447 percent. The demographic situation in Nin and Medulin was not significantly different in July; the number of people living in that area is only slightly lower than in August, 388 percent in Nin and 389 percent in Medulin. In other words, in July, the number of people staying – permanently or temporarily – in the area of Nin and Medulin has increased by almost five times.
Infrastructure
Similar trends exist in other Adriatic cities and municipalities which were included in the analysis of HGK. The smallest increase in the number of inhabitants was recorded in Rijeka and Split mostly due to the size of the city and relatively small number of tourists compared to other cities. For example, the number of inhabitants in Split increased by about nine percent in August. On the other hand, the biggest increase in the number of inhabitants among the larger Adriatic cities is recorded in Šibenik and Pula, where the population grew by more than 30 percent in August, and Zadar, whose population grew by around 20 percent.
The rapid increase in the number of residents during the summer months is a major problem for local communities, many of which lack adequate traffic and other infrastructure to accommodate such large number of people.Traffic jams are the best example of this issue, which has become an inseparable part of the life in the Adriatic during the summer months. However, such demographic trends also have many economic advantages, which are primarily reflected in the considerable growth in retail trade turnover and the acceleration of economic growth.
“The impact of the increase in the number of foreign tourists is not reflected only in the number of tourists, but also in the purchasing power, as well as the tendency for spending, which is higher for foreign tourists than for the domicile population. For example, in the segment of food and beverages bought outside the accommodation facility, we estimate that the consumption of foreign tourists is about 2.4 times higher on average than among the domicile population,” states HGK in their analysis.
The population growth in August, both permanent and temporary, is hugely impressive and ranges from 38 percent in Split-Dalmatia County to as much as 123 percent in Istria County.
It should be noted that the HGK’s estimates for this year have been based on an increase in the number of overnight stays of 5% compared to last season, which is already deemed quite cautious and understated.
Preparing for the season
Nevertheless, the Croatian Chamber of Economy states that the percent of overnight stays in July and August is around 60 percent of overnight stays throughout the year. That is why, they add, it is important to use the high season not only for tourist results but also for strengthening the trade.
“The presented estimates of the increase in the number of inhabitants, i.e. the potential of tourist spending, could help, for example, our retail chains to better prepare for the tourist season,” concludes Zvonimir Savić from the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
Translated from Jutarnji.hr
