Geography of Tourism in Croatia

Abstract

Croatia, located in one of the oldest and most important tourist regions of the world, the Mediterranean Basin, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Traditions of tourism development in Croatia date back to Roman times. The mass tourism, however, expanded in the 1960s and in the 1970s in accordance with an economic policy of Yugoslavia. The number of tourists visiting Croatia was increasing until the Yugoslav civil wars, fought from 1991 to 1995. Croatia has been making a successful effort to return to the international tourism market since then. In 2014, the country was visited by 13.2 million tourists, which is almost 3 times more than its population. Tourists are attracted by both natural and cultural heritage. Although historical places, monuments, museums, and other cultural attractions are of a great value and begin to play an increasingly important role in the development of tourism, the geographical diversity seems to be the main reason for visiting Croatia. The Adriatic Sea shore contrasts with the Dinaric Alps and lowlands regions and varies the territory of only 56,594 km². Moreover, the indented coastline with a large number of islands (1246 islands, islets, rocks, and reefs) together with the Mediterranean climate are the reasons why Croatia is perceived primarily as a country of coastal tourism, where leisure activities are of a great importance. On the other hand, new forms of marine tourism, such as yachting and diving, are also widespread.

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4.1 Assessment of Conditions and Factors for Tourism Development in Croatia

4.1.1 Geographical Location

The geographical location of Croatia is one of the most important factors of tourism development in this country. Croatia is situated in the south of Europe, in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and in the Pannonian Plain. A characteristic feature of this country is its considerable longitudinal expansion. The shape of Croatia is similar to that of a boomerang, whose longer arm is the Adriatic coastline. It is a small country, occupying only 56,594 km². Despite such a small area, the natural environment is extremely varied, with most types of natural landscape found on the continent. The eastern part of Croatia lies in the Pannonian Plain, of the typically lowland scenery. Moving westwards, we observe a sudden change into the mountainous landscape. A small part of the Croatian territory (over 14%) is situated in the Dinaric Alps, which extend from the northwest to the southeast, parallel to the coastline, along the whole Balkan Peninsula. The western part of the Dinaric Alps, flooded by the Adriatic Sea, forms one of the most spectacular types of coastline in Europe, called the Dalmatian type coastline. It consists of approximately 1185 islands, islets, and rocks, as well as peninsulas formed by parallel mountain ranges, separated one from another with flooded valleys. Due to the well-developed coastline, Croatia is a country with one of the largest access to the sea in Europe. It has one of the longest coastlines in Europe—6278 km, 4389 of which belongs to the islands. The coastal location, with mountains in the background creates unique climatic conditions. Croatia lies in two climatic zones. On the coast and on the islands to the west of the Dinaric Alps, there is a typical Mediterranean climate (subtropical zone). In the Dinaric Alps, there is a mountain climate. On the eastern side of the mountains, we have a mild, warm, continental climate (temperate zone). The sharp contrasts in the land relief and the climate in Croatia, resulting from its location on the border of large landscape units in Southern and Central Europe, are very interesting features of the Croatian land, making the country a very attractive destination for tourists.

The location of Croatia in the Southern Europe guaranteed close contacts with the centers of the developing European civilization. The proximity of ancient Greece and Rome could be easily detected in art, architecture, and urban planning of the major Croatian towns, situated mainly on the coast. The remains of the ancient culture were mixed with the elements of the Slavonic culture, which was brought to the Balkan Peninsula by the Slav tribes in the sixth–seventh centuries. In the ninth century, despite the close proximity of Byzantium, the Croats were baptized by the Franks and culturally became a part of the Latin civilization, contrary to the Serbs, who they are ethnically related to, and who remained under the eastern, Byzantine influence. However, many traces of the Byzantine culture may still be found in Croatia today. From the twelfth century Croatia was controlled by Hungary. By the end of the fifteenth century, it also came under the influence of the Republic of Venice (which conquered Dalmatia), as well as the Ottoman Empire. From the sixteenth century till the First World War, it was under the influence of Austria-Hungary. Although Croatia represents the West-European and Central European culture, it has a rich, multicultural heritage, due to its location next to the areas with strong eastern elements (Byzantine, Ottoman).

From the tourist point of view, however, the main asset of Croatia is its location in the Mediterranean Sea Basin, one of the most important and oldest tourist regions in the world. Croatia quickly became a tourist destination. At the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the first forms of tourist infrastructure appeared on the Istria Peninsula (Ateljević and Čorak 2006) (Photograph 4.10). The development of rail and ferry connections in the times of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy caused a noticeable increase in tourist flows on the whole Croatian coast (Jordan 1995, Wiluś and Włodarczyk 1996). Despite numerous geopolitical changes in the Balkan area, which has been taking place since the First World War, the coastal location has always been the main factor of the tourism development in Croatia. Also, the over one hundred-year-long tourist tradition makes Croatia stand out from other Mediterranean countries (Pepeonik and Curić 1996).

An important location asset of Croatia is also the close proximity of the major tourist markets. Croatia is a Mediterranean country situated close to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, where the large number of tourists comes from. What is more, it is very well connected with these countries, through a well-developed network of roads and motorways.

