Croatia and Japan have signed a bilateral agreement on air services as part of efforts to establish scheduled non-stop flights between the two countries.
“Direct air traffic will significantly contribute to tourism exchanges between the two countries and facilitate mutual economic cooperation and other forms of cooperation.“, commented a press release from the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, it should strengthen Croatia’s ties not only with Japan, but also with other countries in the Far East.
Intergovernmental negotiations between Tokyo and Zagreb had started in November 2018 and a preliminary agreement reached in November the following year. Before the Covid pandemic, Japan was the largest untapped market in Asia for Croatian tourism. In 2019, around 32,051 passengers flew indirectly between Japan and Croatia, with the majority flying between Tokyo and Zagreb via a connection in another country, making it the second busiest unserved route at Zagreb Airport. and the busiest in Asia.
Although Zagreb is the main point of entry for Japanese tourists visiting Croatia, a significant number of them continue their journey to Dubrovnik. Before the pandemic, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, operated summer charters from several cities in the Japanese archipelago to Dubrovnik, and Zagreb also hosted charters from Tokyo during this period.
