Skift Take
EU membership will open Croatia’s borders to European residents, but also increase visa hassles for tourists from Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Its impact can already be felt with tourism from those markets already dropping 15 percent.
Croatia’s azure Adriatic coastline dotted with over a thousand verdant islands has already won the nation a spot on the world tourist map and hopes are high that July’s EU entry will boost the sector and provide a much needed shot in the arm to the struggling economy.
“EU entry will certainly improve Croatia’s image as a tourist destination and might even bring an investment surge,” said Goran Hrnic, chief executive of the Gulliver Travel agency…
But EU membership might have some negative impact as Croatia has had to introduce visas for tourists from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to comply with the bloc’s rules.
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Photo credit: Ban Jelačić Square is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia. Flickr