4.1.2 Natural Preconditions for Tourism Development

The richness and exceptional diversity of the natural environment on the small area of the country enhance the tourist attractiveness of Croatia. It is a mountainous and lowland country, 14% of which is covered by the Dinaric Alps, divided into smaller, individual massifs, such as Gorski Kotar, Velika and Mala Kapela, Velebit, Biokovo and the highest Dinara, rising to 1831 m above sea level. The common feature of these mountains is the karst landforms, which form one of the largest karst areas in Europe. The karst of the Dinaric Alps is considered to be the most classic one. The particularly attractive landscape is created by surface karst landforms. They include long, shallow holes, extending sometimes over several kilometers long poljes, systems of lakes (e.g. Plitvička jezera) (Photograph 4.2), waterfalls (e.g. on the Krka river) (Photograph 4.3), and caves (e.g. the underwater Modra špilja). In Croatia, except for the mountains formed during the Alpine orogeny, there are also other mountain ranges belonging to the old fault-block mountains near Zagreb (Medvednica, Žumberačka gora) and in the eastern part of the country (Papuk). To the east of the Dinaric Alps, there is a flat area of the Pannonian Lowland, which extends to Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania. The lowland is crossed by the largest Croatian rivers: the Sava, the Drava, the Kupa, and the Danube, which is one of the most attractive tourist water trails in Europe. From the tourist perspective, the eastern, lowland part of the country is generally less attractive, but at the same time, foreign tourists are less familiar with it. One of the major natural assets found in the continental part of the country are the geothermal waters with medicinal properties, used in spas (e.g. Varaždinske Toplice and Krapinske Toplice). The continental part of Croatia is separated from the sea by the Dinaric Alps, which are a giant natural barrier. On each side of the mountains, the climatic and natural conditions are completely different. Going from the east westwards, we may observe a clear change from the temperate into the Mediterranean climate, which enhances the development of different forms of recreational tourism, mainly due to the long tourist season, lasting from May to October. Apart from the high temperatures, the main features of the climate on the Croatian coast which encourage the development of tourism are a small amount or even lack of precipitations in the summer season and a considerable exposure to sunlight, up to 380 h in July (Magaš et al. 2000). A typical feature of the coastal climate is the winds. Sirocco, which increases the humidity of the coastal air is locally called “jugo.” Bora, known in Croatia as “bura,” soothes the impact of high temperatures in the summer. The climatic conditions enable to develop the spa tourism, which is based on the curative properties of the climate (large exposure to sunlight, small changeability of the air temperature during the day, the presence of sea aerosol, low humidity). The best known spa is Opatija, situated on the eastern coast of the Istria Peninsula (Photograph 4.9).

The natural conditions on each side of the mountains are also different. On the eastern side, on the lowland, we find steppes, forest steppes, and riparian forests at places. Having crossed the mountains, we find a different, Mediterranean flora, typical of the subtropical zone, with characteristic makki bushes, oleanders, palm trees, imported by the ancient Romans, cypresses, citrus, and olive trees. Generally, Croatian flora is not considered to be a significant natural, recreational asset. A much more important fact is its great variety as we move across the country.

As regards the natural conditions, the most attractive part of the country is the Adriatic coast. The main asset here is the sea. The water temperature in summer is 20–25 °C, which makes bathing extremely pleasurable. The sedimentary rocks (limestone, dolomite, chalk) on the sea bed filtrate the sea water, making it very clean and transparent. The warm, clean waters of the Adriatic Sea are the home of various sea creatures. This type of advantages enhances the development of underwater tourism. Diving and snorkeling are currently one of the most attractive forms of recreation in the coastal zones of warm seas. The sea water in the Adriatic has medicinal properties, as well as, due to its high salinity, rich chemical composition, pleasant temperature, and moderate waving.

Another natural asset of the Croatian coast is the very well-developed and varied coastline. The coastal landscape is formed by over 1000 islands and islets, as well as a number of peninsulas, parallel one to another. The space between the islands and peninsulas is filled with elongated canals and bays, which create very attractive sailing conditions on the Adriatic Sea. Sailing tourism thrives not only due to a large number of islands but also the short distances between them. Moreover, the considerable sea depths next to the rocky coasts of these islands make it easier to build typical yacht marinas, which are an indispensable element of the tourist infrastructure required in sailing tourism. The co-occurrence of the Dinaric Alps and the Adriatic Sea is reflected in the large number of interesting and attractive coastal landscape forms, such as cliffs, islets, capes, and beaches, used in tourism and recreation. The majority of the beaches on the Croatian coast are stony or gavel. They are quite narrow; however, there is one beach that can be considered as wide—the Zlatni rat in the southwestern part of the Brač island, in a small locality called Bol, which has the shape of a horn protruding into the sea and changing under the influence of the coastal sea current. It is the largest beach in the country, treated as the symbol of Croatian tourism.

The natural assets of Croatia are extremely attractive and favor the development of different forms of recreational tourism. The advantages of the Adriatic coast are of predominant importance. The country is perceived as a coastal recreational tourism region, of 3 × S type.

A contrast to mass tourism is sustainable tourism, which develops in areas of particular natural and cultural value. From the tourist’s and naturalist’s point of view, the most attractive and valuable are the protected areas. In 2015, in Croatia, there were 408 protected areas, covering jointly 7541.99 km² (8.56% of the country’s total area). Only 11% of that are national parks. There are eight of them (Table 4.1), situated in the western part of the country, in the mountainous region, close to the sea coast, as well as in the Croatian archipelagos. Most of them protect karst landforms (The Plitvička jezera, Paklenica, Krka National Parks). Three parks protect the island landscapes (The Brijuni, Kornati, and Mljet National Parks) and other two mountain landscapes (The Risnjak and Sjeverni Velebit National Parks). The most famous national parks in Croatia include the following: The Plitvička jezera National Park, protecting one of the most beautiful examples of the karst landscape in Europe, formed by a system of lakes and waterfalls.

Table 4.1 National Parks in Croatia

It is the first national park created in Southern Europe. In 1979, it was put on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. Other major national parks in Croatia include the following: The Paklenica National Park, created in the same year as the Plitvice.

Lakes National Park (The Plitvička jezera), which protects the highest parts of the Velebit massif. Interesting parks are those protecting the landscapes of the small archipelagos of the Brijuni and Kornati islands, as well as the Mljet island. A beautiful park is The Krka National Park, protecting the karst landscape of the Krka River Valley with numerous waterfalls. In 2011, national parks in Croatia were visited by 2.3 million tourists (Table 4.1). The most visited ones were Plitvice Lakes National Park (The Plitvička jezera) and The Krka National Parks.

