Croatia’s city of Dubrovnik experienced a 3 per cent increase in visitors (to 464,500) in the first nine months of 2009 and a 9 per cent increase in overnights stays (to 1.74m).

The number of UK visitors was up 20 per cent, Germany up 4 per cent, Spain up 10 per cent, and Italy up 14 per cent. There were marked increases from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine, but declines from Ireland, Russia, Slovenia, and the US in the first three quarters of the year.

Cruise business to Dubrovnik is thriving, with 580 cruise ship calls with 845,000 passengers expected by the end of 2009. This puts Dubrovnik third in the ranking of Mediterranean ports of call for cruise ships, after Naples and Livorno.

Dubrovnik’s tourist board has embarked on a new programme, working together with the port’s cruise department, to improve the reception of cruise passengers, develop new excursions and boost marketing in 2010.

The city’s MICE sector has expanded, following the opening of two new hotels (900 rooms) this year, which has enabled the city to host larger events including the 7th MICE Europe Congress in October.

The city is also making progress as a wedding destination – 66 foreign couples chose it this year including 16 UK couples.

Dubrovnik’s tourist board expect another increase in visitor arrivals in 2010 with the introduction of new air routes from Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Amsterdam, Rome, Istanbul, Moscow and Budapest and a new GBP 19.7m passenger terminal, with a capacity of 2m passengers, due to open in 2010.