*FIRST RELEASE*		CROATIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS 10000 ZAGREB, ILICA 3, PHONE: +385 1 4806-111, P.O.B. 80, CROATIA ISSN 1334-0565

YEAR: XLVI.	ZAGREB, 30 MARCH, 2010		NUMBER: 4.4.4.

				OBLIGED TO NOTIFY DATA SOURCE

TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2009

In 2009, there were 928 travel agencies and their offices that arranged same-day trips and travels in the country and abroad for domestic tourists as well as travels in Croatia for foreign tourists.

In 2009, as compared to 2008, the number of domestic same-day visitors in Croatia, whose same-day trips were arranged by travel agencies, decreased by 12.4% and the number of same-day visitors abroad by 3.6%.

The number of domestic tourists whose travels were arranged by tourist agencies in the country decreased by 16.2% and the number of tourist nights by 18.1%, as compared to 2008, with the average of 4 tourist nights.

As compared to 2008, 12.3% less tourists travelled abroad and, with the average of 4 tourist nights, realised 11.7% less tourist nights.

Out of 290 365 domestic tourists who travelled abroad through the mediation of travel agencies, most of them went to Italy (19%), Austria (15%), other non-European countries (10%), the Czech Republic and France (7%), Slovenia and other European countries (6%) as well as Germany and Spain (5%).

In 2009, travel agencies arranged travels in Croatia for1 738 901 foreign tourists who realised 11 606 178 tourist nights, with the average of 7 tourist nights.

In 2009, the number of foreign tourists who came to Croatia through the mediation of travel agencies decreased by 13.6% and the number of tourist nights by 17.5%, as compared to 2008.

1. TRAVEL AGENCIES AND THEIR OFFICES, 2009


Number of agencies and their offices in the country	925

Persons in employment – total (situation as on 31 August)	4 197
Of that, full-time	3 206

Number of agencies abroad	3

Persons in employment – total (situation as on 31 August)	6
Of that, full-time	6

2. TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT OWNED BY TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2009

Buses	Passenger cars (up to 9 seats)	Ships	Motor boats

126	368	97	64

3. SAME-DAY TRIPS OF DOMESTIC SAME-DAY VISITORS, BY COUNTRY OF DESTINATION, IN ORGANISATION OF TRAVEL
AGENCIES, 2009

Country of destination	Same-day visitors

Total	334 467

Croatia	297 582

Foreign countries	36 885
Austria	12 901
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3 901
Italy	12 259
Hungary	4 156
Germany	183
Slovenia	2 793
Other European countries	692

4. TRAVELS OF DOMESTIC TOURISTS IN ORGANISATION OF TRAVEL AGENCIES, BY COUNTRY OF DESTINATION, 2009

Country of destination	Number of tourists	Number of tourist nights

Total	531 526	2 323 570

Croatia	290 365	1 261 661

Foreign countries	241 161	1 061 909

Austria	35 329	146 822
Bosnia and Herzegovina	10 096	24 481
Czech Republic	17 573	62 567
France	17 570	75 949
Greece	6 143	36 392
Italy	44 665	191 417
Israel	474	2 841
Hungary	10 091	19 383
Malta	2 603	17 865
Netherlands	2 222	8 134
Germany	12 109	33 431
Russian Federation	656	3 197
Scandinavian countries	1 714	9 291
Slovakia	2 685	8 395
Slovenia	13 337	63 348
Spain	12 832	68 298
Turkey	3 735	21 067
United Kingdom	7 756	31 228
Other European countries	13 535	55 447
USA	1 983	13 304
Canada	223	2 503
Other non-European countries	23 830	166 549

5. TRAVELS OF FOREIGN TOURISTS TO CROATIA, IN ORGANISATION OF TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2009

Country of origin	Tourists		Tourist nights
Country of origin	Total	Tours (cruises)	Total	Tours (cruises)

