One of the few certainties of our sailing this summer is the fact that we are going to run into big tourist crowds. There are more than 17 million visitors from abroad every year - a big part is coming from German speaking countries. Tourism accounts for 20% of Croatia's GDP.
Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul via Vienna and Belgrade around 1883
As everywhere in the world, tourism in Dalmatia started with the opening of railway lines. Before the time of steam, it was impossible to take off for a two weeks holiday on the Dalmatian coast if you were living in Vienna. With road transportation maxing out at a speed of 3 miles/h, nobody got far. You may have made it to the coast after a week but would have to return immediately to be back on time again.
Distance from Vienna measured in hours in 1912 - superimposed on the map of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire
Croatia's first hotel was built in 1843, the Villa Angelina in today's Opatija (formerly Abbazia). Tourism really took off with the opening of the railway line from Trieste to Rijeka (formerly Fiume) in 1873 though. Now the upper middle class from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire could travel in 14 hours to the "Austrian Riviera" around Abazzia and be back again on time. The French Côte d'Azure had a real rival.
South Beach of Abazzia in 1911
It did not take long for people in Vienna and Budapest to discover the beauty of the islands of Krk and Cres just south of Abazzia. With their karsty limestone soil, these islands were almost uninhabitable. There was no arable land and the few villages survived from fishing. But these islands were ideal for tourism. Within a few years, regular ferry service was established and the islands became a popular destination. As the railway lines were extended to Zara and Split, these beautiful towns came into reach as well.
View from the air of the island of Cres - 19th century hotels on the beach
The outbreak of WWI brought they peaceful holiday business to an abrupt end. The region became a frontline in the war with Italy and was mostly evacuated. The hotel industry collapsed. The Austrian and Hungarian banks who had provided mortgages to finance the business had to close their counters - they defaulted.
Partition of Dalmatia in 1919
With Istria and some of the islands becoming Italian, the situation remained grim. The visitors from Vienna and Budapest did not return and the Italians had different holiday destinations. These were slim years. WWII brought tourism to a full standstill again. For the People's Republic of Yugoslavia who took over in 1943, tourism was not a priority - until their version of Socialism run out of money in the 1970. The bankruptcy of another socialist dream opened the country to the west - the citizens of Yugoslavia had no money for holidays. A few large new hotel complexes were built by the Tito government. Brutish, ugly concrete monsters which still litter the landscape but were badly run and are now mostly abandoned. Finally, in 1991, events changed to the better. Croatia started to develop a new kind of tourism that protected the beauty of the place. 100 years after WWI tourists again flock to Dalmatia and enjoy the spectacular coast as their ancestors.
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