Another form of nature protection in Croatia is nature parks. In 2015, there were 11 of them and they covered the total of 448,730 ha (3.7% of the country’s area) (Table 4.2). The largest nature park is the Velebit Park, situated on the coast. In contrast to the national parks, the nature parks are distributed more evenly all over the country (Fig. 4.1).

Table 4.2 Nature Parks in Croatia in 2015

Fig. 4.1

Spatial arrangements of natural and cultural tourist sites of Croatia (Source Muszyńska 2007, actualization 2015)

To sum up, Croatia possesses very attractive and varied natural assets, mainly recreational, due to the fact that the country lies on the borderline between the Dinaric Alps and the Adriatic Sea. It is considered to be one of the most attractive tourist regions in Europe. Despite the predominantly recreational character of the natural assets of Croatia, we also observe a growing interest in the educational values of the landscape. Its unique assets include first of all the Dalmatian coastline and the karst relief of the Dinaric Alps.

4.1.3 Cultural–Historical Preconditions of Tourism

Although Croatian tourism largely depends on the recreational assets of the coastal area, the cultural and natural heritage found in the central parts of the country (Hall 1998, 2000, Hughes and Allen 2005) is more and more often promoted, in order to change the image of Croatia from that of a mass tourism country (3 × S type), into that with rich and varied cultural heritage, visited also for educational purposes. Due to the prevailing role of the recreational assets, cultural tourism has, in general, remained in the shadow of recreational tourism, despite the fact that many cultural attractions of international status and huge artistic value, put on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, are situated on the coast and the islands. From the moment tourism started to develop, one of the main purposes of traveling to Croatia have been the widely understood seaside qualities. As the interest in the cultural heritage is growing all over the world, the importance of Croatia’s cultural assets is increasing as well. It is also related to the coastal location of the most attractive cultural assets, mentioned earlier. The main part of Croatia’s cultural heritage is situated on the coast, especially in Dalmatia; 54.2% of all registered cultural monuments in this country are found in the seaside area (Table 4.3), which is one of the largest concentrations of this type of attractions in the whole Mediterranean Sea basin.

Table 4.3 Croatian cultural resources (number of registered cultural monuments)—regional scheme

All the Croatian cultural sites from the UNESCO List are found in towns lying along the Adriatic Sea coast, which enhances the already high tourist attractiveness of the coastal region (Table 4.4). The appeal of the Croatian cultural heritage comes from its age, good condition, and varied origins. The most attractive historical monuments are the oldest ones, dating back to antiquity. The territory of today’s Croatia was colonized by the Greeks in as early as the fourth century BC. It was a time when many towns were founded, especially in Dalmatia (e.g. Issa on the Island of Vis, Pharros and Dimos on the Island of Hvar, Salona—near today’s Split (Photograph 4.7), Tragurion—today’s Trogir, or Korkyra Melaina—today’s Korčula on an island bearing the same name).

Table 4.4 Sites in Croatia featured on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List (2015)

The most typical ancient historical monuments in Croatia come from the Roman times. They include a very well-preserved Diocletian’s Palace in Split, monuments in Pula (Vespasian’s amphitheater (Photograph 4.8), Augustus’ shrine (Photograph 4.6), Arch of the Sergii), Zadar (Photograph 4.4) and Poreč, where the spatial layouts of the Roman legions’ camps have been preserved within the structure of the city. Croatia’s location in the area of the overlapping influence of the Venetian Republic, Hungary (with which Croatia formed a union), Byzantium, and the Ottoman Empire caused those countries to compete for the lands belonging to the Croatian Duchy, established in the tenth century. Visible signs of this competition are the surviving examples of Byzantine sacral art and architecture in Poreč (The Euphrasian Basilica), Romanesque buildings in Trogir (St. Lawrence church), and Gothic-Renaissance ones in Šibenik (St. Jacob’s Cathedral). The most spectacular example of influence in culture and art from the times of the Venetian Republic is Dubrovnik, called “the Pearl of the Adriatic (Photograph 4.5).” The Old Town in Dubrovnik has the most spectacular examples of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture in the country, which were faithfully restored after suffering heavy damage due to earthquakes and bombardments during the conflict with Serbia in the early 1990s. Moreover, the influence of the Venetian Renaissance is visible in many smaller towns, picturesquely situated on islands and peninsulas (Korčula, Hvar, Rovinj (Photograph 4.1), Primošten, etc.). The cultural landscape from the antique, medieval, and renaissance period is complemented with buildings coming from the times of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. They are baroque monuments, situated in the eastern and northern part of the country, mostly in larger cities (e.g. Zagreb, Rijeka, Vukovar), spas, and famous holiday resorts (e.g. Opatija). Generally speaking, Croatia is very attractive for cultural tourism to develop; it is gradually regaining the prominent position it should hold because of the huge value and significance of the cultural heritage of this country. Getting to know the cultural assets may soon become an important aim of traveling to Croatia, rivaling the recreational purposes.

4.2 Basic Infrastructure of Tourism

Tourist development is the outcome of the number, character, and distribution of the tourist assets. It is also the effect of the overall development of tourism in a given country. Tourism in Croatia has long traditions, connected with the development of the tourist infrastructure. Due to the high attractiveness of its tourist assets, Croatia is perceived as a country with well-developed tourist infrastructure. In 2014, there were 960,743 tourist bed-places available in Croatia (Table 4.5). Compared to the previous year, the number increased by 5.6% which is comparable to the data from 2008, which was a year with the largest number of bed-places recorded in the studied period (decrease of only 0.1%).

Table 4.5 Tourist accommodation structure in Croatia (the number of bed-places)

The structure of the tourist accommodation changed as well. The predominant forms are small establishments, which are private property (Fig. 4.2). In 2014, they offered nearly half (49%) of all the bed-places, which was 12.9% more than in 2013 (Table 4.5, Fig. 4.3). The largest increase in the number of beds, compared to other types, was recorded in hostels—16.1%. Private rooms were followed by campsites, which offered 25% of all bed-places in the country. Between 1980 and 2014, the accommodation capacity of campsites was undergoing small changes. In 2014, we observed a small decrease (by 1.4%) compared to 2013. Hotels and apartments came third, constituting 13.8% of the overall tourist accommodation of the country. It must be stressed, however, that the role of hotels and apartments in the tourist service in Croatia is growing, which is proved by the increase in the number of bed-places, both recently and in comparison with the times before the military crisis (Fig. 4.2).

