Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 22.1.
Croatia: growth in registered bed-nights, 1960-1990. Source: Weber, 1998, p. 42.
Fig. 22.2.
Croatia: measures of tourism development, 1987-2004. Source: Institut za Turizam, 2005.
the traditional '3S' market booming in Western
Europe in the 1970s, tourism development in
coastal areas of former Yugoslavia (Slovenia,
Croatia and Montenegro) continuously grew.
This reached its zenith in the late-1980s when
it was claimed to be one of the world's top
ten international destinations (Pearce, 1991,
p. 224). With 1777 km of mainland coastline
and 1185 islands, Croatia hosted over 80%
of the overall tourist turnover of the former
Yugoslavia (see Hall, 2003), registering 68m
nights and 10m tourists in 1988, the peak year
of what had been continuous tourism growth
for 30 years (see Figs 22.1 and 22.2).
Extreme regional concentration was found
on the Adriatic coast (mainland and islands),
especially of foreign tourism. In 1988, 96% of all
Croatian accommodation capacities, 93% of all
overnight stays and 97% of all foreign overnight
stays were concentrated on this littoral (RZzS,
1989). While the coast had a tourism intensity
(overnight stays per 100 inhabitants) of 4089 in
1988, the figure amounted to an average of just
122 in interior counties (Jordan, 2000).
Croatia's attractions were thus summer
recreation and bathing at the sea combined with
relatively low prices. Visitors were mainly families
for whom Western Mediterranean holidays were
too expensive (Studienkreis für Tourismus
Starnberg, 1989). Per tourist spend was much
lower in Croatia than in Spain or Italy (Jordan,
2000) and the nature of this market and its
