The HTZ and HC highlighted the importance of the bridge both as a transport route that made travel to the southernmost part of the country easier and as a tourist attraction.
The bridge was built between the mainland and the Pelješac peninsula to bypass a short stretch of the coastline where Bosnia and Herzegovina has access to the Adriatic Sea. It provided a continuous road link between the southernmost part of Croatia, including Dubrovnik, and the rest of the country.
According to the HTZ, the number of tourist nights on the Pelješac peninsula was 10% higher in the year to mid-July than in the same period of the pre-pandemic record-breaking year 2019. At the same time, Dubrovnik-Neretva County recorded nearly 3 million tourist nights, up 16% compared with the same period last year.
Between 26 July 2022, when the bridge was opened, and 14 July 2023, more than 2.1 million vehicles used the bridge, HC said. Some 6,000 vehicles used the bridge in May, 8,700 in June and 11,000 in the first half of July.
The largest number of vehicles (16,000) was recorded immediately after the opening of the bridge, between 27 and 31 July 2022. 14,600 vehicles were recorded in August 2022 and 8,400 in September 2022.
"The bridge is a new attraction for many travellers and tourists, who can enjoy the view of the bridge from surrounding scenic viewpoints and roads, while sailing under the bridge is a special experience for boaters. It has already justified its existence and has certainly contributed to the good tourist trends in the pre-season. In the long term, the bridge will certainly encourage travel south by road," HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said.