Fig. 4.2

Tourist accommodation structure in Croatia (number of bed-places) (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

Fig. 4.3

The number of bed-places in accommodation facilities in Croatia by counties (županija) in 2014 (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

Fig. 4.4

The differences in the number of bed-places between categorized accommodation facilities and the entire base in Croatia (2014) (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

Another change in the structure of the accommodation facilities in Croatia is the decreasing significance of social tourism facilities. They include different types of collective accommodation, which had been one of the basic elements of the tourist infrastructure in this country until 1990. In the last period, the decrease in the number of bed-places in this form of tourist infrastructure was 30.1% (Table 4.5). After introducing the Tourist Services Act in 2008 (Act on the Provision of Tourism Services, The Croatian Parlament, http://www.mint.hr/UserDocsImages/act-tourism-services.pdf), regulating the issues of tourist accommodation categorization, this type of facilities stopped appearing as a separate category (Table 4.6, Fig. 4.2). The categorized accommodation facilities became clearly dominated by hotels, which in 2014 constituted almost 3/4 of all the types of accommodation (Table 4.6).

Table 4.6 Tourist accommodation structure in Croatia in 2014 (only categorized accommodation facilities)

On the other hand, when it comes to the number of bed-places, the dominant position in Croatia was occupied by campsites, which had 108,403 bed-places in 2014 (42.3%). The categorized hotels offered a similar number of bed-places—104,253 which made 40.7% of all the categorized bed-places.

The domination of hotels and campsites in the accommodation structure comes from the fact that this type of facilities, as basic and best recognizable elements of the tourist accommodation infrastructure, undergo categorization and standardization as first. The remaining forms of accommodation do not play a greater role in the structure of accommodation in Croatia. The share of all of them in the overall categorized structure did not exceed 10%. In 162 of them (18.6% of all categorized facilities), there were 43,438 bed-places available (17.0% of all the categorized bed-places). A considerable number of the accommodation facilities still avoid the statutory obligation of categorization and standardization (Fig. 4.5). This regards mainly private rooms, offering nearly half of all the bed-places in Croatia.

Fig. 4.5

Tourist accommodation in Croatia in 2014 (only categorized accommodation facilities) (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

An important aspect of tourist accommodation is its standard, which indirectly represents the quality of hotel services. Half of all the accommodation facilities in Croatia were three star hotels—47.0% (Table 4.7). They offered over 36.5% of all the categorized bed-places. They were followed by four star hotels, which constituted slightly over ¼ of all the facilities and offered 37.7% of the categorized bed-places. Third place was taken by two star hotels, which offered 20.2% of all categorized beds in 18.4% of accommodation facilities in 2014. Five and one star hotels formed the smallest groups (1–5%). Generally speaking, the standard of tourist accommodation in Croatia is quite high, which is proved by a clear domination of three and four star hotels.

Table 4.7 The number of accommodation facilities and bed-places in Croatia by star-rating categories (2014)

On the other hand, the high percentage of lower standard accommodation facilities (two and one star hotels) enlarges the group of potential clients by the less affluent tourists, mainly from Central and Eastern Europe, including the countries created from the former Yugoslavian republics.

In the past, as a part of former Yugoslavia, Croatia differed from other post-socialist countries with a relatively high standard of hotel services. This resulted from the considerable interest in recreation in Croatia among the inhabitants of Western Europe, who made the predominant group of tourists in this country until the end of the 1980s. The standard of the tourist services matched their expectations. Croatia was one of the best developed tourist markets in Central and Eastern Europe, offering 65% of the overall tourist accommodation infrastructure found in former Yugoslavia at that time. Before the conflict broke out (1991), the accommodation infrastructure in Croatia had consisted of facilities in two categories. On the one hand, there were large, typical hotel-type complexes, meant mainly for collective recreation, especially for families who could not afford to go on holidays to other Mediterranean countries. They concentrated 75% of all the capital invested in tourism in Croatia (Jordan 2000) and offered 1/3 of all the bed-places available in the country (Ateljević and Čorak 2006) They were state property, run by so-called corporations, which enjoyed a lot of freedom in their business activity on both local and international tourist markets. On the other hand, they were strongly dependent on the western tour operators, who booked 80–90% of bed-places at very low prices, which led to low profits from tourism (Jordan 2006). At the same time, there were small family businesses, offering hotel services at specially designed tourist flats, apartments, and bungalows, built for the money earned by renting rooms in the families’ private houses. The standard of those facilities, meant for individual tourism, met the expectations of West-European tourists. Many of such investments were financed with the money earned by Croatians working in West Germany. The situation changed after the Serbian-Croatian conflict ended, mainly regarding the structure of the tourist accommodation users. West-European tourists, who were afraid to come because of the political unrest, were replaced by tourists from Central and Eastern Europe, who were less demanding as to the tourist infrastructure (Pepeonik and Curić 2000). The number of bed-places decreased by 31%. The subsidies for the existing tourist infrastructure were withheld, as tourist flows ceased during the conflict and right after it finished, which led to the physical destruction and collapse of many large state recreational complexes. Moreover, after the war, Croatian refugees from former Yugoslavian republics settled down in former hotels, causing further destruction to the infrastructure, mainly because of the lack of investments in those facilities. Before the conflict, tourism was one of the most important spheres of economic life in many coastal communes. In some of them, the average share of tourism in the income reached 80% (Jordan 1995). When the war ended, it took ten years for the tourist investment to regain the level from before the conflict. Briefly before the war, in 1990, there were over 800,000 bed-places available (Table 4.5, Fig. 4.2). It was only in 2005 that this number was exceeded. Since then, we have been observing a slightly fluctuating increase in the number of bed-places. Currently (2014), the tourist accommodation development rate is similar to that from before the war. The most dynamic is the private sector, which increased its share in the whole sector of accommodation services to 73% in 2004 (Ateljević and Čorak 2006) and to nearly 50% in 2014.

