Nautical sector review

Accompanying events in Biograd were numerous and interesting but one event was outstanding: joint presentation of Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure. It was the first time they publicly introduced overall detailed data about domestic nautical sector. Hence we found out that Croatian recreational fleet in 2017 counted for 122.964 boats and 2735 yachts (over 12 meters), which only 55 were longer than 24 and just three longer than 40 meters. Total number has grown for 1,32 % in 2018 and reached 127.352 boats and yachts.

However, until 30^th of September recorded number of foreign boats and yachts in Croatia was 3,1 % lower (in total 59.331 units). At the same time number of charter units grew for 267 or 6,5 % and totaled 4375, while number of charter guests slightly grew for 1,17 % as well as their overnights for 1 %. Number of units growth trend during the last 15 years is also evident by the increase of total boats and yachts number under Croatian flag which grew for 23,74 % with respect to 2004 (total of 102.916 units). During the same period total number of foreign units had significantly smaller growth of 9,49 % (totaling 54.187 in 2004).

A huge increase of as much as 37,45 % regarding number of charter units has been seen when comparing to amount of 3181 units in 2013, while, on the contrary, the number of active charter companies has risen only from 877 to 882. In the meantime, in 2015 it totaled only for 605. Share of nautical charter in total number of overnight stays in 2017 accounted for significant 3 % with 3,2 million of overnights and 500.000 arrivals, which grants great importance to charter business. The largest number of overnights is realized in Split-Dalmatia County (45 %), followed by Zadar (21 %) and Šibenik-Knin County (17 %). Leading countries in charter according to the number of guest overnight stays are Germany (18 %), Austria (13 %), UK (7 %), Czech Republic (7 %), Poland (6 %) and Croatia with 5 %. Overnight stays in charter are characterized by much lower tendency of seasonality (45 %) in comparison to other overnights’ types (62 %), which indicates the arrivals’ season is longer and they are better deployed throughout the year.

Also quite interesting is the number of 140 nautical ports in Croatia which contain 17.067 sea berths and 4610 dry berths. Annual berth was used by 13.433 boats and yachts, including 6697 units flying a foreign and 4944 flying Croatian flag. In 2007 the number of sea berths was not much lower - 15.834, while the number of dry berths, surprisingly, was larger - 5186. The largest number of nautical ports is located in Zadar County (33 %), followed by Split-Dalmatia and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (each with 19 %) and Šibenik-Knin County (15 %). Public service ports include 21.635 communal berths and 2857 nautical berths, while estimated number of berths in sports ports is about 7500.