The Plitvice Holiday Resort has built 14 luxury accommodation units – five tree houses and nine lakeside houses – and a new reception with EU funding. It has improved its recreational facilities, developing two artificial lakes, a promenade, a mini golf course and a dog training area. As a result, Plitvice has become a 4-star resort and the new facilities encourage guests to book longer stays. The resort covers 5 hectares in Rakovica, next to Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park.
- 19 January 2021
'There are some ridiculously dreamy tree houses on offer at the Plitvice Holiday Resort. Despite their rustic exterior, inside there's a very contemporary design, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen and living room for a home-away-from-home feel.'
The project also created an ICT platform to support the running of the resort. Training was provided for reception and catering staff to ensure improved service, and for marketing and sales personnel to acquaint them with new tourism trends.
The resort was presented at fairs in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, generating interest on domestic and international markets.
Job creation
Previously, the resort was primarily a campsite, which inhibited its competitiveness due to the seasonal nature of the business model. Moreover, the lack of facilities meant that many guests only stayed for short periods.
As well as prolonging stays, the upgraded Plitvice Holiday Resort prolongs the tourist season, remaining open all year round. Additional employees have been hired, and seasonal workers’ contracts have been extended to cover the whole year. By 2022, the owners expected to have created six new jobs and increased accommodation occupancy by 40 % and revenue by 43 %.
Along with the lakeside and tree houses, accommodation includes 10 mobile homes, six teepees, 16 double or twin rooms in a pavilion, three bungalows, and an apartment. The campsite has pitches for 120 caravans or tents and a sanitary block adapted for people with disabilities. Guests have easy access to beautiful nature, cultural attractions and activities such as rafting, horse riding, hiking, skiing, and fishing.
Among the facilities are a shop, a children's playground, exercise equipment, a beach volleyball court, a swimming pool and table tennis tables. Guests can hire bicycles, electric bicycles and scooters, spend time in the wellness centre and beauty salon, and visit the outdoor cinema. The restaurant seats 80 diners inside and 120 on the terrace, and there is a coffee shop, a poolside bar, and a barbecue.
EU-backed financing
The resort had to shut its doors from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a 45 % drop in revenue that year. All employees were retained and given maintenance or horticulture work during the closure.
An EU-backed guarantee enabled the resort to obtain capital to cover costs, including wages for 11 full-time and 15 seasonal workers.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Investment in the ‘Plitvice Holiday Resort 4*’ tourist resort” is EUR 2 205 103, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 779 694 through the “Competitiveness and Cohesion” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Competitiveness of SMEs”.