Zadar Airport has held talks with the Ambassador of China to Croatia in a bid to secure flights to the country. The newly appointed General Manager of Zadar Airport, Josip Klišmanić, as well as the Mayor of Zadar, Branko Dukić, recently hosted the Chinese Ambassador, Hu Zhaoming, and briefed him on development potentials, as well as possible flights between the two nations. "This meeting was organised in cooperation with Zadar County as a continuation of the management's endeavour to establish business cooperation with Chinese tour operators and airliners", the airport said in a statement. It follows on from talks with Hainan Airlines in 2015 over possible services from Chongqing, in China's south-west, to Zadar, which would have continued on to Rome. However, the flights never materialised.
The Zagreb-based Chinese Southeast European Business Association (CSEBA) had previously said that Zadar Airport has the best chances of securing operations to China. "The number of Chinese tourists visiting Zadar and Croatia itself has grown significantly even prior to the launch of flights", CSEBA noted, adding that a Chinese carrier is interested in establishing services between Guangzhou and the coastal city. "Guangdong Province is prepared to financially support the new route. Flights could operate twice per week, most likely by Hainan Airlines, which is very interested in introducing services to Croatia and the region in general", CSEBA said. However, it warned that there is still much to negotiate and that politics also plays a big role in securing such flights. Hainan Airlines recently filed for permits with Chinese authorities for a number of new routes for 2018 including Vienna, Brussels and Dublin in Europe.
Earlier this year, Zadar Airport held talks with China Southern Airlines over possible services from Guangzhou, however, the carrier decided against launching the flights. "We have to be prepared that some countries are returning to the tourism market and will try to attract consumers with low prices. That is why we are turning towards the Asian market, primarily Korea, Japan and China, where we are concentrating a lot of our efforts. We might see direct flights between China and Zadar", the Croatian Minister for Tourism, Gari Cappelli, said earlier this year. He added, "In addition to flights, we plan to open the office of the Chamber of Commerce and even our Tourist Board in China. The arrival of Chinese guests would guarantee a stronger pre and post season since they are not interested in the beaches",
They don't give up do they :D
ReplyDeleteBuaah, ko o cemu Zadar o Kinezima...
DeleteThe story continious
DeleteI have to ask what would make an airline from China choose Zadar over Zagreb? From Zagreb the rest of Croatia is accessible, what would be so special for Chinese to visit Zadar and surrounding area only?
ReplyDeleteChinese love to travel by bus which means that Zagreb is close enough to both Vienna and Budapest which both have direct flights.
DeleteZadar would open up the possibility of bringing more tourists to the coast.
What's interesting is that the Chinese would be ready to give subventions for these flights. If ZAD gets them then ZAG can forget about their own.
And before that guy says how the Chinese don't like to swim in the sea, there are a lot of old Italian/Venetian cities along the coast that would be interesting to them.
DeleteReally hope these happen.
ReplyDeleteI think at this point Croatia should focus on attracting long haul flights to Zagreb which is a good starting point to explore Croatia.
ReplyDeleteThat's what they've been doing for a while now but it's not easy. Air Canada Rouge only decided to launch flights once Air Transat proved to be successful. The long-haul market is getting more and more competitive especially with BUD right next door which is a larger and richer market.
DeleteNe baljezgaj.
DeletePusti aerodroe neka rade svoj posao.
Actually, flights from China to Dubrovnik would make much more sense than Zagreb.
DeleteDubrovnik is not very interested in flights to China. They said that the only two far away markets that have potential for flights to DBV are Korea and US.
DeleteI think there is interest in Zadar because Zadar Airport has been the only one that has had the initiative and been approaching Chinese carriers for a few years now.
DeleteAnd that is why Zagreb has 150.000 more tourists than Dubrovnik, and why there are much more Chinese tourist in Zagreb than in Dubrovnik.
DeleteThere is more to see in and around Dubrovnik so the potential is much greater, just a matter of time before the Chinese start arriving.
DeleteLook at how DBV almost had more passengers than ZAG this summer.
Hainan has applied to launch SZX-VIE meaning that there will be three point of entries for Chinese tourists to the region: Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade.
DeleteThese three will each serve a different market. Like it or not, ZAG has missed out on getting flights and it makes no sense now.
I think Croatia has a lot of potential to attract Chinese tourists and I do not understand why more hasn't been done. Flights to Zadar just seem like a dream project.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Politicians have been talking about China-Croatia flights since 2014 and nothing has happened yet.
DeleteBecause the government has not done more when the time was right so HR is now a stop on the way, not where their journey begins or ends.
DeleteIt's good that they have the initiative but this kind of news comes up every few months - HR to USA, HR to China... and none of it becomes a reality in the end.
