A study by Croatia Luxury Rent (CLR) reveals that Croats and most Europeans are ready to travel again, whether it be in their own country or abroad. The good news for Croatia is that it is trusted as a safe destination, with vaccinations on the rise, and many remote locations and exclusive accommodations to book outside of all-inclusive hotels.
Based on booking figures and Google Trends search statistics, CLR was able to evaluate European travel behavior for the upcoming season.
Namely, Croats currently make up 1 percent of CLR reservations, which could be thanks to the relatively small Croatian population, privately owned holiday homes, a more spontaneous mentality when it comes to travel, and that vaccination has only just begun.
Interestingly, more than a third of CLR’s bookings come from German guests (39 percent), followed by Austrians (17 percent) and 11 percent from the UK. This could be a consequence of both early vaccination programs and those hoping to travel to the sun and the sea, as snow and viruses rage elsewhere.
Eight percent of CLR’s reservations are from Scandinavia, and 5 percent from Swiss and French guests.
Although the number seems relatively small, demand for holiday homes and villas has increased in recent months.
“I think we are in a better situation this summer than last year. We know what COVID-19 is and how to behave in a pandemic situation. Vaccination has also just begun. I expect the tourist season to be between the last and record 2019 summer. Croatia will follow the guidelines of the “Stay Safe in Croatia” initiative, which will guarantee guests the safe implementation of all epidemiological regulations. In addition, vaccinations of employees in the tourism sector are planned before the main season,” said Veljko Ostojic, former Minister of Tourism and current director of the Croatian Tourism Association.
“Based on the reservations we received in the new year, we can say that the Croatian people want to return to ‘normal’ life. While tourism stagnated last year due to planning difficulties and many countries blocked, there is new hope this year thanks to vaccination. Countries like Croatia are better prepared now – they know what they are dealing with and how to safely deal with anti-virus regulations. Of course, this could not be possible without the cooperation of tourists, who can’t wait to have a nice holiday again,” said Tomislav Fain, President of the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies.
You can find the full study on CLR HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
