At the very end of the successful tourist season, the leaders of Croatian tourism and the nautical sector gathered in the very south of Croatia to discuss the potentials and future plans in nautical tourism at the ACI Marina Dubrovnik. At the conference organized by ACI and Slobodna Dalmacija, they talked about trends and challenges, but also the possibilities of improving the offer, which was discussed by: Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, Nikolina Brnjac, Director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, Director of ACI, Kristijan Pavić, Director of the Bureau for the System of Tourist Boards, Categorization and Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Monika Udovičić and Siniša Orlić, Director of the Bureau for Security of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
Nautics is recovering faster
Conference participants assessed that the pandemic in nautical tourism caused certain problems, but the recovery was still faster than in other tourism sectors. Speaking about the results achieved by the ACI marina system, the director of ACI separated the northern Adriatic and the Dubrovnik area.
“Since it is primarily an air destination, nautical science has suffered in the Dubrovnik area. The results we have achieved here are somewhat weaker and the recovery is much slower than in the rest of the system. However, on the other hand, when we look at the overall results that ACI achieved in the first 9 months of this year and when we compare the third quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2021, then we can say that we generated more revenue, although we did not raise prices because we are still in a pandemic year, ” Pavić said.
Significant investments in ACI marina Dubrovnik
In Komolac, the reconstruction of the ACI marina Dubrovnik, one of the most trophy-winning Croatian marinas, has been announced, which will renew the infrastructure in the marina and provide an additional 220 meters of shoreline to accommodate large ships. Nevertheless, all further investments and steps will depend on the extended concession.
“Extension of concessions is one of the basic preconditions for the development of marinas because all serious investments that we want to realize simply cannot be carried out until the concessions expire. Things are going in a positive direction and as soon as a decision is made, we are ready for the next steps, “said Director Pavić.
The conference concluded that sustainability should be a key direction in the development of the nautical sector, which includes benefits for ships with environmental standards. It is necessary to meet the preconditions for nautical tourism to become a year-round activity, such as introducing year-round airlines.
Photos: Tonći Plazibat / Cropix