Statistics published in the newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija show that more than 60.000 visitors have taken a holiday on the Adriatic coast, the Croatian Times reported.

According to the data, Istria has so far proved the most popular region for an overseas break.

Head of the Zadar Tourist Board, Zvonko Supe, told the newspaper: "We are pleased that so many tourists from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary were here this year.

"Also, thanks to Ryanair, we have had 450 guests from Scandinavia during the last three days."

Mr. Supe added that the Adriatic resort has also seen a major boost in domestic tourism, with a large number of Croats choosing to spend their holidays in Zadar.

Figures from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics show that the total number of visitors to the country rose to more than 11,26 million in 2008.

Source: Croatianvillas.com