Revitalizing the dialogue with Chinese airlines on the introduction of direct flights between Croatia and China

Following the official visit of the Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman, to the People's Republic of China in July this year and the positive approach of the Chinese host, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, to this topic, the issue of introducing direct flights between China and Croatia has been revived. To this end, on the occasion of the visit of the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, to the People's Republic of China, the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the People's Republic of China organized meetings with some of the key Chinese state-owned and private airlines (Hainan Airlines and Air China on 18 September 2025 in Beijing, and with China Eastern Airlines and Juneyao Airlines on 19 September 2025 in Shanghai) in order to revitalize the previous dialogue.
 
Croatia is an increasingly attractive destination for Chinese tourists, Ambassador Dario Mihelin pointed out at the meetings held, which is best seen in the increase in the number of visas issued at the Embassy, ​​and he stressed that the introduction of a direct flight, even if only seasonally to commence, would certainly help increase the exchange of people and goods between the two countries. "Chinese visitors often fly to one of the capital cities near Croatia, such as Budapest, and then spend most of their stay in Europe in Croatia, so this is actually a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, because a direct flight would certainly lead to an increase in the number of passengers," Ambassador Mihelin vividly presented the current situation.
 
"We hope to establish a direct connection with China, as the number of visitors from that country continues to grow year after year," said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, adding that in the first eight months of the year, Chinese tourists in Croatia achieved a two percent increase in overnight stays compared to the same period last year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were already around half a million tourists from China, and now we are at 50% of that number, with a growing tendency.
 
The Chinese airlines with which discussions were held expressed considerable interest in establishing a direct flight, so it was agreed to establish further structured dialogue. The Chinese airlines also showed openness to study visits to Croatia, to which they were invited by the Croatian National Tourist Board.

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