Although places like Dubrovnik are very appealing to foreigners, the urban setting of Zagreb had a big transformation in terms of popularity last year. Tourists from South Korea, Italy, Germany, the United States and Japan made up the largest number of visitors for 2014.
The Croatian capital is becoming more popular to visit and live following figures released by the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ) detailed on Turkish Weekly in January. Overnight stays grew by 13 per cent in 2014 as foreigners found the city a good alternative to coastal resorts. International relocation experts Interdean have responded to the news.
Although places like Dubrovnik are very appealing to foreigners, the urban setting of Zagreb had a big transformation in terms of popularity last year. TZGZ revealed that 910,988 people visited the city in 2014 with over 1.5 million overnight stays there.
The record month was August, but Christmas saw the biggest jump in visitors compared to 2013, thanks to the “Advent in Zagreb” event. During December the city set up a skating rink in the city centre, organized jazz and classical music concerts, with stands serving local cuisine along with hot wine.
TZGZ director Martina Bienenfeld spoke of the benefits: “The ‘Advent’ period was particularly successful. Guests came to us from countries where we specifically advertised ‘Advent’, such as Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Korea.”
Tourists from South Korea, Italy, Germany, the United States and Japan made up the largest number of visitors for 2014. A spokesperson for Interdean, who help people move abroad, believes Zagreb could be a great place to relocate: “The figures released for 2014 reflect how Zagreb is growing in popularity due to its wealth of attractions. Urban living attracts millions of expatriates throughout the world and this city could see more people settling there in the near future.
“With Croatia being part of the European Union since July 2013 this relatively new member state could appeal to more European residents because they will be familiar with the bulk of their laws. Croatia is renowned for its coastal beauty, but it is clear their capital is becoming equally as impressive for foreigners.
“We expect to see more and more people emigrating here from around the world to make use of the cost of living – comparatively low by European standards – as well as the wealth of culture on offer in the city.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
