Source: Croatian Chamber of Commerce
“Nautical tourism, like all Croatian tourism, is at a turning point. It is encouraging that the Ministry’s vision is visible, which is moving in the direction of managing tourism processes and flows in the direction of sustainability, in contrast to the elements and massification that has brought some Mediterranean destinations almost to the brink. In nautical tourism, we have reached an inflection point that requires a serious analysis of the sustainability of capacities and a long-term strategy for the development of nautical tourism,” said the Croatian Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President for Agriculture and Tourism, Dragan Kovačević, at the opening of the 26th Biograd Boat Show, the largest in its history at more than 50 thousand square meters, with more than 450 registered exhibitors and more than 500 vessels on display.
The congress part of the fair refers to the 8th Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Days, which included a panel discussion on Croatian Nautical Tourism – Season 2024, Challenges and Perspectives organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Tourism Association. Nautical tourism in Croatia constitutes an important part of the tourist offer, significantly contributes to the economy and attracts guests with higher purchasing power – this was stated to the panel that brought together leading experts and key stakeholders in the sector with the aim of evaluating the past season and identifying key guidelines for the future development of this segment of Croatian tourism.
“After several years of constant growth, this year saw stagnation in this segment of tourism, and we also recorded a decline in demand from certain markets. Although the number of guests remained stable, the duration of the charter decreased by around four percent in July and August. We also encountered financial challenges, including the increase in the prices of boats, berths and operating costs, which negatively affected the profitability of charter companies,” emphasized the former president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Tourism Association, Paško Klisović, and the new deputy president of the Association.
Similar difficulties were also recorded in the shipping segment, with a four percent drop in guest numbers and additional challenges in the context of port infrastructure. Port capacity problems in the winter months and in peak-load destinations such as Hvar and Korčula were particularly highlighted. The need for better organization of navigation and investments in infrastructure was highlighted.
“The Law on Maritime Property and Seaports and solutions regarding unamortized investments unfortunately discourage investments in the last years of the concession period. It is therefore necessary to consider to what extent and when bylaws can change this trend. This is extremely important given the demands of boaters for an increasingly rich offer and new facilities in marinas. Also in adapting and building the existing infrastructure in marinas to increasingly larger yachts and
megayachts,” said Sean Lisjak, President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Marinas Group and the new President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Tourism Association.
Ahead of the panel, the rotation of the mandates of the President and Deputy President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Tourism Association was announced. For the past two years, the president of the Association has been Paško Klisović, and for the next two years, Sean Lisjak will chair the association, while Klisović will be the deputy president.
The panelists emphasized the need for strategic thinking about the further development of charters and called for better regulation of fleet growth, pricing policy and regional distribution, in order to avoid a decline in the destination’s image and ensure long-term sustainability of the business.
The panel discussion participants, in addition to Lisjak and Klisović, were Monika Udovičić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Nina Perko, Director of the Maritime Administration at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and Saša Popovac, Director of Strategy and Business Intelligence at the Croatian Tourist Board, moderated by Braslav Karlić, Editor-in-Chief of More magazine.
It was concluded that for the further development of the nautical tourism sector, it is indeed necessary to create a comprehensive Strategy for the Development of Nautical Tourism that will set clear guidelines for the future. It is also necessary to establish a detailed system of statistical monitoring of the income of this sector in order to more precisely measure its contribution to the total tourism income of Croatia. During the 26th Biograd Boat Show, sessions of all nautical groups of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce will be held.
