Croatia tops the list for summer escapes

Source: Schengen Visa Info

Croatia has recently gained considerable popularity as a top holiday escape for tourists around the world, particularly attracting the interest of travellers coming from Britain.

As reported by local media, pre-pandemic statistical records reveal that the first half of 2018 saw around 1.4 million United Kingdom residents travelling to the Adriatic to enjoy their holiday l, representing an increase of 40 per cent year-on-year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Furthermore, the number of nights spent by visitors from the UK in Croatia experienced a marked increase, from 3.3 million in 2016 to 4.6 million by 2019.

Croatia benefits from an extremely mild and pleasant Mediterranean climate, resulting in warm and dry summers, with average coastal temperatures ranging from 26 to 30°C, while the continental region enjoys milder ranges of 22 to 26 °C and mountainous areas maintain a cooler 15 to 20°C.

Moreover, British tourists don’t need to embark on long flights to enjoy sun-soaked beaches as Croatia offers an exotic escape without the hassle of an extended expedition, with a number of direct flights connecting various UK airports with Croatia. This makes securing budget flights to Croatia as effortless as arranging parking at Manchester Airport.

The British are extremely good at entertainment and such is their prowess in this area, however, this has prompted Croatian authorities to adopt new protocols aimed at curbing rowdy tourist behaviour. Although these regulations are not specifically aimed at British citizens, there have been cases where UK tourists are said to have caused chaos at popular Croatian sites.

Despite the recent enforcement of these restrictions, British visitors can still enjoy Croatia’s lively nightlife and exuberant party atmosphere in cities such as Dubrovnik, Split, Pag Island or Hvar – provided they engage in their celebrations with due prudence and responsibility.

In addition to increased interest from British travellers, there has been a marked increase in Chinese tourists’ curiosity about Croatia this year. This added attraction stems from the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Asian nations. As a result, Croatia has offered a warm welcome to Chinese travellers, benefiting from the positive mutual relationship between the two nations.

At the same time, in January 2023, the Croatian National Tourism Board (CNTB) announced that Croatia holds the second place as the most preferred destination for Austrian travellers.

Based on this research, Italy claims the leading position with a participation rate of 32 per cent, followed by Croatia with 28 per cent, and then Germany with 17 per cent, Greece with 12 per cent and Spain with nine per cent.