Visitors to European holiday hotspot warned of steep price increases to essential items
Visitors to Croatia's coastal hotspots may be met with an unwelcome surprise this summer, as seaside towns experience spiking prices on everyday necessities.
According to a new report from RTL Direkt, the cost of everyday goods has jumped by over 10 per cent in some areas - with the town of Tribunj leading the trend with a staggering 10.38 per cent rise.
From toilet paper to toothpaste, prices for hygiene products and essentials across the country have surged, with data showing the steepest increases in small tourist destinations.
A pack of toilet paper, for example, that costs 2.79 euros in the capital, Zagreb, is now going for 3.32 euros in Tribunj - a whopping 19.10 per cent hike.
'These are basic items people must buy, especially in tourist apartments, and that drives prices even higher', economist Mladen Vedriš told Croatia Week.
He warned that if the trend continues, annual inflation could easily surpass 20 per cent.
The inflation isn't limited to paper products, with cleaning items jumping from 2.59 to 2.99 euros, while a litre of yoghurt now costs 1.08 euros, up from 0.99 euros.
Surprisingly, it's hygiene and household items - not food - that are seeing dramatic increases.
Ivo Ugrina, co-developer of a government-mandated app that tracks nearly nine million product prices nationwide, said: 'I never expected toiletries and cleaning items to become the most expensive. I thought food would be the main driver.'
That app is now shedding light on a growing divide between prices inland and on the coast.
While nappies sell for 14.99 euros on the mainland, prices spike to 25.99 euros by the sea.
Basic toothpaste can double from 3 to 6 euros, and a chocolate bar that costs 2 euros in Zagreb may fetch up to 8 euros in coastal towns.
Smaller tourist towns are experiencing the most dramatic price hikes, with Zaostrog, a quiet coastal village, seeing a 10 per cent increase in just three weeks.
Meanwhile, larger cities like Split and Dubrovnik recorded more moderate rises of just over 1 and nearly 3 percent, respectively.
Economist Damir Novotny explained that supplying smaller Adriatic communities is far more expensive than large, popular cities.
He said it's 'easier to supply one million people in Zagreb' than '200,000 scattered across Zadar County.'
For locals and returning tourists alike, the changes are increasingly noticeable, with one resident of Split describing the situation 'frustrating,' as 'everything is expensive'.
Some visitors are already changing their habits. Experts say tourists are now bringing basic supplies - not just for convenience, but to avoid inflated prices.
Vedriš said: 'Guests are calculating what they get for their money, how much accommodation costs – and many are arriving already stocked up. Soon they won't just be bringing tins of pâté, but toilet paper too.'
While the rising costs are partially seasonal and driven by logistical challenges, economists warn of longer-term concerns, with Novotny warning: 'Once prices go up, they rarely come down.'
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'Sandown is a tourist town. You look at the pictures across the bay, the pier, all the way down here. 'In my opinion, it's one of the nicest beaches on the whole island. There's so much opportunity for it to be good. But at the moment, you look at the seafront and it's derelict. There's nothing to do.' Tourists say the cost of the ferries are a major downside to visiting the island, and can cost more than £100 for those travelling by car. Teresa Scott, from Dorking, Surrey, was visiting the Isle of Wight with her husband Clyde to scatter her father's ashes. The pair both visited the island when they were younger, but have rarely visited since. They said that the cost of travelling to Sandown, and to other British seaside towns, has become too expensive in comparison to cheap holidays overseas. In the decades since their last visit, they have seen a huge change in the outlook of Sandown seafront. Teresa, 57, said: 'You look at that big hotel over there, it would've been grand in its day, overlooking the sea. I vaguely remember it, actually. 'British tourism isn't the same now. People just don't come to the seaside like they used to. There's no money to put back into the area. 'They only have enough to scrape through the tourist season. That's it. They don't have the money to maintain anything. 'It cost us £111 to come over in the car from Southampton, imagine bringing a whole family. You see this when you arrive and it just puts you off. 'We could have flown to Barcelona for a similar price.' Clyde, 59 added: 'It's sad, really. You go abroad now and they take pride in everything. But when these places were built, people didn't go abroad, they came to the British seaside. 'After the '70s, everything changed. We didn't keep up. 'I went on the pier and the fruit machine was themed 'On The Buses' - a sitcom from the 1970s, which would probably appeal to 10 per cent of the population. 'That says it all. This place is antiquated beyond belief. 'The only reason we ever come here is nostalgia. Not to enjoy myself, just for the memories. That's all that's left. Nostalgia. 'Seaside towns have been forgotten and the clock can never be turned back.' Residents are also becoming despondent at the sorry state of the town. Husband and wife Steve and Sue Bromley have lived in Sandown for 20 years and said it is 'disgusting now'. Steve said: 'You see the tourists walking along the seafront and you can see they look towards the hotels instead of the beach. 'There are not so many tourists now, so I think they have to become residential.' Sue added: 'Even if it was apartments, it would look better than what we have now.' Young couple Will Sandy and Amy Britain, from Essex, were visiting the island for the first time with five-month-old young daughter. Will, 27, said: 'They are pretty spectacular buildings. It looks like it could've been amazing 30 years ago, but now it's missing a roof. It's not great. 'As we were driving in, we said it—just the number of abandoned shops and empty buildings. It really ruins the atmosphere. Amy, 27, added: 'Even where we're from in Essex, the coastal towns are the same. Every seaside town these days looks run-down and derelict. 'It definitely has an effect. It doesn't take away from the beach itself, but it's nice to have more around you. It affects the overall view, the feeling of the place.' The Isle of Wight Council is attempting to take control of some of the buildings in order to rejuvenate the town, but it is a slow process. Cllr Ward said: 'It's sad to see what's happened. Sandown was the Island's leading tourism town. When tourism fell away, we suffered the most. 'We need to decide what we want to be. A tourist town? Or go more residential. We need to make that decision. 'There's two more derelict hotels further down the seafront. One tried to get permission to turn into flats and it was refused. So we've got to sort the planning rules out. 'Otherwise, we'll just be sat here in another five years with the same issues.' A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said: 'The Isle of Wight Council recognises that Sandown is suffering from acute levels of dereliction. 'Many privately owned, prominent former hotel buildings on the seafront are at advanced stages of dereliction with the effect of causing visual blight on the townscape, suppressing investment, and most significantly damaging local people's health and well-being. The Isle of Wight Council is working closely with its local and regional partners including the Building The Bay group to address this problem and the wider social and economic challenges facing the local area. 'Sandown is one of the priority focus areas for our Planning Enforcement team, with the instruction to use their powers to require landowners to improve the external appearance of their buildings in the interests of the neighbouring amenity. Proactive planning enforcement action in the local area has increased significantly within the last year with tangible and long-lasting improvements already made. Emergency powers have also been utilised to secure derelict and unsafe buildings from unauthorised entry, eliminating anti-social behaviour and vandalism which was arising from within the unsecure premises. 'We are working with Sandown Town Council to make use of the government's High Street Rental Auction initiative to find new uses for empty buildings. All this work is wrapped around the Bay Area Place Plan, a dynamic collaboration between the Isle of Wight Council and The Bay's three town and parish councils to drive local regeneration. 'The council has also taken steps to address issues with its own building stock, securing £3m of government funding to restore the previously derelict Grade II listed Sandown Town Hall and bring it back into use for youth provision, which is nearing completion.'