The next characteristic feature of the tourist infrastructure in Croatia is its uneven distribution within the country’s space. A strong concentration of the accommodation facilities can be observed in the Adriatic Sea region. In seven coastal counties (županija), there were 910,142 bed-places available, i.e., 93.1% of the country’s total tourist accommodation resources (Table 4.8, Fig. 4.3). If we consider the categorized facilities alone, the situation looks similar. In 2014, the 728 facilities (83.4%) in the coastal districts offered 245,619 bed-places (94.8%) (Table 4.9, Fig. 4.4). The best developed regions were The Istria county (Istarska županija—26.2% of all the bed-places and 34.5% of the bed-places categorized at 18.9% of accommodation facilities) and The Split-Dalmatia county (Splitsko-dalmatinska županija—20.0, 22.0, and 18.9%, respectively) (Table 4.9, 4.10).

Table 4.8 Accommodation capacities in Croatia by counties (2014)

Table 4.9 The number of categorized accommodation facilities in Croatia by regions in 2011

Table 4.10 The number of bed-places in categorized accommodation facilities in Croatia by regions in 2011

The following places were also very attractive tourist destinations, closely situated to the most important tourism markets of Europe in northwestern Croatia, i.e., The Primorje-Gorski kotar (Primorsko-goranska županija—18.3, 22.0, and 17.52%, respectively) and The Zadar county (Zadarska županija—13.3, 8.5, and 7.3%, respectively). The northcentral part of the coast (Lika-Senj, Ličko-senjska županija) is less developed in terms of tourist infrastructure, except for the islands (Wiluś and Włodarczyk 1996). The share of the remaining two coastal districts in the country’s tourist accommodation did not exceed 10%. The districts situated in the central and eastern part of Croatia do not play a significant role in the country’s accommodation infrastructure.

Except for Zagreb (the capital), in those districts, the share in the accommodation infrastructure did not exceed 1% regarding the number of bed-places, or 2% as regarded the number of accommodation facilities.

In the coastal region, similarly to the whole country, the most numerous type of facilities was the hotels (Table 4.9, Fig. 4.5), while as regards the number of bed-places, it was the camp sites (Table 4.10, Fig. 4.5).

The spatial structure of the tourist accommodation in Croatia is in fact fully developed and typical of areas where the tourist function predominates. As regards the development of tourist infrastructure, the coastal regions will still have no competition for many years to come. This results not only from the high tourist attractiveness of the Croatian coast but also from the fact that of coastal regions all over the world remain unchangingly popular.

4.3 Incoming Tourism

Croatia has been considered as tourist destination since the ancient time, when Romans used to build their villa rustica on Adriatic coast (e.g. on the Brijuni Islands, in Split) and visited health resorts like Varaždinske Toplice (Aquae Iasae Roman settlement). In medieval times, east Adriatic islands (Korčula, Hvar) and cities on the coast (Zadar, Dubrovnik) were located on the route to Jerusalem important for pilgrimage and for trade. In nineteenth century, it was a popular destination for romantic tours in “Retour à la nature” style. In this period, one can distinguish three main destinations:

• Dinaric mountains (Učka, Velebit, Dalmatia region),

• spas in Central Croatia (Stubičke Toplice, Sutinske Toplice, Tuheljske Toplice),

• holiday resorts near cities like Samobor west of Zagreb (Vukonić 2005).

The development of transport in the end of nineteenth century resulted in destination choices (Muszyńska 2015). Ports on Adriatic coast started to be of great importance (Split, Dubrovnik, Silba, Zadar, Šibenik, Hvar, Korčula, Mali Lošinj, Rijeka), especially those which were equipped with railway (in Istria, Kvarner, and north Dalmatia region). Apart from well-known thermal health resort (Lipik, Topusko, Krapinske Toplice and Varaždinske Toplice) and sea resorts (like Opatija, Crikvenica on the north), the islands, particularly with nude beaches (Rab), became more popular. Besides the coast, tourism development was noticed in mountain resorts located in Gorski kotar, Plitvice region and hunting areas like Spačvanske šume. Seasonality was clearly visible then. Tourists visited Croatia from autumn to winter, when averages temperatures were higher than in northern part of Austro-Hungarian Empire, where most of the visitors came from. It is hard to define the precise number of tourists at that time. Selected available data are presented in the Table 4.11.

Table 4.11 Number of visitors in Croatian cities in the end of nineteenth century (chosen examples)

These trends did not change before the WWI except for the fact that the role of Dalmatia region increased rapidly (from 11,424 visitors in 1903 to 53,178 in 1907, and 66,588 in 1909). Number of tourist visits diminished in the interwar period, and new destinations became popular:

• suburban areas of Zagreb (Medvednica, Sljeme, Samobor), Rijeka (Delnice, Gorski kotar, Crikvenica, Selce, Opatija), Split (Marjan, islands),

• islands (Brač, Pag, Korčula, Hvar, Rab),

• towns on the coast like Makarska, Brela, Baška Voda.

It is estimated that in 1929 Croatia was visited by over 150,000 people, 52% of whom were foreigners. The most popular cities are presented in the Table 4.12.

Table 4.12 Most frequently visited cities in Croatia during interwar period

After WWII domestic tourism dominated. In 1946, 430,000 people from Yugoslavia spent their vacation in Croatia. In 1952, visas for foreigners from countries that had diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia were abolished.