ReplyDeleteI tako godinama...
Delete+1000
DeleteGood luck! There is definitely potential.
ReplyDeleteZadar can't attract more flights from Europe and they are talking about distant China ....
ReplyDeleteIt's too cold and too early in the morning to deal with such wishful thinking
If Chinese want to finance flights to Zadar like it says why not?
DeleteThat’s a soap opera...
ReplyDeleteIt's good that they are thinking about new markets. Would be fantastic to have regular flights from one of these countries.
ReplyDeleteWith the massive capacity Emirates is offering to Zagreb, I think they easily serve for all Asian markets to Croatia.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I hope you're joking..there are WAAAAY more than 350 people coming to Croatia per day from Asia, Australia and Middle East...
DeleteIf there were than EK would not have an average of 150 passengers this November.
DeleteSummer is a different story but you got to do something to make your offer interesting year round.
There is, much more. You can check statistics.
DeleteAnd where did you find that average number of EK flights in November was 150. Absolutely not true.
Point me to that statistics of yours.
DeleteIt is true and I have no need to give you the source of my statistics. Few days ago plane came with less than 120 passengers from Dubai. December will be better.
DeleteSo just because some Anon on here posted it a few days ago it means flights are empty for real? LOL
DeleteListen kid I can see the loads in Amadeus easily. Definetly not going to post you numbers here. You can go to the airport and count them yourself. You won't be waiting around a lot at this time.
DeleteI can also claim to have access to Amadeus without any info. LOL!!
DeleteGrow up kid and ask around what the loads are. But make sure you grow up first because Emirates loads should not define your national pride.
DeleteSo why don't you tell us some of the loads these days if you have them? ;)
DeleteI dont have them in front of me because I'm not at work. Last one I checked was couple of days ago. Around 115 passengers from Dubai and 230 to Dubai. All of November has been more or less the same second half of December is looking better. But there is not point even reporting it here. This place is full of nationalist idiots. And the loads that people do post here are completely wrong. Last week some guy was claiming it was overbooked which was completely false.
DeleteI am not the delusional Anon from above but thanks for posting those numbers. It goes to show that despite the massive network EK has failed to overcome the famous seasonality of the market.
DeleteMaybe it would be better to send the NEO in winter, operated by flydubai.
Yes. Summer was very good. Emirates from April to mid October and Flydubai in the winter would have been the best solution for now.
DeleteGuangzhou-Zadar really makes no sense at this point. Hopefully Hainan starts Zagreb flights
ReplyDeleteHaving chosen BEG Hainan will not fly to ZAG
DeleteHainan has said that they don't have plans to expand in the region for now.
DeleteI suppose ex-YU region as they are expanding in Vienna.
DeleteIt's good that Zadar is attempting something different and are trying to diversify their offer.
ReplyDeleteThey should first try and secure more year round flights to European destinations.
DeleteReminds me of SJJ and SKP where both dream of some far away destinations without having direct links to CDG or FRA. lol
DeleteChina is seriously interested in economic and trade cooperation with Croatia so flight would make sense. I hope sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteIf it's Zadar, it should just be charter flights.
ReplyDeleteCharter or seasonal, yes.
DeleteBut the minister says that most Chinese travel before and after peak season.
DeleteNothing to do in Zadar during winter.
DeleteHas Alibaba decided where they are going to open their European distribution center? I know they were thinking of Zadar. It could have an impact on these potential flights.
ReplyDeleteNot yet.
DeleteBut I should warn you that a lot of cities are vying for that.
DeleteI thought that with the new management at Zadar Airport they might give up on the China flight dream, but to no avail.
ReplyDeleteIt is being pushed mainly by county government.
DeleteNice to see they that advanced talks are taking place.
ReplyDeleteI would not really call this "advanced talks".
DeleteSooner or later Croatia will get flights to Chine but I doubt it will be Zadar.
ReplyDeleteAnyone has some updated stats on how many Chinese visited Croatia this year? I heard a couple of months ago there was some good growth.
ReplyDeleteIt will be 170.00-175.000 this year.
DeleteIt will be like every time, much talk no action.
ReplyDeleteZadar should get flights to the Netherlands! They have flights to several cities in the UK, Germany, Sweden and flights to Denmark, Belgium, France only the Netherlands are missing here which I really don't understand.
ReplyDeleteEasyjet could start
Amsterdam - Zadar
Transavia could start
Amsterdam - Zadar
Rotterdam - Zadar
Ryanair could start
Eindhoven - Zadar
Not enough demand, all is served through Split
DeleteHow many flights per week or per day?
ReplyDelete9.5 per a day......
Delete