Tourism: in Croatia prices rising "enormously"

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, AUG 18 - The significant increase in prices in Croatia's tourist sector continues to draw international media attention. "Five euros for an ice cream ball," headlined the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in a reportage from Croatia, where it is noted that "Croatia was never cheap, but this year the prices are rising enormously," and the Croatian Finance Minister admitted that tourists may stay away due to the increase in holiday costs. Croatia is becoming a "luxus destination" in terms of prices since the introduction of the euro and the rise in inflation, according to Faz. Even Croatia's finance minister, Marko Primorac, felt compelled to publicly comment on price developments at the end of June, calling the price premiums "worrying" and warning of further price increases if the trend continues. However, Tourism and Sport Minister Nikolina Brnjac recently stated that price increases are justified: "All those who have invested in quality certainly have a justification." Those who did not invest in quality, capacity, or service, on the other hand, have no reason to raise their prices." According to the most recent official statistics, the largest annual price increases were recorded in restaurants and hotels, at a rate of 14.6% on average. According to the daily Poslovni Dnevnik, due to the combination of inflation, the introduction of the euro, and the business decisions of tourism entrepreneurs, tourism prices increased by up to 77 percent this July compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. (ANSA).