Camping revived – It is a very important player in the context of Croatian tourism

Autocamps also play an important role in Croatian tourism. In addition to private and hotel accommodation, they also have an increased number of overnight stays in recent years. Last year, 91% of overnight stays were achieved in the camps compared to the record 2019, although there was almost no pre-season.

During the pandemic, camps proved to be a popular form of accommodation due to the possibility of distancing. Some figures show that so far this year, the most overnight stays have been made in the camps – as much as 45%.

– This does not surprise us because Croatian camping is a very important player in the context of Croatian tourism. We have been achieving between 40 and 50 percent of the total results for many years. Camping experienced a new youth. We hope that this will continue and that it will become a long-term trend – said Adriano Palman, director of the Camping Association of Croatia.

– The forecasts for the following years are also favorable, and therefore it is necessary to continue to raise their quality, to solve the problems of the workforce and tourist land, and to continue with the intensive promotion of camping. 10 years ago, there was a big investment wave in Croatian camps and the process of increasing the quality of camps – says Palman and adds that according to the German ADAC, Croatian camps are the second best in Europe in terms of quality, right after the Netherlands.

‘Glamping’ – An innovative form of camping

– In Croatia, we primarily have large camping resorts, where guests have the most diverse offer of content and services. Another direction of development that is present in Croatia is the segment of small, family camps. They can be positioned in some very attractive natural or cultural locations. They invest in quality and can really add ‘sugar’ to the overall camping offer. The third direction of development, which can be independent or can be integrated into this second story, is ‘glamping’ – glamorous camping, an innovative type of camping. It helps us in better positioning and attracting more guests with high purchasing power – he explains.

The quality of camping in Croatia, he points out, is mostly evenly distributed across regions.

– In every county, you can find either a simple camp or a high-end, luxurious camp that no country in Europe would be ashamed of. In recent years, a great increase in quality has been brought about by the camps on the continent.

One camp on the continent just became the first in Croatia to earn five stars.

– As much as 47 percent of the accommodation capacity of Croatian camps today is in the 4 or 5-star category – 10 years ago it was only 5 percent. The higher the category and quality of the camp, the greater the range of commercial and catering content, leisure and animation content, the sanitary facilities are larger, the camp area itself is better decorated, the plots are surrounded by greenery, and the access experience is on another level. That is the difference between the most ordinary meadow where you can pitch a tent, and those phenomenal pictures of camps that we can see today in Croatia, which are in the 5-star category – explains Palman.

As for camping prices compared to other segments in Croatia, the problems are the same.

– We are in the same story when we talk about the Law on the maritime property, tourist land, fiscal and parafiscal benefits, and the like. What makes camping stand out is that it has the greatest resilience in relation to crisis, camping guests are loyal guests. Over 54% of our camp guests have come to Croatia 6 or more times. We were also the first to start with a massive increase in quality in the camping area – I think that is now bearing its results.

The average age of campers in Croatia is 46, he adds, although this has changed in recent years and more and more younger guests are coming.

– 53% are family vacations, and almost over 40% of people have higher education. It is also interesting that 96% of guests cite the sun and the sea as the primary reason for their visit – this is one segment that we have to work on. 21% of guests come to the camps for city breaks or round trips, and 11% for sports activities.

The trend of returning to nature, ecology, and sustainable development

– Our advantage compared to the rest of Europe is that our camps are probably among the most attractive natural positions in Europe. Coastal facilities are located directly on the sea, which is a very big advantage and is not often the case with other camps in Europe – and we are aware of that. Our association and individual camps have been doing a lot of educational activities for many years, and investments in strengthening these factors. Today, around 15 facilities have already been fully certified in terms of sustainability.

– From the beginning of this year to today, we are up 6% in the number of overnight stays compared to 2019. Until the end of the season, we will depend on September and the weather. We remain positive and want to believe that we will exceed the results of 2019. However, this is only one side of the coin for us – the results in the number of overnight stays and the overall financial results in the context of income will be better, but the inflationary pressure in the context of increasing business costs is very strong. That’s why we won’t be so euphoric. Everyone should already start preparing for the next season, sit down together with the Government and react with adequate measures and in a timely manner so as not to be surprised – concludes Palman for HRT.

source: morski.hr