Croatia insists its resorts are safe as the UK considers travel restrictions

Croatia has become one of the latest countries to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp just as the UK government is believed to be considering removing it from its list of quarantine-free countries.

The rate of Covid-19 infections in Croatia has been increasing over the past few weeks and, according to the European Centre for Disease Control, new cases over the past seven days have reached 24.7 for every 100,000 residents. This compares to 24.3 in France, which has already been removed from the UK’s list of quarantine-exempt destinations.

However, Croatia has been given the WTTC Safe Travels stamp this week, along with Ecuador and Ghana, after adopting new health and safety protocols based on guidelines from the World Health Organisation and the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

"As a popular European and Adriatic destination, we are doing our best to face all difficulties and to secure stability and safety for the local population and for all the travellers who have decided to visit us this year, despite the current circumstances," said Croatia Minsiter of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac.

"To make the new normal possible, we have gone to great lengths to prepare the necessary safety protocols and measures.

"We sincerely believe that aligning with the WTTC global protocols will be the next important step in securing and stabilising not only the current season but will also represent another important next step for the sustainable and smart future development of this very important economic sector."

Croatia has this week announced bars and nightclubs will close at midnight and only operate outdoors. It said new recommendations outline that the use of dancefloors is ‘not recommended’ and dancefloors in nightclubs are to be used for sitting at tables spaced 1.5 metres apart.

The Croatian National Tourist Office in London insisted ‘the epidemiological situation in Croatia is stable and favourable’.

"The whole of tourism industry in Croatia is behaving responsibly and adhering to the prescribed epidemiological measures," added Kristjan Stanicic, General Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

According to the latest data, there are 1,371 active Covid cases, of which only 39% were recorded on the coast. "This means that in most coastal areas and on the islands the epidemiological picture is favourable, and they can be considered safe," added the tourist board.
 

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By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)