Sinj – just like the rest of Split-Dalmatia County – recorded excellent tourist results in 2016.
Last year, the areas of Sinj, Dicmo, Hrvace, and Otok were visited by 11,180 guests who spent 26,861 overnights. Compared to 2014, this is an increase of almost 19% in overnight stays, and compared to 2015 when the 300th Alka was celebrated, this is an increase of 8.31% overnight stays and 3.87% in arrivals, reports Dalmacija News on January 30, 2017.
In addition, in just one year, the number of accommodation units in Sinj increased by more than a hundred. During the jubilee of the 300th Alka, guests could choose from 309 units – and just one year later – the number of accommodation units grew to 429.
“Some people might say, ’what’s 100 units?’ but that number really is a lot for Sinj. We have identified what we want to be in the future, and that is a destination for all 365 days of the year. Of course, we would be satisfied with just seven or eight months, because that is a great start for the development of rural tourism in our area. We have cultural heritage and natural beauty in our area which makes a very good platform to become one of the top destinations in the future,” believes the former mayor of Sinj – Kristina Križanac.
There is surely the development of rural tourism in the Cetina region and the opportunity to keep young people in the area.
“Already, the young people here have recognized an opportunity in that family homes are being converted into accommodations for tourists and there is a tendency of growth – which is shown in the numbers of arrivals and overnight stays in the area. We have two major brands which are the Sinj Alka and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary which can be used to show the rest of what we have, and we have a lot. The future is built on OPG’s and co-operative properties that are quite developed. All of the pieces will gently come together to create a platform that brings better results. It is not easy for the people here to forget the Dalmatia that employed large numbers of people, but they should turn to other things and opportunities,” considered Križanac.
The Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County has been following the tourism development and progress of Sinj, and director Joško Stella is pleased with the results achieved.
“We have excellent cooperation with all the tourist boards, but with the Tourist Board of Inland Dalmatia have a special relationship because they generate much less revenue than those on the islands or along the coast. That is why we completely funded a bicycle lane in the Cetina area, we have a special page that promotes Zagora, we’ve arranged themed trails with funds from EU-grants, and we have invested a lot in education. While the development of rural tourism began in the area of the Imotski, people from the Cetina area see this as their chance,” concludes Stella.
