Wherever you look, tourism in Central Dalmatia is booming. The season is getting longer, more destinations inland are being explored, and tourists are now experiencing the rich offer the region has away from the beach.

For a look at just how rapid that growth has been, however, look no further than the passenger numbers of Split Airport, as well as the improving infrastructure in place to meet that growing demand.

This July, the new terminal at Split Airport finally opened, and initial feedback has been excellent, with no major teething problems with the new introduction. The terminal opening happened shortly after the completion of the dual carriageway into the city, and other innovations, such as a boat connection to the riva from nearby Resnik have added a new level of comfort in the arrival experience.

The passenger numbers are astonishing when put in historical context. With official numbers only for the first 11 months of 2019 available at time of writing, no less than 3,260,573 passengers have used the airport this year, another record year, and beating last year’s record (12-month) total of 3,124,067.

More interestingly is the rapid recent growth compared to other years. This year’s numbers will be an almost 50% increase on passenger numbers in 2016, just 3 years ago, more than double total numbers for 2013, and TRIPLE a decade ago in 2009.

And with more airlines announcing new routes for 2020, who knows what new records will be created next year.

To learn why so many people are flying to Split, learn more about the city. 

It is the biggest music event on the Adriatic coast each summer, and an event for which Split has become internationally recognisable.

The Ultra Europe Music Festival first came to Dalmatia in July 2013, and every summer since then, tens of thousands of electronic music lovers from all over the globe descend on the Dalmatian capital for a musical spectacle which is the event of the year for many.

Almost as impressive as the event itself, is the traditional official aftermovie, and the 2019 video has just been released. As well as focusing on the music and the festival itself, the aftermovie does a great job at promoting the beauty of Croatia and the Central Dalmatian region in particular.

See how many wonderful locations you can spot from Central Dalmatia in the video below, and then start making plans for Ultra Europe 2020 – you know it will be spectacular.

There is no denying it – Central Dalmatia has one of the most gorgeous coastlines of them all!

Superb sunsets, stunning beaches, pristine water, endless sun, and plenty to see and do away from the beach.

The Makarska Riviera in particular is a popular summer hot spot, but what does it look like away from the crowds, from an angle few tourists can experience – the air?

A delightful video recently uploaded to YouTube, which starts with a trademark magnificent sunset then continues along the coastline of the Makarska Riviera and the resort town of Tucepi. Why would you holiday anywhere else…

To learn more about Tucepi, check out the things to see and do.

It is one of the most imposing buildings in Central Dalmatia, and few offer better views of Split or the Dalmatian islands beyond. Although it has always been famous and strategically important locally and even known as the Gateway to Dalmatia, it is only in recent years that Klis Fortress became globally famous as the glorious Meereen in hit HBO show, Game of Thrones.

But there is MUCH more to Klis and its mighty fortress than Meereen, as local guide Filip Nincevic explained recently, when we challenged him to give us five fun facts people perhaps don’t know about Klis. Check them out in the video below.

One area where Central Dalmatia has raised its tourism profile in recent years has been in activity tourism, in particular cycling. More than 4,000 km of bike routes have been added throughout the region, tours developed to enable easier island hopping tours for cyclists, and the concept of bed and bike accommodation is expanding quickly.

But there is nothing quite like the continued arrival of the top names in a sport to give a little credibility and international promotion to cycling tourism.

The islands of Brac and Hvar have both worked hard to develop their cycling routes and tourism offer for their guests, and you can get a flavour of this in our bicycle adventure video on the two islands below.

In addition to this, Hvar has developed a successful relationship with Bahrain McLaren (previously Bahrain Merida), one of the top cycling teams in the world, who first came to Hvar for winter training two years ago, when their entire team of 75 cyclists and support staff took over Hvar’s first cycling hotel, Pharos, bayhill hvar hotel.

The Bahrain team are back on Hvar again for this, their third winter training, which is taking place from December 10 – 20. A great promotion for cycling on Hvar, which the team acknowledges is a perfect training ground with its different and challenging roads and terrains.