As a result, general number of tourist nights increased by 21% until year 1960 and number of foreign tourists—by 31%. What is especially interesting, contrary to the rest of communist countries, foreign visitors from East Europe did not come to Croatia as a result of Tito and Stalin conflict of interests. In 1960, Croatia possessed 65% of all tourist beds in Yugoslavia (Jordan 2000). Building huge tourist resorts as Koversada or Plava Laguna (with 7000 and 31,000 bed-places) generated growth of tourist arrivals up to 10.5 million in 1987.

Civil war in 1990s put an end to flourishing development of tourism (Fig. 4.6). In 1991, number of tourist arrivals was comparable to that from 1961. Since the end of the conflict, one of the principal political and economic aim was to attract tourists again.

Fig. 4.6

Number of tourists in Croatia (1975–2014) (Source Muszyńska 2007, adaptation in 2015 based on Statistical Yearbooks of Croatia 2014 and http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

The most secure place for tourists seemed to be the Istrian peninsula and Adriatic waters—in 1996, the number of tourist arrivals in north Adriatic marinas amounted to 70–80% of the pre-war state (Muszyńska 2015).

As a consequence of the politics after WWII and hostilities in 1990s, the following changes can be noticed:

• 1. Ratio between the number of domestic and foreign tourists. Even in 1980, the relation was 50/50, but after ten years, foreign tourism dominated (59% in 1990 and 55% in 1995). In twenty-first century, domestic tourists consist about 15% of the overall number.

• 2. Changes in national structure of tourist. In 1996, number of visitors from Germany decreased by 70% and Italians—by 55%. Similar situations can be observed with visitors from Great Britain and France. However, Croatia became more popular among visitors from East-Central Europe as a fancy destination for Czechs, Hungarians, Slovaks, and Poles.

• 3. Seasonality. Comparing to the beginning of the twentieth century, the changes involve seasonality as well. In the year 2000, around 90% of general number of tourist visited Croatia in the summer time (June–September) and in 2010 approx. 64% of tourist nights were just in July and August.

According to Croatian Bureau of Statistics data, in 2010, Croatia was visited by 10.6 million tourists (86% of them were foreigners) who spent 56.4 million nights there (Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske 2011). In 2014, 13.128 million of tourist spent 66.483 million nights in Croatia. The number of foreign tourist nights increases, whereas the fluctuations of number of domestic tourist nights are insignificant since the beginning of twenty-first century (Fig. 4.7).

Fig. 4.7

Tourist overnight stays in Croatiain 2001 - 2014 (excluding overnights in nautical ports) (Source Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske 2011 and 2014 and http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363).

Germans make 15.5% of all tourists and generate 22% tourist overnight stays in Croatia (Fig. 4.8). Tourists from the former Yugoslavian republics make 11% (8.5% are Slovenians who spent 9.5% tourist nights). There are also a lot of visitors from countries which formerly, before the WWII, occupied the territory of Croatia: from Italy (8%), Austria (7.7%), and Hungary (2.6%). Number of tourists from other East-Central Europe countries (Czech Republic 5%, Poland 5%, Slovakia 2.7%, Russia 1.2%) is as significant as those from Western Europe and North America (France 3.6%, Netherlands 2.7%, UK 3%, Spain 1.2%, USA 1.8%).

Fig. 4.8

Foreign tourist overnight stays at accommodation facilities in Croatia by country of residence (Source Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske 2011 and 2014)

According to the data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, tourist resorts are the following locations: Zagreb, bathing resorts, seaside resort, mountain resorts, other types of tourist resorts, and others. In 2013, 84% of tourists visited seaside resorts and spent there 93% nights (Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske, 2014). These data relate to foreign tourists as well (86% arrivals and 94% nights), who rarely arrive to bathing resorts. Sojourns of domestic tourist are more diverse. Only 63% of them visit seaside resorts, 11.7% Zagreb, 5% bathing resorts, and 2.4% mountain ones. It reveals the significant change in choosing tourist destinations within one century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Croatia was famous for its spas, now they are almost forgotten by foreigners.

There are three main types of accommodation chosen by tourists: hotels and apartment hotels (38.4% of tourist arrivals), private rooms (26.9%), and campsites (18.5%). Number of tourist nights (Fig. 4.9) is higher in private rooms (35.9%) than in hotels and apartment hotels (25%) and campsites (24.8%).

Fig. 4.9

Domestic and foreign tourist overnight stays at accommodation facilities in Croatia in 2014 (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

Number of tourist arrivals and overnight stays can be related to Croatian counties as well (Fig. 4.10). The most frequently visited is the northern part of Adriatic coast, which can be easily reached by plane and car. Istria county (Istarska županija) is visited by 23.9% of tourists who spend 29.9% of the overall number of overnight stays there. The second position is occupied by Primorje-Gorski kotar county (Primorsko-goranska županija) with 19.1% of arrivals and 19.1% of overnight stays, and the third one by Split-Dalmatia county (Splitsko-dalmatinska županija) (16.4% of arrivals and 17.7% of overnight stays). The rest of coastal counties are Dubrovnik-Neretva (Dubrovačko-neretvanska) and Zadar (Zadarska) counties (10 and 8.7% of arrivals), Šibenik-Knin (Šibensko-kninska) (5.7% of arrivals), and Lika-Senj (Ličko-senjska) counties (3.9% of arrivals). Zagreb is visited by 6.9% of tourists. The number of tourist sojourns in other counties is very small (4% in whole Central Croatia and 1.3% in Slavonia region).

Fig. 4.10

Number of tourists and overnight stays in Croatia by counties (2014) (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

The average length of stay of tourists sojourning on the coast is up to 4 days, whereas in continental part of the country it is less than 3 days (Fig. 4.11). That confirms that tourists arrive to different regions for various reasons: for leisure at the seaside and for business purposes and for incentive tourism in the continental part of Croatia.

