Varaždin County has become a year-round destination preferred by domestic and foreign tourists.
Clear indicators for the year 2022 also show how this statement holds water. Also, an interesting trend is visible from the statistical data of the Varaždin County. Namely, foreign tourists have overtaken domestic guests in the number of overnight stays.
According to the director of the Varaždin County Tourist Board, Goran Mališ these are guests from the western part of Europe who are delighted with their accommodation in holiday homes. More precisely, it is about the project "Holiday house with a story" which is an excellent positive example of the strategic development of the destination, as well as the primary task of the tourist board. They turned a flaw or weakness into an advantage and thereby created a new market.
According to data from the eVisitor system, a total of 2022 arrivals (89.275% foreign and 54,30% domestic tourists) and 45,70 overnight stays (206.575% foreign and 52,02% domestic tourists) were achieved in the area of Varaždin County in 47,60, which is 21% more arrivals and 35% more overnight stays compared to 2021.
Of special significance is the fact that the number of overnight stays in 2022 is even 10% higher compared to the pre-pandemic and record year 2019, and for the first time 200.000 overnight stays have been exceeded, which is certainly a historic result, emphasizes Mališ.
The data confirm that the decision to develop and brand holiday homes proved to be more than justified. On the contrary, it proved to be a complete success and a flywheel of tourism in Varaždin County.
It is also important to note that the trend from 2021 continues, and the number of overnight stays by foreign tourists exceeds the number of overnight stays by domestic guests in 2022, which is certainly an interesting fact considering that until now domestic tourists have mostly had primacy in that segment.
"This is definitive proof that the area of Varaždin County is becoming an increasingly interesting tourist destination at the European and world level. According to the country of origin, the most overnight stays were made by domestic tourists - 94.988 overnight stays. Among foreign tourists, the most overnight stays were made by guests from Germany - 24.538 overnight stays, followed by Poland - 10.525 overnight stays, Slovenia - 8.757 overnight stays, Slovakia - 6.594 overnight stays, Austria - 6.174 overnight stays, and interestingly, for the first time, tourists from the Netherlands ranked in the top 6 foreign countries with a whopping 5.236 overnight stays. Followed by tourists from the Czech Republic, Italy, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Hungary." pointed out Mališ and added that they are extremely satisfied with such figures, and it is up to TZ to continue working on the promotion and strengthening of tourism in Varaždin County.