ZAGREB, February 24, 2022 – The director of the Croatian Tourism Association, Veljko Ostojić, said on Thursday that after two years of the pandemic, the latest events in Ukraine have brought a new period of insecurity and uncertainty.

Any war situation, regardless of the neighborhood, deters travel, he told Hina, adding that it is currently impossible to predict the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on Croatian tourism.

He said a slowdown in bookings in major markets could be expected in the coming days, but was confident of last-minute bookings as in the past two years.

Croatia‘s big advantage is that it is mainly a car destination and very safe, which will be important to prepare for the summer season, Ostojić said.

The Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ), which has an office in Moscow also covering Ukraine, told Hina that next week more will be known about the impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine on travel. from both countries. The Ministry of Tourism has given its approval.

According to HTZ data, 145,000 Russians visited Croatia in 2021, generating 800,000 overnight stays, respectively 94% and 80% of the figures recorded in 2019, a record year for Croatian tourism.

Ukrainians generated 146,000 arrivals and 857,000 overnight stays, respectively 4% and 2% more than in 2019.

This year to date, 2,000 Ukrainians have visited Croatia, generating 12,000 overnight stays, up 47% and 53% respectively on the year.

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