Croatia’s tourist season seems to be still able to show a halfway good result despite the Covid 19 pandemic: According to the latest press release of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Germany, the number of guests entering Croatia by 6 August 2020 has only decreased by about 30%. This results in a certain north-south divide: While many guest beds are already occupied in the north, many hoteliers and landlords of holiday apartments in the south of Croatia are looking in vain for holiday guests. It becomes really interesting, however, if one compares the press releases of the Croatian tourism center in Frankfurt with their Austrian counterpart in Vienna.
46 % fewer Germans, 67 % fewer Austrians by 6 August 2020
It is quite obvious that most Austrians allegedly prefer to spend their holidays at home, as preached by the government and the media in the manner of a prayer wheel. While 945,000 tourist arrivals were counted from Germany up to 6 August, which represents a decline of 46%, only 299,620 Austrians came to Croatia in the same period. This represents a decline of 67 % compared to the same period last year.
Difference between Germany vs. Austria in overnight stays
A similar picture emerges with the number of overnight stays: Approximately seven million overnight stays by German citizens were registered in Croatia between the beginning of the year and 6 August 2020, a drop of 40 per cent on the same period last year. The overnight stays of Austrian guests show a completely different picture: Only 1,773,373 overnight stays by Austrians were registered by the Croatian eVisitor system up to 6 August 2020, a drop of 62% compared with the previous year.
“Holiday at home” seems to work in Austria
The change in COVID-19 communication in the respective countries seems to have an impact on the travel behaviour of citizens. If only a few months ago, whole countries were placed under “general suspicion” and warned in general against travelling abroad, it has now obviously been recognized that there are individual hotspots in Germany, Austria and Croatia that can hardly be avoided. According to the motto “If you sit in a glass house, you shouldn’t throw stones”, people in Germany as well as in Austria took a back seat in communication. No wonder, given the images of crowded beaches on the Baltic Sea with more than 60 kilometres of traffic jams during the journey and hiking in mountainous regions where adherence to the rules of distance is a problem.
In the end, these pictures also contributed to the fact that, with the start of the absolute peak season in Croatia, i.e. 1 August 2020, significantly more Germans than Austrians were able to warm up for a holiday in Croatia in percentage terms.
Significantly fewer Austrians arrived in the high season as well
If we compare the number of holidaymakers arriving in Croatia from Germany and Austria in the period from 1 August 2020 to 6 August 2020 alone with those of the previous year, only 14% fewer tourists from Germany arrived in Croatia, but 46% fewer tourists from Austria.
Water sports are booming regardless of nationality
However, water sports enthusiasts are hardly affected by this: Even though nautical tourism is of course complaining about declines that are probably due to the spread of the coronavirus, there has been a slight turnaround in the trend with regard to owners and charter guests who want to travel to Croatia in 2020. Even if no official figures are available at present, skippers report that some marinas and anchor bays are full.
Infection figures continue to speak in favour of Croatia holidays
Those who are still planning to spend their holidays in Croatia are advised to answer the question “should I or should I not?” based on facts and not to follow the local colour of politicians and the media. On the SeaHelp homepage and also in this article, the current infection figures are displayed again and again so that everyone can make a decision for themselves. The water sports enthusiasts have already made this decision, as pictures from the bays of Croatia show.
Over a hundred boats in an anchorage bay
According to a SeaHelp member, 76 boats and yachts were still being counted in the morning of August 8th in the Uvala Stipica Vela in the Zirje island area. If you add some early risers, who were already on the road again, more than 100 skippers must have spent the night there.
