Why Croatia’s capital desires to carry the perfect Christmas market | EUROtoday

Christmas markets aren’t simply custom throughout Europe, they’re huge companies that give cities an enormous financial increase each December. For Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, it’s an efficient method of attracting vacationers outdoors of the nation’s essential summer time season.

The phrases “tourism” and “Croatia” are more likely to conjure visons of glowing Adriatic vistas in the course of the hottest months of the 12 months.

Tourism accounts for greater than a fifth of the economic system of this Balkan nation, and it’s eager to encourage extra guests to reach outdoors of the peak of summer time. Yuletide frolics are a key a part of that technique.

“We’re making a transformation,” says Croatia’s Tourism Minister, Tonci Glavina.

“We are developing as a year-round tourism destination – we are not a summer destination anymore. Croatia has really made a significant development. At some point way back it was just sun and sea, but now Croatia offers many tourism products all across the country.”

Zagreb Advent, because the capital’s Christmas markets and occasions are collectively identified, is the poster youngster for this strategy, with billboards in neighbouring nations urging individuals to attend. In reality, this 12 months the marketing campaign has unfold so far as London’s tube stations and Milan’s buses.

There are even particular trains to carry guests from Slovenia and Hungary. All of it’s a part of Zagreb’s push, in a really crowded discipline, to change into one in every of Europe’s hottest Christmas markets.

While some cities would possibly restrict their providing to a single location, Zagreb Advent is a multi-venue spectacular that takes over giant chunks of the centre.

“The entire city has become a festive ground for celebrating Christmas throughout the whole of December,” says Slavica Olujic Klapcic, who manages one of many Christmas market areas.

“What’s really special around here is that each of the locations has its own theme, and it’s a little bit different in decoration, and in the content that it offers. So for a visitor, I think it’s a good deal, because by taking a walk through Zagreb, you can see many different spots.”

Like different Christmas markets throughout Europe there are not any shortages of the same old seasonal staples, akin to sausages and mulled wine. But there are additionally a number of music levels, craft stalls, distributors providing conventional Croatian meals, artwork installations, and an unlimited ice rink.

“It brings life to Zagreb,” reckons Zrinka Farina, who’s concerned with placing on Christmas market occasions outdoors town’s historic Hotel Esplanade, in addition to a meals and music market at close by Strossmayer Square referred to as Fuliranje – which roughly interprets as “fooling around”.

But she says that Croatians are lethal critical about attempting to supply Europe’s finest Christmas market. “We are such a sporty nation, we love to compete – and when we do something, we really want to be the best in the world in it.”

Such has been the hassle that town has put into Zagreb Advent because it was first held in 2014 that it was voted the perfect Christmas market in Europe for 3 years in a row, from 2015 to 2017.

The competitors is organised by journey web site European Best Destinations, and Zagreb’s success has helped to drive customer numbers to town each December.

Back in 2014, town noticed 100,198 individuals keep for at the very least one night time over the past month of the 12 months. By 2024 this had greater than doubled to 245,352, which the vacationer board says gave town a €100m ($117m; £88m) financial increase.

However, Zagreb has an extended technique to go if it needs to meet up with Europe’s Christmas market heavyweights.

The one held within the German metropolis of Cologne is extensively reported to be the most well-liked. It is predicted to draw 4 million guests this 12 months, with an financial impression of €229m.

Meanwhile, Austria’s capital Vienna attracts round 2.8 million guests to its Christmas market, and France’s Strasbourg will get two million individuals.

Zagreb’s occasion additionally has a restricted historical past – it is just in its eleventh 12 months. By distinction, Dresden’s Christmas market, extensively thought of to be the world’s oldest, was first held in 1434. Strasbourg’s started in 1570, Vienna in 1764 and Cologne in 1820.

Despite its infancy, Zagreb Advent is alleged to be attracting guests from throughout Europe. “They come here from Italy, Spain, Bosnia, Slovenia and even the UK,” says Lucija Vrkljan, who’s working as a steward on the ice rink.

“It’s a great place to be,” says Dario Kozul, the founding father of BioMania, a bistro with a stall providing vegan and gluten-free meals on the Hotel Esplanade Christmas market. “We have a cross-marketing situation all the time,” he provides.

“People walk into this event and test our food – they’re really very pleased with it. Then we talk about our restaurant, and within the next couple of days, we see them there.”

Marko Peric, dean of the Faculty of Tourism at Croatia’s University of Rijeka, agrees that Zagreb Advent brings “unusually high” numbers of arrivals and in a single day stays in December.

But he cautions that the remainder of Croatia’s heavy reliance on the summer time season is a weak point that also must be addressed. “We need to work and develop our tourist offer in other parts of the year, including the winter,” he says.

“We don’t have snow, but we can offer a lot. We should rely on our gastronomy, which is well known, with many tourists arriving just because of that. And we could use other types of events like carnival in February, or sporting events.”

Tourism Minister Tonci Glavina insists that Croatia is making strikes in the suitable course. He factors out that customer numbers over July and August had been really barely down on the identical interval in 2024.

But the nation remains to be on the right track for a record-breaking 12 months, because of important progress both aspect of the summer time peak, with round 5% extra arrivals in June and September. This, says the minister, is “just perfect”, as is the ten% year-on-year rise over the primary week of December.

“We are transforming Croatia to be a sustainable tourism destination, meaning about the same number of guests in peak season, developing the shoulder seasons, and of course developing other parts of the country to be main tourism destinations.”

Zagreb Advent has already proven the advantages. Although that will not be the very first thing that springs to a customer’s thoughts with all the standard Croatian treats on provide.

After all, what may very well be higher than a post-skate fritule doughnut, besides maybe a fritule with chocolate sauce.