Total	1 738 901	113 040	11 606 178	605 485

Austria	100 045	6 777	581 426	27 995
Belgium	23 334	1 732	170 862	8 030
Bosnia and Herzegovina	17 104	551	97 978	2 646
Czech Republic	117 917	495	797 961	2 991
Denmark	13 828	1 289	89 630	8 641
France	129 310	19 629	651 404	158 058
Greece	1 298	171	6 490	768
Italy	195 391	6 248	1 246 238	20 213
Israel	2 929	232	9 809	1 169
Hungary	72 338	1 526	404 720	7 642
Netherlands	41 302	5 481	279 563	23 269
Germany	400 467	24 705	3 150 190	107 338
Poland	95 516	15 307	633 148	71 568
Russian Federation	54 307	309	494 173	1 878
Scandinavian countries	52 151	2 327	331 130	14 715
Slovakia	50 179	321	333 708	1 765
Slovenia	92 983	532	699 689	3 437
Switzerland	15 331	2 357	94 318	9 407
United Kingdom	108 570	1 814	651 474	12 319
Other European countries	116 387	6 821	691 455	37 103
USA	14 052	5 695	58 254	29 459
Other non-European countries	24 162	8 721	132 558	55 074

6. SAME-DAY TRIPS ARRANGED BY TRAVEL AGENCIES FOR TOURISTS ACCOMMODATED IN TOURIST RESORTS, 2009

	Trips
	In Croatia	Abroad

Number of departures	27 523	3 296

Number of tourists − same-day visitors	761 485	88 542

Domestic	73 367	6 371
Foreign	688 118	82 171

7. DOMESTIC TOURISTS IN RESPECT OF TRANSPORT MEANS THEY USED, 2009

		Transport organised by travel agency						Transport on own account
		Total	Aeroplane	Bus	Vessel (ship)	Train	Other	Transport on own account

Domestic tourists
In Croatia	Tourists	112 072	8 862	102 639	90	224	257	178 293
	Tourist nights	421 699	36 555	382 831	391	888	1 034	839 962

Abroad	Tourists	172 581	62 716	104 289	4 950	172	454	68 580
	Tourist nights	729 102	302 161	396 726	26 924	464	2 827	332 807

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

The data source is a regular statistical survey titled the Report on Travel Agencies (TU-14 form).

The questionnaire (TU-14 form) must be filled in for the whole tourist agency, irrespective of where its offices may be located.

The survey covers all business entities and parts thereof whose seat is in the Republic of Croatia, whose activity includes organising of tourist transport for domestic and foreign same–day visitors and tourists.

A travel agency is a trade company or an individual trader, a tradesman or their organisational unit rendering services of organising or intermediation of services related to travel and stays of tourists if it fulfils the conditions of rendering of services as regulated in the Provision of Tourism Services Act (NN, No 68/07).

According to the organisation of its work, a travel agency may be: a tour operator, a travel agency – intermediary, a travel agency – intermediary engaged in rendering passenger assistance service and mediation in private accommodation, in selling tickets for trips or performances and exchange office or tourist information services and a tourist agency that is both a tour operator and travel agency – intermediary.

In this survey the coverage is full, which means that it included every single tourist agency.

Definitions

Tourist is every person who, outside his place of usual residence, spends at least one night in a hotel or some other accommodation facility.

Same-day visitor is every person who goes for a same-day trip outside his place of usual residence and comes back the same day (he does not spend a night in the place he visits).

Tour or cruise is a tourist journey lasting for several days according to a specific tour (cruise) itinerary (elaborated plan of the journey). It is an inclusive tour that comprises various transportation means and all tourist services during the journey, including a guide and tour conductor.

Table 6. contains data on same-day trips that travel agencies either arrange or intermediate in arrangement for tourists who stay in a particular tourist resort. This provides a type of leisure to tourists during their stay in a particular tourist resort. The number of departures refers to the realised number of trips in the course of a year.

Table 7. contains data on only the main transportation mean in the Republic of Croatia or from the Republic of Croatia, respectively (it does not refer to same-day trips). The transport may be arranged by a travel agency or it can be individually arranged transport by using any transportation mean.

Abbreviations

etc.	and so on (from Latin: et cetera)
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia

TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2009

1. TRAVEL AGENCIES AND THEIR OFFICES, 2009

Buses

Passenger cars (up to 9 seats)

Ships

Motor boats

The survey covers all business entities and parts thereof whose seat is in the Republic of Croatia, whose activity includes organising of tourist transport for domestic and foreign same–day visitors and tourists.