August 1, 2020 – 154 planes landed in Dubrovnik on July 31, 2019 – and on Thursday, there were only 55, said the Dubrovnik mayor of the catastrophic tourist results in the Adriatic pearl.
With the heat, Croatia and Europe are preparing for another summer weekend and a new shift of tourists. They come and go, but not to southern Croatia, reports Jutarnji List.
Mato Frankovic, the mayor of Dubrovnik, the city most affected by the corona crisis, told Dnevnik Nova TV on Friday evening that 8,800 guests were in the city at the end of July.
“That is 32 percent compared to last year. In order to show the drama of the situation – 154 planes landed in Dubrovnik last year, and today, only 55. Last year, 16,500 guests came on this day, and this year, only 2,400. Dubrovnik is recording catastrophic tourist results,” Frankovic revealed.
When asked what it would mean if August is as bad as July, the mayor said that August could be good.
“We need airlines to stay and if it stays that way, if we are not introduced into the quarantine system by our priority markets, Dubrovnik will survive this year,” he said.
He added that the Adriatic pearl is preparing for the worst-case scenario.
“We are in the process of obtaining a loan in the amount of 100 million kuna to help all those who are greatly suffering, and that is the Dubrovnik economy,” he told Dnevnik Nova TV.
Frankovic concluded that Dubrovnik “must never again be a monocultural city that depends exclusively on tourism”.
Recall, after British media announced that a two-week quarantine could be introduced for tourists returning from Croatia, Frankovic wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking him to look at Croatia by region, and not as a whole, when making a decision.
“I know that you are well acquainted with this part of Croatia, and that is one of the reasons why I am addressing you personally.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases from the area of the city of Dubrovnik is three, and currently, over eight thousand tourists are in our city.
We are making every effort at all levels to maintain a favorable epidemiological picture and provide all our guests with a pleasant and safe stay,” reads Frankovic’s letter to Johnson.
Frankovic pointed out that Dubrovnik is one of the safest European destinations for travel with detailed protocols in all situations, including procedures if the number of infected people starts to grow.
“Taking all the above into account and respecting the fact that Dubrovnik tourism depends on the United Kingdom market, I ask you to look at Croatia and its regions when making decisions, and not just as a whole,” concluded Frankovic.
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