Can Croatia become the Mediterranean’s most desirable destination in 2022?

It has set itself this ambitious goal after witnessing exceptional results in 2021

Over the last two years, COVID caused considerable damage to tourism worldwide. With the closure of borders, numerous lockdowns and safety concerns, people had no option but to stay home. Considering that 2019 was a record year for tourism in Croatia, it is not surprising that the outbreak of the pandemic seemed to erase all of its hard work. 

Adamant on rapidly recovering, the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) and the Ministry of Tourism set out to position the country as a safe and attractive destination. According to the two bodies, they managed to achieve this goal and exceed their initial expectations.

A successful year for Croatian tourism

Not long after the outbreak of COVID, CNTB and the Ministry of Tourism understood that people needed a relaxing vacation in a quiet and isolated location. For this reason, it began to target international and domestic markets with campaigns such as: “Experience local! Explore rural country!” 

Tourists who prioritised health and safety immediately responded to the country’s first promotional campaign of rural tourism. As such, the country’s rural destinations quickly saw a surge in the number of visitors and overnight stays.

Beyond this, Croatia also took the opportunity to welcome digital nomads as COVID brought about an increase in the number of people working away from the office. Targeting this group, the country hoped to achieve year-round and sustainable tourism. 

Continuing to promote itself as a safe destination during the warm months of the year, Croatia recorded exceptional results in the summer. In fact, it exceeded its 2020 number of visitors in August. Wanting to also benefit from a successful post-season, CNTB and the Ministry of Tourism then launched another campaign, titled #FALLinLoveWithCroatia. 

What can we expect in 2022?

On 29 December, CNTB published a press release outlining its goals for the new year. After its 2021 success, it is not surprising that the tourism industry’s New Year’s resolution is a bold and ambitious one. 

Discussing the future, CNTB revealed that Croatia wants to become the most desirable destination in the Mediterranean. To achieve this, it will strengthen its marketing efforts and launch even more campaigns. Taking this further, it will focus on promoting tourism relating to nature, cycling, eno-gastronomy, and health as these areas proved desirable in 2021. 

Seeing its potential for growth in the previous year, the Croatian tourism industry has now set its sights on realising it to the fullest.