The UK's quarantine on Croatia means 'catastrophe' for Dubrovnik
On Thursday, when rumours began circulating that the UK might put Croatia on its "red list", there were some 20,000 British holidaymakers there. It was clear that adding Croatia to a list that includes Spain, France, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Belgium, would be a blow to a country that sees 20 per cent of its income generated by tourism.
Following a 10-day visit to my parents in the Yorkshire Dales, I was due to fly back to Croatia that same day, via Manchester-Split with EasyJet. Two days earlier, I'd checked seating arrangements and the plane looked two-thirds full. So, upon boarding, it was a surprise to find it packed. "I just really need a holiday", said a young nurse, travelling with her boyfriend, adding that she'd be happy to quarantine on return.
Sitting in front of me, a group of two British couples with teenage kids bought drinks from the trolley and spent almost the entire journey with their masks round their necks. At one point an air-hostess reminded them that they were meant to wear masks, but after she'd gone they pulled them down again. It's easy to imagine how they'll behave while on holiday here, but it's hard to see them adhering to the 14-day quarantine once back home.
Like the UK, Austria and Slovenia have now imposed quarantine ruling on arrivals from Croatia, while Germany has taken a regional approach, stipulating that only those coming in from Central Dalmatia need to isolate. Indeed, the vast majority of new Covid-19 cases are in Central Dalmatia, while other regions, including Istria, Kvarner and South Dalmatia, have low infection rates. "Unfortunately, the high numbers of cases in other regions of Croatia influence significantly the demand in the safer regions of Kvarner and Istria", says Gordana Kušec Knežević, at Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa, just outside Opatija.
Istria and Kvarner are mainly popular with Central Europe guests, who arrive overland, by car. "We're still fine, but not sure about the autumn ahead. All bookings from Austria and Slovenia have now been cancelled, but we're holding onto Croatian guests", says Nika Sirotić, from Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel in Motovun, Istria. "We're very flexible with cancellation policies, and we also operate with vouchers, so guests who are unable to travel this year can use their reservation under the same terms and conditions in 2021".
Meanwhile, the majority of British tourists head south, flying in to Dubrovnik in South Dalmatia, which is separated from the rest of the EU by a coastal strip belonging to Bosnia-Herzegovina at Neum.
Here, on the verdant island of Korčula in South Dalmatia, Damir Pačić runs Korčula Outdoor offering sea kayaking and cycling trips. "We've had less British guests this summer, though more than expected, given the circumstances. But now they've started cancelling tours – the new quarantine ruling will definitely effect us", says Damir. "On the plus side, the French keep coming, and we've had more Croats, and we're slowly engaging the local community in kayaking".
Earlier this week, Dubrovnik Tourist Board reported that they had 2582 registered tourists from the UK, 45 per cent of the number at the same time last year. Local businesses, especially restaurants, were already feeling the crunch.
"Being listed in the red zone means catastrophe for Dubrovnik. We were dead until mid-July when Jet2 started flying, then business immediately picked up because of the UK connection. We were at around 40 per cent turnover compared to August 2019, which if continued to September would be enough to get us through the winter", says Darko Perojević, owner of Azur restaurant in Dubrovnik's medieval-walled old town. Adding, "I believe the government could have played this better by making an air corridor from the UK to Dubrovnik, as Dubrovnik has a very small number of cases compared to the rest of Croatia. Germany for example, put Split and Šibenik in red".
EasyJet agree that a regional approach would make more sense than imposing restrictions on the entire country. "We continue to call on the UK Government to replace the blanket quarantine with a targeted, regionalised approach and to use effective testing programmes at airports which can prove valuable in reducing the period of self-isolation for travellers”, says EasyJet PR, Andy Cockburn. Adding, “We plan to operate our full schedule in the coming days, but are continuing to monitor demand and adjust the flight schedule in line with that".
Despite the news, Dubrovnik's lovely five-star waterside hotels seem to be holding out. "A small number of guests have shortened their stay, but even today we've been receiving new reservations from the UK for August", says Zrinka Marinović of Adriatic Luxury Hotels. "We believe that guests from Britain will continue to visit, especially because there are flights available from the UK throughout September, when Dubrovnik is at its most beautiful".
Meanwhile, more adventurous travellers are taking it as it comes. Brook Ellis, a British post-graduate, is currently cycling overland from London to Istanbul. The route he originally planned in late-July would have taken him across Europe and down through the Balkans.
Having just crossed the Alps into north Italy, he now says, "Reaching Turkey was always going to be a best-case scenario, with how far I travel being subject to infection rates and subsequent shifting regional policy across the continent. It wasn’t until I reached Basel that Croatia’s increased infection rate began to reach the news".
With border regulations changing daily, and high infections rates in Serbia and Bulgaria too, he says, "Ultimately, you’re playing chess with something far more serious than a cycling holiday". His Plan B is to fly back to the UK from Ljubljana in Slovenia, then resume the trip from there in 2021.
