Frommer’s Croatia

Croatia is hot, and we’re not just talking about summer weather on the Dalmatian coast. More than 10 million tourists visited in 2005 and tourism projections for 2006 are 2% higher than 2005’s actual numbers. Not surprisingly, visitors from Germany and Italy led the throng, but the French and British are catching up: In 2005, visitors from France and the UK accounted for the largest increases in arrivals from any foreign country — a trend that is expected to continue through 2006.

Most U.S. travelers have yet to discover Croatia, but more than 128,000 Americans ventured to this crescent-shaped country in 2005, a 39% increase from 2004. The Croatian National Tourist Office predicts a 5%-8% increase in U.S. visitors to Croatia in 2006.

To accommodate the steadily increasing number of visitors, Croatia’s hoteliers, travel agents, and restaurateurs have been scrambling to expand facilities and tour options with new construction, renovations, airline routes and additional capacity on existing flights. The national and city tourism boards have become more proactive, too. Cities such as Zadar and Pula post multi-lingual signs and informational posters explaining the history and relevance of buildings and statues, and almost all cities of any size are staffed with tourist office personnel who can answer questions and give directions in several languages. On the downside, the number of moderately priced hotel rooms in Croatia still has not caught up to demand, especially in Dubrovnik and Split, and finding rooms during the summer on short notice or for fewer than seven days at a time can be challenging.