First Property Croatia

Date: 22.12.2009.

According to specialist Croatia tour operator, Hidden Croatia, Croatia continues to increase in popularity for British holidaymakers, far more than most other European destinations, many of which have seen a decline in visitor numbers in recent years.

Alan Brown of Hidden Croatia says “Not only is Croatia attracting new visitors for 2010, but the country enjoys a high level of repeat business. These are British guests who have been surprised at the high standards of accommodation and cuisine and who are returning time and time again.

When Croatia first re-emerged onto the tourist map it’s fair to say the hotels were reminiscent of its socialist past, standards were mediocre and food was nothing to write home about. These days standards have improved beyond recognition and Croatia offers really good value. Hotels have been reconstructed and refurbished, there’s a much greater emphasis on high quality food and new, cosmopolitan restaurants have sprung up.

European guests are finding both high quality and good value, something that is accelerated by the fact that Croatia’s currency is the Kuna, not the Euro. For visitors apprehensive about traveling to a Euro-zone, this is incredibly good news and although prices have increased in recent years, so has the quality.

On the Croatian coast, hotels that were distinctly average a few years ago are now of a good 4* and 5* standard and new hotels, such as the Hotel Amfora on the island of Hvar is absolutely stunning and has been improved beyond recognition. The island itself is very chic and is home to as many as 47 different types of high quality wines.

Alan Brown from Hidden Croatia commented \'the country is also very, very accessible from the UK. There are flights into Split, Pula and Dubrovnik from a choice of fourteen regional UK airports and during the summer there are nearly 50 flights a week from the UK.

Croatia has become highly fashionable. The islands in particular have become chic and are reminiscent of the sophisticated resorts of France’s Cote d’Azur. The country also has some fantastic new family hotels, for example the new Radisson Blu Resort, Dubrovnik, which opened in July 2009, which is a superb example of a family property with a variety of pools, restaurants and child-care facilities”.

He concluded “Alongside quality, value and accessibility, Croatia offers immense variety, from the historical sites at Dubrovnik and Korcula, island hopping between Croatia’s thousand or so islands, its beautiful clear sea with more blue flag beaches per kilometre than anywhere else in the world, sailing and activity holidays and holidays in Croatia’s beautiful and unspoilt interior. A lot of people hire a boat for the day when in other countries they would hire a car. Here they take out a boat and sail to one on the many uninhabited islands to play Robinson Crusoe for the day. Croatia is just not a place you could ever get bored in”.