Though parts of the Balkan region have
blossomed into popular tourist sites for Europeans since the civil
strife of the 1990s ended, the countries that once comprised
Yugoslavia are still viewed by U.S. travel agents as places of
mystery and danger.
ASTAs recent
International Destination Expo (IDE) in Prague featured a seminar
on selling the region. Agents at the seminar, when asked what came
to mind when they thought of the region, unanimously answered:
War.
When it was
pointed out that Croatia hosted more than 10 million sun seekers
last year on its castle-dotted islands and 3,600 miles of
coastline, agents said they were more inclined to think of Serbia
and Bosnia when contemplating the Balkans.
Both countries
reputations were seriously damaged by widespread violence,
including ethnic cleansing, in the Balkans wars.
Yet agents
attending the seminar said they had been getting a growing number
of inquiries about Croatia as cruise lines have increased their
calls.
That was
especially true for Dubrovnik, a medieval walled city that juts out
dramatically over the Adriatic Sea, for which demand has been
increasing exponentially.
The next
logical step
My clients have
already seen western Europe, so Croatia is the next logical step,
maybe even for a pre- or post-cruise land package, said Loretta
Wagner, president of Legacy Tours of Distinction in Allentown,
Pa.
Like most of the
seminar participants, Wagner had never been to Croatia. She said
she anticipated that her clients would want to know if the country
was safe, adding that for some it would still be viewed as too
adventurous.
Libby Croston,
manager of Tradewinds Travel in Fulton, Md., worried that her
clients would perceive Croatia as lacking the type of
accommodations expected by most U.S. visitors.
They are just now
exploring the Mediterranean and Greece, she said.
Sue Wilder, the
IDE seminar lecturer, said that although countries like Serbia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina are just emerging on the tourist scene, Slovenia and Croatia already
offer five-star accommodations and dining.
Wilder extolled
the lesser-known cities attractions, such as the nightlife of
Belgrade and the cafe culture of Sarajevo.
But the star of
the Balkans clearly is Croatia, which agents agreed is the former
Yugoslav country in which their clients are most
interested. Croatia welcomed 427,000
Americans last year, a 39% increase over 2004, thanks mostly to a
jump in cruise line visits.
In addition to
Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage city of red-tiled roofs and
white-washed marble, the Croatian islands of Korcula and Hvar have
equally compelling 18th-century Venetian-style architecture. They
are also frequent cruise stops.
For those opting
for land packages, Wilder noted some of the highlights such as
Plivnice National Park, the Istrian island of Rab (popular for nude
sunbathing) and Split, where Diocletians Palace recalls the Roman
Empires presence in the region.
Linda Jean King,
an agent from Woodbridge, Va., agreed that Croatia had the most
tourism potential for her Europe-bound travelers, but she worried
about the danger of overexposure.
The challenge in
our industry is how to bring people there without ruining the
destination, she said.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to [email protected].