Large increases in tourist arrivals and stays were recorded in Croatia in May, of 30% and close to 40% year on year respectively, which has resulted in the number of arrivals and overnight stays in the first five months of this year going up by 19% and 24% respectively, the Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) said on Tuesday. According to data from the eVisitor and eCrew systems, 1.7 million tourists visited Croatia in May, generating 6.5 million overnight stays, while in the first five months 3.6 million tourists visited the country, generating 11.6 million overnight stays.
Foreign visitors accounted for the largest number of arrivals in the first five months - 2.9 million - and they generated 9.9 million overnight stays, which is 22% and 27% more respectively compared to the same period of last year.
The number of domestic arrivals increased by 10% and the number of their overnight stays by 7%.
Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli has said that the increases in the tourism sector are owing to higher quality and introduction of new tourist services.
HTZ data shows that the northern Adriatic county of Istria leads in terms of overnight stays, with 2 million overnight stays in May and 3.4 million in the first five months.
The region of Kvarner ( a larger Rijeka area) and Split-Dalmatia County reported 1.8 million overnight stays each in the first five months, followed by Dubrovnik-Neretva County with 1.4 million overnight stays, Zadar County, with 925,000 overnight stays, Zagreb, with 820,000 overnight stays, Sibenik-Knin County, with close to 500,000 overnight stays, and Lika-Senj County with 243,000 overnight stays.
The HTZ also points to good results in counties in inland Croatia. Not including Zagreb, counties in the country's interior reported 334,000 visitors and 693,000 overnight stays in the first five months, up 17% and 15% on the year.
The most numerous visitors were those from Germany, followed by Austrians and Slovenians, and visitors from the United Kingdom and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(Hina)
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