Post by Mala on Aug 24, 2003 21:51:57 GMT 1
Croatia holiday links being re-forged
23 August 2003
ROWAN ENTWISTLE
It is a story of love, loss and happy reconciliation.
After years of separation, when war kept East Anglian holidaymakers from the beauty of Croatia, they are going back in force to their favourite haunts.
The bullets and devastation of civil war in the former Yugoslavia are now, in tourist terms at least, a distant memory.
And as confidence returns in the country, so do the numbers of people booking to go.
Due to the success of the summer flight between Norwich International airport and the World Heritage site of Dubrovnik, there is a chance of flights being restarted to Split, on the Adriatic coastline. It is hoped a flight to Bulgas in Bulgaria next year will open up the market still further.
Trevor Eady, airport commercial director, confirmed negotiations were going on with tour operator Holiday Options for a weekly summer flight to Split from next summer, although he stressed it had not been finalised.
If the flight went ahead, it would be reminiscent of the boom time of the late 1980s, when thousands of passengers flew out of Norwich to Croatia.
"Croatia used to be very popular and we would like to see it come back again. The Dubrovnik flight has been going for three years and is proving very popular. At one time during the summer we had two flights a week to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula, with one weekly flight to Ljubljana in Slovenia," said Mr Eady.
He added: "Croatia was one of our major destinations at the time - when the tour operators pulled out we lost a significant amount of customers."
In 1989/90, the number of passengers flying out of Norwich stood at 230,318. Two years later that had fallen to 185,219. More than 15,000 passengers were lost when the link with Heathrow ended but most of the loss came when flights to Croatia stopped.
So why is it proving such an attractive destination again?
Josip Lozic, director of the Croatia tourist office in London, said it was a combination of its old-fashioned Mediterranean culture, slow pace of life and the fact it has not been spoilt by high rise buildings.
As other popular destinations developed to cater for tourists, the war in Croatia put any developments on hold, letting it retain its original charm.
And he said that rather than courting the package holiday market, which has become the norm in countries like Greece, Spain and Turkey, Croatia is now the destination for the more discerning traveller.
"We are not really chasing the figures we had 10 or 15 years ago.
"At the moment we are building a different profile of tourist," he said.
Rupert Diggins, sales manager for Holiday Options, which operates flights to Dubrovnik from Norwich, said a holiday in Croatia offered good value, with flights out of Norwich and seven-night accommodation starting at £299.
"People are looking for something different to the usual destinations of Spain, Greece and Turkey, and Croatia is very different. It has a tremendous climate and is only a two-and-a-half hour flight from the UK. Not only that but there is a huge variety of things to do.
"As well as day trips to Montenegro and Slovenia, there are fishing trips, religious tours and 1000 little islands to visit."
And he said the image of Croatia as a
war-torn country is long gone. Despite suffering severe bombing during the war, he said Dubrovnik is 99pc back to how it used
to be.
David Banks, a sub editor on the EDP who visited Croatia this summer with his family, agreed.
"Only a few physical signs of the war remain around the medieval city of Dubrovnik.
"The odd bullet hole scars the city's ancient walls and inside the city a permanent memorial to those who died during the conflict reminds visitors how recently people had to fight for their freedom."
He said part of the appeal of the country was its mix of history, culture and climate. And the prices were not too bad either.
"In August the sun shines for around 12 hours a day and the temperatures climb into the 30s.
"Quiet, and very clean, bars and restaurants provide the only entertainment.
"Prices are about the same as England - £1 for a cola, £1 for a small bottle of beer - but coffee and ice creams can be bought for around 50p."
23 August 2003
ROWAN ENTWISTLE
It is a story of love, loss and happy reconciliation.
After years of separation, when war kept East Anglian holidaymakers from the beauty of Croatia, they are going back in force to their favourite haunts.
The bullets and devastation of civil war in the former Yugoslavia are now, in tourist terms at least, a distant memory.
And as confidence returns in the country, so do the numbers of people booking to go.
Due to the success of the summer flight between Norwich International airport and the World Heritage site of Dubrovnik, there is a chance of flights being restarted to Split, on the Adriatic coastline. It is hoped a flight to Bulgas in Bulgaria next year will open up the market still further.
Trevor Eady, airport commercial director, confirmed negotiations were going on with tour operator Holiday Options for a weekly summer flight to Split from next summer, although he stressed it had not been finalised.
If the flight went ahead, it would be reminiscent of the boom time of the late 1980s, when thousands of passengers flew out of Norwich to Croatia.
"Croatia used to be very popular and we would like to see it come back again. The Dubrovnik flight has been going for three years and is proving very popular. At one time during the summer we had two flights a week to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula, with one weekly flight to Ljubljana in Slovenia," said Mr Eady.
He added: "Croatia was one of our major destinations at the time - when the tour operators pulled out we lost a significant amount of customers."
In 1989/90, the number of passengers flying out of Norwich stood at 230,318. Two years later that had fallen to 185,219. More than 15,000 passengers were lost when the link with Heathrow ended but most of the loss came when flights to Croatia stopped.
So why is it proving such an attractive destination again?
Josip Lozic, director of the Croatia tourist office in London, said it was a combination of its old-fashioned Mediterranean culture, slow pace of life and the fact it has not been spoilt by high rise buildings.
As other popular destinations developed to cater for tourists, the war in Croatia put any developments on hold, letting it retain its original charm.
And he said that rather than courting the package holiday market, which has become the norm in countries like Greece, Spain and Turkey, Croatia is now the destination for the more discerning traveller.
"We are not really chasing the figures we had 10 or 15 years ago.
"At the moment we are building a different profile of tourist," he said.
Rupert Diggins, sales manager for Holiday Options, which operates flights to Dubrovnik from Norwich, said a holiday in Croatia offered good value, with flights out of Norwich and seven-night accommodation starting at £299.
"People are looking for something different to the usual destinations of Spain, Greece and Turkey, and Croatia is very different. It has a tremendous climate and is only a two-and-a-half hour flight from the UK. Not only that but there is a huge variety of things to do.
"As well as day trips to Montenegro and Slovenia, there are fishing trips, religious tours and 1000 little islands to visit."
And he said the image of Croatia as a
war-torn country is long gone. Despite suffering severe bombing during the war, he said Dubrovnik is 99pc back to how it used
to be.
David Banks, a sub editor on the EDP who visited Croatia this summer with his family, agreed.
"Only a few physical signs of the war remain around the medieval city of Dubrovnik.
"The odd bullet hole scars the city's ancient walls and inside the city a permanent memorial to those who died during the conflict reminds visitors how recently people had to fight for their freedom."
He said part of the appeal of the country was its mix of history, culture and climate. And the prices were not too bad either.
"In August the sun shines for around 12 hours a day and the temperatures climb into the 30s.
"Quiet, and very clean, bars and restaurants provide the only entertainment.
"Prices are about the same as England - £1 for a cola, £1 for a small bottle of beer - but coffee and ice creams can be bought for around 50p."