On the occasion of the glamping event that was held in Orlando in Chianti and organized by Vacanze col Cuore, we met Adriano Palman, director of the Croatian Camping Union (KUH), the most important trade association in Croatia. We took the opportunity to talk about trends and perspectives in the sector.
Camping Business – What is the current panorama of accommodation facilities in Croatia?
Adriano Palman – In Croatia we have 839 campsites that can accommodate up to 255,000 people at the same time. Of these, about fifty are part of large structures that bring together up to 10 (or even more) campsites under a single direction, and they are joined by another fifty medium-large campsites. The others are all small campsites, the vast majority family-run, with capacities of 20/30 to 150 people.
Those of large structures can even accommodate 7,000/8,000 people. In this way we have a varied offer that we are developing from a qualitative point of view. Large and institutional campsites are open-air resorts with a wide range of services, while the smaller ones are positioned in niches. Many of the latter are specialized by segment: for example, for those who love adventure, for those looking for natural attractions, for those who want to visit cities, and even more. These two worlds develop in parallel following different paths. The third route was recently inaugurated in Croatia, with a campsite that is 100% glamping like this one in Orlando in Chianti – the Arena One 99 Glamping.
When it comes to quality, Croatia has really invested a lot: for example, in the last seven years the average, according to the ADAC guide, has grown by 10%. Our campsites have repositioned and are growing in quality, and they have also grown in price. Now Croatia is no longer a cheap destination for campsites: according to ADAC we are more expensive than the Italian average.
Camping Business – This is a positive trend, since your tourism is international…
Adriano Palman – Croatian tourists are only between 2 and 4%: we are the European nation with fewer domestic customers since the others have often more than 50/60%. Our first market has always been the German one, with Slovenia in second place. They live actively, they travel, and that’s why they feel good in Croatia and there is a special connection thanks to the common history. Slovenians traditionally help us to improve numbers also thanks to short holidays or at the beginning of the season. In third place are the Dutch, then the Italians, and the Austrians, with the Poles and Czechs becoming more and more important.
This season has started very well: compared to 2019, which for us was not the record season but which was positioned in the top 3, today we are up 20%. And this is a record. If something unexpected doesn’t happen, the season should be fine. The only negative thing is that many people do not know exactly where Croatia is compared to other countries: with the situation in Ukraine some think the country may be in a dangerous position, so there has been a small decline since the beginning of the war, but now we have recovered everything.
Camping Business – In recent years you have invested heavily in communication in Europe to attract customers: which countries have responded best?
Adriano Palman – Our campsites are among the most digitally developed in Europe. In this sense, also in marketing and promotion we were among the first to start digital, with big and important steps. So, this begins to come back to us. We have certainly invested heavily in countries such as Germany, Holland, Italy, and Austria.
Camping Business – How many Croatian campsites are members of your association?
Adriano Palman – Of the 839 Croatian campsites, our members cover 95% of the total capacity, having all large groups. Small campsites are more difficult to join, but we still have a large portfolio of these too.And they are all spontaneous adhesions – let’s not go looking for them! Our task is to support them in all regulatory aspects and lobbying to improve as an association.
Camping Business – What do you tell the campsites so that they spontaneously come to you?
Adriano Palman – As an association, for example, we have the web page which in the European context is the most important when it comes to Croatian campsites. There is a complete presentation of the facilities, photographs, booking possibilities and a page consulted by journalists that is for reference. We frequently organize visits and days with media representatives with the Croatian tourism promotion body, we participate in fairs, and much more.
15 years ago, we started two projects to promote quality and to make Croatia understand that we need to invest in campsites. There are two awards “Best Croatian Campsite” for large campsites and “OK Mini Camps” for small campsites. Especially the latter were alone, while we brought them together and helped them with quality training, connected them with other institutes, made promotional brochures that we distribute at tourist fairs. We organize the Croatian Camping Congress, with 450 participants, which is now also a fair where many manufacturers and other partners come to be known. In addition, every year we make study trips to make ourselves known in Europe.
Camping Business – How much does outdoor tourism weigh on total tourism in Croatia?
Adriano Palman – Depending on the year, in terms of attendance, our campsites cover 20 to 25% of the total.
Camping Business – Is the attention of the government high?
Adriano Palman – Let’s say that until 15 years ago this was not the case, because at that time campsites were perceived as an economic solution for people who didn’t want to spend, so much so that even large companies were thinking about conversions in hotels or tourist resorts. Since we started this action in communicating the importance of campsites, we have shown that investing in quality is very rewarding and that the market accepts and pays willingly. Companies have therefore started to invest, and campsites have also grown in importance in their internal policy.
15 years ago, praise was rare for camping, now there has been a change in communication too. I can say that the government has also recognized the importance of the open-air sector. We are still dragging ourselves with some historical problems linked to the transition from Yugoslavia to Croatia, such as that concerning land ownership, but I believe that in the next 2/3 years we will also solve these aspects.
Camping Business – In Orlando in Chianti we talked about the development of glamping but also about how the demands and trends of tourists throughout Europe are changing. In Croatia, from the pre-Covid period to today, have you seen transformations in the request?
Adriano Palman – The trends we see are universal for the whole Mediterranean. The clientele is similar, and the trends are the same from Portugal to Croatia. All that Covid has brought is negative, but one positive thing is that people have rediscovered greenery and nature: they want to take a relaxed holiday. This is why I believe that the open-air sector will benefit more than all the others. We also see this from the sales numbers of motorhomes and caravans. We have many people in Europe who came to camp as children and who now return – it is a return to greenery that is seen everywhere.
Pierluigi Catto – Villaggio dei Fiori