Is the exceptional development of tourism in the Imotski region really an important factor in the development of this area, or is it just a trend, which, in turn, has been triggered by the arrival of many guests and the improvement of living conditions, primarily holiday home rentals?
This is a doubt many people from Imotski encounter, especially after the latest results of last year’s tourist season. And they are fascinating.
Let’s remember that not so long ago in 2006, over two thousand overnight stays were recorded in the entire Imotski region, of which 30 percent were by foreign guests – and only 12 years later, according to the data from e-Visitor, the Imotski region recorded 9,917 arrivals with 73,830 overnight stays. This is an increase of 22.6 percent in arrivals, and 27 percent in overnight stays compared to 2017, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on January 6, 2019.
Last year, 260 accommodation facilities were registered in the area of Imotski, most of which were holiday homes. In the same period in 2017, there were 173, which means that 90 new objects appeared in just one year. The best news yet is that in 2019, the region expects to reach 300.
The Imotski region has only two hotels and several accommodations, while the rest is made up of private vacation homes, either old or newly built, with a very impressive infrastructure, including swimming pools, gyms, children’s playgrounds and marked trails for recreation.
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If you ask any of the local self-government leaders in the eight municipalities and the City of Imotski about their priority in the coming period, all of them will highlight the improvement of infrastructure for the development of tourism.
All of this contributed to Inland Dalmatia’s prestigious award last year. It is no surprise that the Croatian Tourist Board recognized that the Imotski area plays a significant role in the development of rural tourism and, most importantly, collects excellent guest reviews on accommodation conditions, the ecology of the environment, and hospitality.
The strategic document “Tourism Development Strategy of Imotski Region by 2025” was completed, which was developed by the Institute for Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism. Tourist deputies forecast this year to increase the number of overnight stays by 25 percent compared to 2018. And when all of this is added up, then it can be said that the Imotski region and people of Imotski have embarked on a new step in global top-level development, which is tourism.
“Of course we are satisfied with these results, and the approaches of people who provide services. But next year we will show where we are because every year there are new trends in this form of tourism, which we now offer. Will the guests be satisfied enough with the peace, pools, and walks or will new clients seek new content?
Therefore, we also have to keep up with the trends in the offer, so we have emphasized implementing cycling paths. Cycling tourism is now at the top of the tourist offer in the world, and we have beautiful destinations where these trails can be arranged.
We plan to create about 400 kilometers of cycling paths this year and have our renters certified as cycling friendly, which will surely be a delight to our guests.
Then the construction of themed trails in archaeological tourism, because the Imotski region has a lot of these sites, and a string of signals to OPGs, winemakers, and healthy food producers, so that tourists can feel the charm of the Imotski region,” said Luka Kolovrat, director of the Imotksi Tourist Board.
All in all, what is currently happening in the Imotski region when it comes to tourism goes along with the assumption that tourism should be one of the main determinants of development.
But tourism, without the improvement of the traffic infrastructure (the fast road Imotski – Zagvozd motorway), without a systematic approach to the development of agriculture and the production of healthy food, for which the fields of Imotski has some capacities, will not be enough for the development of this region.
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