Nightlife in Hvar Town 2017, one more story on August 5, 2017.
It is a topic I hate writing about, as it portrays an island I love in a negative light, but sometimes one has to face the truth to improve things. I didn’t write about the urinating Irish woman in Hvar last week who made video fame in most of the British tabloids, or the Swedish tourist who turned up in a hospital in Split after being attacked in Hvar Town. I started this website to be positive about Hvar. And there is so much to be positive about – it really is Paradise on Earth.
But there is also a side which needs to change quickly if Hvar is to retain its rightful position as one of the elite destinations in Europe. In order to do that, it will take the common will of the community of the residents of Hvar Town to put aside their apathy and greed and unite to work together to bring Hvar Town to the premier destination it was just a few years ago. Next year is a hugely significant one for the town – 150 years since the birth of organised tourism in Europe, after the founding of the Hvar Health Society in 1868. It is a chance to showcase the culture of an island which boasts more UNESCO heritage than any other in the world and the oldest public theatre in Europe, which is scheduled to reopen for the anniversary after 20 years.
And yet, in year 149 of tourism in Hvar Town, the headlines have been dominated by a quite different tourism than that which welcomed the elite of the Austro-Hungarian Empire looking to recuperate in Hvar’s famous climate – the Austrian Madeira, it was called. Party, party, party, and British tabloid The Sun labelled Hvar Town ‘the Croatian Magaluf’, while Booking.com named it as one of the world’s top 7 stag destinations, as a British stag reveller paraded down the riva dressed as a terrorist, complete with fake gun and suicide vest on the exclusive riva, just 2 weeks after the terror attack near Borough Market in London.
Magaluf it certainly isn’t, not one of the top 7 stag destinations in the world, but Hvar Town is on the slippery road in that direction unless something is done. In the latest incident to make national headlines (and shortly, international headlines), a tourist is calmly playing with his penis in front of two girls on the exclusive waterfront. The video, posted by local bar, Nautica, was posted at 23:30. Watch the video below, but be aware there is explicit content.
Something must be done, cries everyone. and indeed it must. A new mayor was elected on June 4, and he promised to do something to rein in the party. His initial actions caused international headlines (for reasons which escape me, as they exist elsewhere in tourist destinations) – signs which threatened fines for people inappropriately dressed or eating and drinking in the historic centre. A campaign of education, including adverts on the ferries and catamarans, leaflets in apartments, simply requested visitors to behave as they would at home. The international media seemed fascinated by the story, and I accompanied The New York Times to Mayor Riki Novak’s office to learn more.
Of course a few signs are not going to solve a problem which has been getting worse over the last few years, but the early signs are that there has already been a considerable improvement, with locals joining in to remind tourists of the new rules. The police are also getting involved with an approach of warning initially, and the policy is certainly a step in the right direction.
Will this policy alone solve the problem? Of course not. Can the mayor solve the problem alone? Also a no.
One of the most depressing aspects of the Hvar party story is the fact that locals have not only accepted it (apathy), but also therefore want their piece of the pie (greed). As long as that mentality persists, there will be no change. A destination which had no hostels 10 years ago now has over 30, art galleries have become cocktail bars, a waterfront restaurant a nighclub. There is even a strip club now. Most of these are local initiatives – what kind of tourism can Hvar expect as a result?
Some of the decisions are out of the hands of local people. The lucrative 10-year concession for Stipanska, aka Carpe Diem Beach, is up for renewal this year, with three groups in the running (it may already have been decided). Ultra Europe has announced its dates for Split in 2018, but no decision has been made yet on Hvar. As a symbol (and perception is all in the new social media world) of Hvar as a party destination, the sexy images of the Ultra Europe Beach Party are as good as they get. Will The Yacht Week be allowed to operate next year when the town council has unanimously voted to ban them?
These are big questions to be solved at a higher level, but real change comes on the ground and in the community – if it wants real change. If personal short-term gain continues to be the most important motivation, little will change. If there is a collective will to see Hvar celebrate its 150 years in the appropriate manner, there is some hope. The mayor and the town council have a busy winter ahead. It is unreasonable to expect much to change this season, with his election only weeks old – it will be more than clear if anything can change this time next year. One lives in hope…
