Source: liberoportal.hr
After years of unprecedented growth, the nautical sector in Dubrovnik-Neretva County is facing its first serious market downturn.
June figures show a double-digit decline, and the sector unofficially sees the cause in high prices and the return of cheaper Mediterranean competition.
Official statistics for June have raised alarm bells among tourism workers in the far south. The number of boaters’ arrivals fell by 13 percent, while there were 10 percent fewer overnight stays compared to the same period last year. This negative trend has also spilled over into the overall balance for the first half of the year, which has recorded a decline of between 6 and 7 percent. This clearly shows that this is not a passing bad week, but a trend that could mark the entire season.
While in recent years domestic marinas have been filling up on their own, this year the situation is significantly different. The multi-year increase in prices for services, berths and non-boarding offers on the islands has started to take its toll. Traditional European middle-class sailors, such as Germans, Austrians and Italians, are increasingly choosing more affordable routes in Greece, Turkey or Tunisia. These markets have fully recovered and are now aggressively attracting guests with more competitive prices.
The market decline in the south is, however, mitigated by guests from distant source markets who traditionally do not skimp on their vacations. The top of the visitor list is still firmly held by sailors from the USA, Great Britain and Australia. This is a clientele that prefers to rent larger motor yachts and luxury catamarans with a crew. Thanks to their high spending, the overall financial shortfall in marinas and charter agencies is significantly smaller than the drop in the number of arrivals.
The key weeks ahead will determine the final outcome of the season. Although June was a disappointment, local players are hoping that last-minute bookings during July and August will manage to mitigate the losses so far. However, the current figures are a clear indication that the strategy of constant price increases has reached its limit and that Croatian nautical tourism will have to offer significantly better value for money if it wants to maintain its position in the Mediterranean.
