Dubrovnik.org

Source: Press release Croatian Villas
Over the last five years Croatia has continually gained in popularity among tourists from Britain and beyond. The Mediterranean land’s unique combination of culture, history, amazing beaches and islands, accessibility and affordability has made it a firm favorite with holidaymakers.

More accolades followed this year, as staff at top guidebook publisher Lonely Planet voted Croatia the top worldwide destination, ahead of China and Argentina. One Lonely Planet expert said, “This is Croatia’s year. It appeals to a wide range of travelers with its rich diversity of attractions. And it has not yet been over-touristed, but it has developed an excellent tourism infrastructure — so that it suits both adventurous travelers and those who need a degree of comfort in their planning.”

In 2005 visitor numbers from the UK increased by almost 17 %, to an estimated 250,000 visitors. Only five years ago there were only 84,000 British holidaymakers in Croatia. Other nations have seen a similar increase in Croatia-bound holidaymakers, as around 4.5 million foreign tourists visited Croatia’s Adriatic coast in the first seven months of 2005, nine percent more than in the same period last year.

This increased popularity is not due to chance. The country has taken the chance to learn from the experience of other countries in the Mediterranean and has managed to avoid over-development. The slow pace of life and the unspoilt towns and villages provide a taste of the Med as it used to be. Improvements in infrastructure have been sensitive to the beauty and spirit of the region.

The number of charter flights has doubled from the previous year with key regional UK airports now opened up for flights to Croatia. Regional flights between Britain and Croatia have been expanded and it is possible to fly from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Norwich, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Glasgow and all 5 coastal airports in Croatia: i.e. Pula, Krk, Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar, for the first time since 1990. British Airways now flies daily to Dubrovnik and three times weekly to Split.

Croatian Villas are the experts in this part of the world. This independent company has a wide range of attractive villas and apartments available, situated from Istria in the north to Dubrovnik in the south. Staying in a Croatian Villa is the ideal way to experience the Med as it once was.