Nautical Tourism in Croatia and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to present the results of the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nautical tourism in Croatia, with particular emphasis on charter services. The structure of the article was subordinated to the research process carried out, in accordance with the presented methodology. Design/Methodology /Approach: The article presents the results of research analyzing the popularity of nautical tourism in Croatia in terms of using charter services in this area. The period 2015–2020 was studied. Due to the purpose of the article, special attention was paid to the situation of the pandemic, which caused changes in this respect. The main source of data was the statistics provided by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Sea…, 2015–2020). Elements of econometric modeling were used to show the scale of the impact of the pandemic on charter services in Croatia. An analysis of the situation was also carried out in relation to the individual countries whose citizens use charter services in Croatia. Findings: The results of the conducted research indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the number of tourists using charter services in Croatia. This was confirmed both in terms of the number of charter guests and the number of charter guests overnights. Practical Implications: The results of the analysis can be useful for decision makers in the development of charter services in Croatia with particular emphasis on a crisis situation. Continuation of this research could strengthen knowledge of pandemic crisis management. Originality/value: The conducted research concerns a pandemic situation, the impact of which on various spheres of life and economy has so far been unprecedented.