Of all the tourism promotional campaigns undertaken by Croatia over the last 12 months, few have been as targetted, or as successful as Dubrovnik’s attempts to woo tourists in the United States.
Traditionally among the best guests to the Pearl of the Adriatic, the pandemic interrupted their regular visits, but the city has been working hard to promote its beauty, heritage and culture over a period of time.
Dubrovnik was aided by the fact that Croatia was the only EU country which was open to American tourists last summer, a message brought home to American audiences through a series of feature stories on ABC News last summer, including one on Good Morning America, which was watched by 12.5 million people. While many Americans may not have been ready or able to travel last summer, the message of a stunning Adriatic historic town openly welcoming Americans stuck home.
A targeted 3-month campaign in Spring promoting Dubrovnik in 73 US airports reinforced the message, and it was not long before not one, but two major US airlines – Delta Air and Uniited – announced direct routes to Dubrovnik from New York for the summer season, with Delta increasing weekly rotations due to strong demand before the inaugural flight.
Popular CNN braodcaster Richard Quest arrived in June to spend some time in the city, including an interview with Dubrovnik Mayor, Mato Frankovic, on the city’s welcome to American tourists during the pandemic.
That story went out in early June, but this week saw the release of an excellent extended feature on Quest’s time in the city on the popular Quest’s World of Wonder, getting to know it up close through the company of local tour guide Ivan Vukovic. The 24-minute show is available on the CNN website by clicking on the image above.
To learn more about the destination, check out the Total Croatia Dubrovnik in a Page guide.