Fig. 4.11

Average length of stay of tourists in Croatia by counties (2014) (Source http://www.mint.hr/default.aspx?id=363)

Fig. 4.12

Croatian tourist regions Croatia [Source Muszyńska 2007, Wizerunek Chorwacji w przewodnikach turystycznych (master thesis manuscript)]

Photograph 4.1

Rovinj—popular tourist resort and fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula (all Photograph author’s)

Photograph 4.2

Plitvice Lakes National Park—the large waterfall

Photograph 4.3

Waterfalls on the river Krka in The Krka National Park

Photograph 4.4

Zadar—St. Donatus church, ninth century

According to the detailed data from Institute for Tourism, in summer 2010 to coastal counties came 52% of tourists with their family members, 33% with a partner only, 11% with friends, and just 3% alone (Hrvatski turizam u brojkama 4/ 2010). The same data reveal that Croatia is still a new destination on the European market, at least for 38% of tourists who came to the country in 2010. Most tourists organize their trips independently (in 67% of cases) and travel agencies help them mostly in organizing accommodation (in 28% of cases). Visitors travel to Croatia using their own cars (in 67% of cases). Other means of transport chosen by tourists are as follows: car with caravan (in 11% of cases), airplane (in 8% of cases), motorhome or motor caravan (in 5% of cases), bus (in 5% of cases), and others. Is it estimated that average expenditure for organized trip oscillates around 774 Euro and for individually organized trip—620 Euro (Hrvatski turizam u brojkama 4/ 2010 ).

To break the stereotype of a typical tourist in Croatia, who is as a family member looking for 3 × S, it is worth to mention the data from 2005, which indicate that visitors in Croatia are avid for knowledge about this country and enjoy Croatia’s cultural offer (Table 4.13).

Table 4.13 Most frequently visited tourist sights and attractions in Croatia in 2005

4.4 Main Types of Tourism in Croatia

Croatian tourism is perceived mostly from the perspective of 3 × S. However, in a country, where tourism generates ca. 15% GDP (http://hgk.biznet.hr/hgk/tekst.php?a=b&page=tekst&id=366) and attracts about 10 million incoming tourists per year, it is obvious, that it offers more than the Adriatic coast. Being concerned for sustainable tourism and competitiveness on the global market, in 2003, the Croatian Ministry of Tourism implemented “Croatian tourism development by 2010” strategy (Strategy of tourism development in Croatia until 2010 (Strategija razvoja hrvatskog turizma do 2010 . godine). Six types of tourism (ecotourism, cultural tourism, thematic tourism, adventure tourism, cruises, and nautical tourism) were taken into account as the areas in which Croatia has a significant potential, others also have a high priority of development (Table 4.14). However, not only these types of tourism are developed in the country. Leisure trips were and are at the base of tourism development in Croatia. Although at first sojourns were concentrated in wintertime, because of the country’s mild climate, in the twentieth century they transformed into mass 3 × S tourism, which is confirmed by statistical data mentioned in previous chapters.

Table 4.14 High priority in development of type of tourism and in Croatian regions

However, since traditional way of traveling and beach vacations are not sufficient for modern tourists, Croatian authorities are forced to create a new, progressive image of tourism in the country, which is based on more varied elements then just sea, sun, and sand (which is, in fact, a rarity on Croatian beaches).

Ecotourism creates opportunities to stimulate the development in both economically backward regions of continental Croatia and protected areas. Though ecotourism is associated mostly with alternative way of traveling, it does not exclude mass tourism (e.g., tourists sojourning on the coast take part in excursions to national parks or nature parks). In continental and mountain part of the country, it can be based on sustainable hunting tourism, bird watching (Park prirode Kopački rit, Park prirode Lonjsko polje), fishing tourism (rivers: the Kupa, the Korana, the Mrežnica, the Lička Jesenica, the Slunjčica, the Gacka, the Una, the Zrmanja, the Vrlika, the Danube), as well as rural tourism (Istrian interior, Central Croatia, islands)¹, and year-round mountain holidays, both of which overlap with organic food, wine, and culinary tourism.

Photograph 4.5

Dubrovnik—Stradun, main street

Photograph 4.6

Pula—Temple of Roma and Augustus from 2 year BC

Photograph 4.7

Split—The Cathedral of Saint Domnius, built in 305 as the Mausoleum of Diocletian

Photograph 4.8

The Arena of Pula—roman amphitheater (Colosseum) from first century AD

Photograph 4.9

Opatija—Spa and tourist resort on the east coast of the Istrian penisula

Photograph 4.10

Grand Hotel Kvarner in Opatija

Croatia is proud of its wine, especially those indigenous ones. Wine routes with traditional vineyard and degustation of homemade wines have become attractions in Istria (wine varieties Malvoisie, Teran), Dalmatia and islands (Babić, Debit, Maraština, Plavac, Bogdanuša, Grk, Pošip, Žlahtina), and Pannonian Croatia (Graševina, Traminac).

Culinary tourism relies on local products like paški sir (cheese from Pag), truffle from Istria, mlinci, or Zagorski štrukli. Regions famous for their cuisine are Međimurje (bele čurke, meso ‘z tiblice, turoš) and Dubrovnik (jelo ispod cripnje, zelena menestra, šporki makaruli). Some of the dishes aspire to be included on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Mediterranean diet is already on the list. Croatian cuisine is perceived as one of the components of cultural tourism as well.

Urban and cultural tourism, composed of cultural and historical sights and events, are one of the most valuable tourist offers in Croatia. Although the majority of tourists visit cities and their cultural facilities on the coast (e.g. Malacological Museum in Makarska, amphitheater Arena in Pula, Roman urban structure, cathedrals as Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč), many of them travel also in the continental part of Croatia. Except for the capital, Zagreb, the region holds other numerous medieval castles (like Trakošćan, Veliki Tabor), renaissance cities (like ideal six-shaped fortress of Karlovac), baroque fortress (in Slavonski Brod), and unique museums (Naive Art Museum in Hlebine, Neanderthal Museum in Krapina). An inseparable supplement for monuments are events, in which tourist participate all over the country. However, the actions on the coast are organized with the intention to attract tourists, and one can notice their international names (e.g. Studena Croatia Open in Umag, Motovun Film Festival, Kaisernacht in Opatija, Eko-etno Gacka, Adriatic Boat Show in Šibenik). Winter festivals and those in the continental part are organized primary for Croats, but with time they became tourist attractions as well. Widely recognized Croatian events are as follows: Dubrovačke ljetne igre and Muzički biennale Zagreb (both of them are members of the European Festivals Association), Međunarodni festival čipke in Lepoglava, Varaždinske barokne večeri, Đakovački vezovi. Some of the traditional festivals are included on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (e.g. Sinjska Alka—a knights’ tournament in Sinj; Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav area; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik; Procession Za Križen on the island of Hvar; Spring procession of Ljelje/Kraljice from Gorjani) and become tourist attractions.

