"What is happening with you, considering what we read, it seems that tourists are complaining a lot about high prices," asked an English journalist a few days ago.

The fact is that this year's tourist season is not running smoothly, there are obstacles on the way. Every day, I am bombarded with questions and complaints from both sides, tourists and locals involved in tourism. The alarm sounded when this year's season stopped being compared to the record-breaking 2019 and started being compared to last year's, which still struggled with the challenges and consequences of the pandemic.

Everyone agrees that the pre-season was excellent, a total hit, but then there was a slight decline.

It's not just about the destination; several different factors are involved. Tourists coming from our two most important tourist markets, the British and Germans, are also facing problems such as rising inflation and the risk of recession, so they are tightening their belts too. There are factors we can control and those that are beyond our control.

Every day, we read about how prices have "skyrocketed," and that we are significantly more expensive than the biggest competitors in the Mediterranean.

I even think that prices are not the biggest problem; it's about the value you get for your money.

In the city, there are extremely expensive places that are not for everyone's pocket, yet people still wait months to visit these places.

We far too often try to sell a Fiat at the price of a Ferrari!

We can do it once, but tourists are not sheep to be sheared. With the money they have earned hard, they want quality. Let the prices be high, but everything that comes with it must be top-notch, both the service and the product!

As my mother-in-law would say, "You can do it your way, but not for as long as you want."

I definitely don't want to generalize and put everyone in the same basket; there are indeed individuals who are a pride for the destination. But there are certainly too many who peel tourists like bananas!

It seems to me that there are some restaurateurs who are trying to make up for the two and a half years of the pandemic instead of planning for the long term.

Last week, a friend and colleague stayed with his family on one of our islands. He took his younger son to a local barber, but fortunately, he asked about the price first.

"How much would a haircut for my son cost?" he asked the barber. The answer he got was, to put it mildly, shocking. 35 euros! 35 euros!!!!!!

That prompted me to inquire a bit, not just anywhere, but I called one of the most luxurious hair salons in Chelsea, the super-wealthy district in London, pretending that I needed an appointment for a children's haircut: "Yes, sir, the haircut for a boy is 25 pounds and takes 30 minutes. If the child comes with a sibling, we offer a discount. Of course, drinks and the playroom for the child are included in the price," answered the courteous lady on the other end.

The island's barber offered his price for a shop with a stale smell of tobacco and a dusty fan from the time when the partisans liberated the island in World War II. And no, that has nothing to do with a retro vibe.

Another example is a friend who lives in Zagreb and has a house in the city. Of course, she comes here every year, but she noticed that the service, i.e., value for money, has drastically declined in recent years.

After paying for a portion of lukewarm squid rings in a local restaurant the same as if she had eaten 5 kg of lobster, she decided that she had had enough. "I've booked a flight and a vacation in the Maldives! I know exactly what I'm paying for, and I can't get that in Dubrovnik," she said sadly.

She will probably spend a lot more money (a lot more), but she will get what she expects for her money. Value for money.

Tourism is a fragile but flexible industry, and it is extremely competitive. Perception is crucial in this industry. If tourists realize that we are expensive but low-quality, we're in trouble. That reputation will follow us for a long time, and it will take a lot of time to wash away a bad reputation.

In the 25 years that I have lived here, I have never been more worried about the next season, as is the case this year. By following indicators, listening to what is said, and monitoring trends, we need to act quickly and be creative, not restrictive. Value for money could be the needle that punctures our tourism balloon. We'll see what the future holds!

Read more Englishman in Dubrovnik…well, if you really want to

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About the author
Mark Thomas (aka Englez u Dubrovniku) is the editor of The Dubrovnik Times. He was born and educated in the UK and moved to live in Dubrovnik in 1998. He works across a whole range of media, from a daily radio show to TV and in print. Thomas is fluent in Croatian and this column is available in Croatia on the website – Dubrovnik Vjesnik