Opening of the campsites in Slovenia and Croatia after coronavirus

Publication date

20 April 2020

Category

Camping

Statistics

Coronavirus postponed the start of the camping season of the campsites in Slovenia and Croatia to a later date. Both countries had rigorous movement measures since March that have yielded excellent results and we are expecting gradual relaxation of the measures in the coming days.

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This year's camping season in the Alps and along the Adriatic Sea depends mainly on stopping the spread of coronavirus and, consequently, opening border crossings between Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia.

The information we are receiving at the end of April are very encouraging as the number of infected people is steadily declining. Responsible are preparing all the necessary measures for the opening of the tourist season and the politicians are creating the conditions for opening the border crossings.

Camping season in Croatia

In Croatia, they have been very successful in controlling coronavirus, with only 1033 infected (Croatia's population is 4 million) on 23 April. The government has announced that it will release a number of measures by mid-May, and will also re-open restaurants and bistros.

The Minister of Tourism announced the opening of border crossings with Slovenia and the abolition of the mandatory 14-day quarantine, which is now valid for all those who come to Croatia. This is expected to happen in the second half of May. Talks have also been held with the Austrian and Hungarian governments, along with talks between Slovenia and Austria that have open borders as well. This is very important for Croatian tourism, since 80% of all overnight stays are created by foreign tourists.

Although there is no regulation in Croatia that campsites and hotels should be closed, most have closed their doors at the onset of the crisis. The Minister of Tourism announced that campsites, marinas and private accommodation would be opened first and hotels are expected to open later.

Croatian campsites are planning to start the season around May 15 or in early June. They are currently waiting for instructions from responsible authorities for the correct management and cleaning of the receptions and sanitary facilities. It is expected, as it was announced, that camping lovers will first be invited to mobile homes that have their own toilets and kitchens, as well as motorhomes and caravans that have their own sanitary facilities which decreases chances for infection.

Campsites in Slovenia in season 2020

Slovenia has also effectively responded to the coronavirus, having only 1.069 patients at present, with the most severe cases among the elderly. Currently around 10 new infected people per day are detected. In these days the government started nation-wide testing that will be basis for further actions - its results are expect in first days of May. In the coming days, it is expect that the movement of people, who have only been able to move within their municipalities for the last month, will be able to move freely again.

In Slovenia, since mid-March, strict border crossing measures have been in place so that free crossing of the border was allowed only to people in transit, cross-border workers and truck drivers. All other travelers coming to Slovenia are currently subjected to the mandatory 7 - 14 days quarantine. Opening of the borders with Austria is crucial for Slovenian tourism, as foreign guests contribute to 75% of overnight stays.

Hotels and campsites have to be closed for now. As predicted by the responsible the tourist season could start on June 1, of course, if the results are still as good as at the end of April.

How will camping look like in the future

All projections indicate that all forms of tourism, which are related to nature, will grow in the next few years. There will be more guests traveling within the region and arriving by car. This is a great prediction for campsites, as they can expect even more people who want to spend their vacation in a natural environment.

It seems that the prices of camping will not decrease significantly, so we recommend that guests take advantage of the benefits offered by the Avtokampi Camping Card, which is the only free camping card. It is available in electronic form and sent to your email instantly.

Smaller campsites that offer more intimacy will be preferred, and it will now be desirable for campsites to have separate pitches equipped with electricity, water and drainage. This enables that guests with campers and caravans avoid shared toilets. In camping areas that are not divided into camping pitches, campers will need to make sure that the tents are set up at least 3 m apart.

The greatest risk of contamination in camps are the sanitary facilities. The campsites will have to clean and disinfect facilities several times a day. We can as well expect disinfectants at several locations as well as llimitation of the number of persons who can use sanitary facilities at once will be required. Guests will have to behave responsibily and follow recommendations for sanitazation and keeping up the cleanless. This will be especially important for children, so we recommend that young children use the restrooms only in company of adults.

Rental of a mobile home will be a great decision in the given circumstances and we can count on the fact that many hotel guests might now want to spend their vacation in a mobile home. Each mobile homes is equipped with its own kitchen, where guests can prepare their own daily meals, have one or two bathrooms and an outdoor terrace. This ensures no contact with other guests of the camping.

At the reception you can expect that temperature will be measured to all the guests upon arrival and they will be asked about their health status. It will be important that no sick guest will be allowed to enter the campsite and possibly try to use the camp as a quarantine area. In case of any signs of illness during camping, guests should notify the campsite reception and the closest health services by telephone as soon as possible, who will give further instructions.

As regards the use of children's playgrounds, it will be recommended that children do not use them, at least in the beginning of the season. For sports fields, only those playgrounds for individual sports without contact with teammates will be opened, for example. tennis, table tennis ...

The use of swimming pools will not be interrupted, as experts say chlorine in the water destroys all viruses. However, care must be taken in particular in the sunbathing areas so that the distance between the guests is large enough.

We hope that all of us, together with the instructions, manage to curb the spread of coronavirus as soon as possible and that we will also spend some of the summertime in campsites.

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