Cultural tourism includes dark tourism, which in Croatia is related to Civil War in 1990s. Places like Ovčara and museum in hospital in Vukovar, Museum of Croatian War of Independence in Dubrovnik and Srđ hill, fortress in Knin, Museum in Turanj, have become symbols for both Croats and citizens of neighboring countries. At the same time, they create new form of tourist attractions, but still for a limited number of visitors.

Based on different types of cultural tourism, thematic (3E) and religious tourism can also develop. Thousands of tourists travel through Croatia on their way to visit holy city of Međugorje in Bosna and Hercegovina. Croatian pilgrimage sites like Marija Bistrica, Trsat in Rijeka, Nin, Sinj, Križevci, Visovac also have indigenous value.

Croatia has enormous natural preconditions for active and adventure tourism, such as rafting, canoeing, kayaking (the Cetina, the Kupa, the Una, the Korana, the Zrmanja, the Mreznica rivers), paragliding, hot air balloon flights, free climbing (Paklenica, Kalnik, Limski kanal, Omiš), off-road racing, paintball, trekking, speleology, snowboarding, or skiing. However, winter sport resorts in Croatia are still not well developed. There are just a few skiing resorts like Platak, Bjelolasica, Sljeme, Begovo Razdolje, Čelimbaša, Tršće focused on domestic tourists. This type of tourism is either unknown or nonpromoted abroad.

The natural potential provides opportunities for the development of wellness and health tourism. Although from ancient Roman times till twentieth-century Croatian spas were world famous, since WWII they have attracted mostly domestic tourists. Spa towns in Croatia use natural properties of climate, thalassotherapy (the first spa resort in Croatia—Opatija, Crikvenica, Nin, Biograd na Moru, Makarska, Rovinj, Vela Luka, Veli Lošinj) and hot springs (most of them are in the continental part of the country—Toplice Sveti Martin, Topusko, Naftalan, Bizovačke Toplice, Krapinske Toplice, Tuheljske Toplice, Varaždinske Toplice, Istarske Toplice, Daruvarske Toplice, and Terme Jezerčica). Technical infrastructure for this type of tourism is inadequate, not sufficient for expectations of foreign visitors, in consequence, health tourism in Croatia is not able to compete on the global market. On the other hand, wellness hotels create the new trend in coastal and continental Croatia and, contrary to 3 × S type tourism, give an opportunity to decrease seasonality in tourism.

6278 km of coastline with over 1000 islands together with modern marina infrastructure make Croatia a perfect destination for nautical tourism both for professionals and beginners, but the potential of rivers for nautical tourism is untapped. For sailing and boating fans, Croatia offers extras like nude beaches and campsites all over the coast. The tradition of nudism in Croatia goes back to 1936 when Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson visited Rab island as naturists. The second landmark was the construction of Koversada campsite in 1961—which was, at that time, one of the first FFK campsites in the world.

Opposite to lifestyle of social nudity is a lucrative segment of corporate travel, conventions, and incentive tourism together with scientific tourism. Croatia is internationally famous just for two convention centers—Zagreb and Dubrovnik, but there are many more of them all over the country (Osijek, Varaždin, Rovinj, Rijeka, Opatija, Zadar, Brela, Split, Korčula, Cavtat, and others). Anyway the role of corporate and scientific travel is significant for the development of sustainable tourism for several reasons. This type of tourism takes place in low season (from autumn up to springtime) and makes it possible to organize facultative tours to Croatian tourist attractions less known to foreigners (especially to Zagreb surroundings) creating new, more diversified image of the country.

To conclude, although natural and cultural heritage of Croatia gives a wide range of possibilities to develop diverse types of tourism and to adapt them to dynamic changes in tourist demand, tourism in the country is still based on 3 × S. In spite of efforts of Croatian authorities, the stereotype image of Croatian tourism is difficult to overcome.

4.5 Croatia Tourist Regions

Mainly, there are two ways in considering touristic regionalization in Croatia. The first approach is based on physical geography of regions, which is Pannonian Basin on east (called also continental part or lowlands), and Dinaric Alps (so-called mountain region) together with Adriatic coast which extends from northwest to southeast (Pepeonik and Curić 1996). The differences in exploitation of tourist potential in diverse physiographic regions can be revealed by this means. On the other hand, there are no precise statistic data referring to it. That is why the most popular way of classification is based on administrative units—counties called županija. There are 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb which are divided into 9 touristic regions (Table 4.15).

Table 4.15 Tourist regions in Croatia—general characteristic

There can be modifications of this regionalization and in its’ nomenclature as well. The Institute for Tourism put Central Croatia and Slavonia into one group—Central Croatia and, instead of the phrase “Dalmatia” plus the main city name, uses the term “region of.” The name of Dalmatia-Split is changed to “region of Split-Makarska” which emphasize the role of Makarska Riviera.

Croatian National Tourist Board divides region of Kvarner and Gorski kotar into two parts: the northern region of Kvarner and southeastern Lika-Karlovac. The fact is that there are significant disparities between them which are reflected in the number of tourist arrivals and nights (accordingly 5.3 and 6.7 times less in Ličko-senjska županija). However, for the purpose of this paper, the nine-element classification seems to be the most suitable (Fig. 4.12).