ZAGREB, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — Renowned for its Mediterranean islands, medieval towns and natural wonders, Croatia, the southeastern European country depending heavily on tourism revenue, suddenly faced uncertain times with no tourists in sight after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
“In February 2020, we were booked for almost the entire year,” Teo Smrkic, a local tour guide, told Xinhua. “Our colleagues from Asia were warning us of the problems that the pandemic could bring about, but it seemed impossible that the whole sector could fall apart. When it did, it collapsed in only a few days. All tours were canceled.”
For the rest of the year, Smrkic, as well as many other tour guides in Croatia, were out of a job. The Croatian government introduced measures to support job preservation, but still many employees were forced to leave the tourism sector.
In 2020, the COVID-19 related travel restrictions hit Croatia’s tourism sector very hard. The country logged a mere seven…