June 10, 2020 – Croatia’s islands have some fantastic bargains right now, but few are taking advantage of them. One major factor are the ferry prices.
The island of Hvar has never been more idyllic.
Or as affordable.
I have not been to Hvar Town yet (but will be filming there tomorrow), but stories of cocktails at 25 kuna and just 37 registered guests are incredible.
And apparently true.
If you have never visited Hvar but always dreamed of doing so, you will have no more enjoyable or affordable opportunity than this summer.
As I wrote back on March 25, 2020 in Hope v Reality: Will There Be a 2020 Tourist Season in Croatia?,
‘Competition for tourists after coronavirus is going to be INSANE.’
Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, France, Turkey, Tunisia, Montenegro and many other countries have very large tourism industries, all of which are in a similar situation as Croatia. They will all be trying extra hard to grab whatever they can from the smaller pot of potential tourists. And one of the key weapons they will fight with is one where Croatian tourism is not particularly competitive.
Price.
So how are our tourism gurus dealing with the price war? From the official Ministry of Tourism website on May 28, 2020:
That’s right. State-owned ferry company Jadrolinija decided to play its part in the fight for Croatia’s breathing tourism by not raising prices this year. They did not reduce them either, just kept them the same.
This was spun on the official ministry website as good news, somehow.
So how does it look on the ground?
Those hotels which are open are almost empty right now, and there are some quite sensational offers. 8 days on the water in Jelsa, half-board at Hotel Fontana, just 1,680 kuna per adult (about 220 euro each), with one child free, the second child half price. Here is the link if you want to book.
With such great deals, locals who have a little cash might be able to afford the sunshine island for the first time in years. It will be an incredible summer on Hvar, and I genuinely cannot remember it being so beautiful or tranquil – similar I expect to the first years after the Homeland War.
Great to see the State ferry company recognising that and making it as easy as possible. That family of four could have the holiday of a lifetime on Hvar, bringing their bikes, for just 4,200 kuna for all four, half board, plus ferry crossings.
Ah yes, the ferry crossing from Split to Stari Grad. A return ticket to costs 2 x 460 kuna for your family car with bikes, 4 x 39 kuna for the adults return, and 4 x 19.50 for the kids. The total price comes to 1,152 kuna, more than 25% of the entire holiday cost.
With disposable cash very limited for many families, that 25% could be better spent on a similar hotel deal on the mainland coast. The hotels there are also very empty, and there is plenty of space at the beach.
And spare a thought for the tourism industry on the island of Lastovo.
The fact that the Ministry of Tourism reports no increases in ferry prices as news worthy of publishing on its website tells its own story.
Just an idea, but with Hvar and other islands this affordable, how about reducing the ferry prices 50%? You may find that twice as many people come, which would mean no lost revenue for the State company. And it might give some island businesses a chance to survive.
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