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In Croatia, where the season is expected and planned months in advance, news of planned works on the A1 motorway in the middle of the tourist peak echoed, and ended, almost with the speed of a traffic accident during the weekend rush hour.
Namely, Croatian Motorways (HAC) first announced on July 21 that due to the reconstruction of the lane on the A1 section between the Karlovac and Novigrad junctions, traffic would be redirected to one lane in each direction from Friday, July 19. The works were supposed to last until July 31, with the possibility of additional lane closures at night.
Planning work on the highway during the peak tourist season, when tens of thousands of vehicles pass through this key road daily, is certainly frivolous and disorganized. Or crazy from every angle in a serious tourist destination.
Almost immediately after the announcement, the news was met with a wave of criticism and outrage, both from citizens and the tourism sector. The logical question was: why the works in the middle of the peak season?
A day later, July 22nd, HAC withdrew the decisionThe official statement states that due to expected crowds, the work is being postponed until the fall.
A commendable decision, because it really is "out of the question" to work on highway reconstruction during the peak season.
This turnaround in the planning of key transport infrastructure, just a day after the works were officially announced, further raises the issue of coordination and strategic planning in the context of maintaining and developing the transport network, especially during the main tourist season, which for Croatia means not only a larger number of vehicles, but also a direct impact on the tourist experience and economic impact.
Because while on the one hand millions of euros are being invested in promoting the destination and raising the level of service, on the other, at the same moment, a traffic maneuver is almost carried out that risks hours-long queues and frustration for guests at the entrance to the country.
This is not the first time that maintenance plans have come into conflict with the realities of tourism. But the question remains: who coordinates the system? Who plans when, where and how, and is it possible that in a country that lives off tourism and traffic, such decisions are made at the last minute and withdrawn even more quickly?
Fortunately, the work has been postponed for now. But the lesson remains: destination management is not just the job of tourist boards, but of all stakeholders - from utilities to state-owned enterprises. Tourism does not stop at the entrance to the hotel. It begins at the entrance to the country.
