Croatian flag carrier Croatia Airlines touched down in Istanbul last week, marking the start of seasonal flights between the Adriatic city of Split and the Turkish metropolis, which is seen as a herald of the possibility of an increase in tourist flow between the two countries.
The inauguration event marking the new milestone for the airline was held on Monday in Istanbul's famed Pera Palace Hotel with the participation of Croatia's Istanbul Consul General Ivana Zerec, representatives of the company, the Croatian Tourist Board, travel agencies and other esteemed guests.
The flights en route will be operated three times a week from May 8 to Oct. 13, the airline announced. They are scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from Istanbul to Split, according to the current list on the airlines' website.
"Last night, we celebrated the first flight between Split and Istanbul with a cake and flowers from colleagues at the airport. This is the beginning of a new season, in which we will connect these destinations three times a week until mid-October and allow you to explore magical Istanbul like never before," Croatia Airlines said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on May 8, to mark the commencement of the flights.
The consul general, in her speech, highlighted the honor of hosting the inauguration event in a place that once served as an important stop for the passengers of the Orient Express – the train, which included multiple stops and that once connected Croatia and Türkiye.
"Today, in this very same location, we celebrate the newly established line between our two cities, Split and Istanbul, through the opening of a direct flight," she said.
Furthermore, she underscored some of the similarities between both cities such as both of them being maritime cities, port cities that share a traditional heritage, back from the Byzantine times, while also being popular tourist destinations attracting visitors from around the world.
"This new flight will help to put us even closer, (it) will help to increase the exchange of tourists, flow of business, and cultural exchange," Zerec noted.
Moreover, the consul stated that Turkish tourists had 110,000 overnight stays last year, which she said marked an increase of 30% from a year earlier and also surpassed the results from the record-breaking pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Tourists from Türkiye predominantly visited Zagreb, Dubrovnik and, precisely, Split, she explained.
On the other hand, nearly 67,000 Croatian tourists visited Türkiye in 2023, according to Zerec.
"In addition to tourism, records are also being broken in trade. In 2023, bilateral trade reached a record $1.05 billion, achieving our short-term trade goal."
"Further connecting our two countries can only positively impact the already strong and dynamic bilateral economic relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Türkiye, which are continuously evolving and strengthening. Our medium-term trade goal is $2 billion," said the consul.
At the same time, she also mentioned a notable number of Turkish companies operating in diverse sectors from banking to infrastructure in Croatia, assessing that the firms recognized the significance of the Croatian market, especially after it joined the eurozone and Schengen on Jan. 1, 2023.
Star Alliance member Croatia Airlines has a history spanning around three decades and is currently in the process of modernizing its fleet with Airbus A220 aircraft, with a plan on delivery of the first of 15 planes soon.
Croatia positioned itself as the premiere destination on Europe's southern coast, pairing Spain, Italy, Greece and Türkiye, attracting tourists from all over the world, including actors and showbiz personalities.
Tourism revenues contribute significantly to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), with Split, the capital of Zagreb, and the medieval city of Dubrovnik being among the most visited cities in the West Balkan nation.