In mid-July back in 1971, there were more available spaces on the sea than it could be expected or assumed, primarily due to a smaller number of domestic tourists. Why did the Yugoslavs, such huge lovers of the sea, decided to stay at home that year? Is it because of the threatened standard, humongous prices, misguided propaganda, the fear of being undesirable guests, or all of that together?
The basic impression was that, besides Primosten and Makarska, on the entire coastline were more free spots than one could possibly expect in the middle of “the peak of the season”.
The main reason for this is certainly the economic trends in the country and the prices of tourist services that did not consider the economic stagnation of domestic guests.
Average prices in hotels were around 10,000 dinars per person, which means that an average four-membered Yugoslav family, which would be spending a summer in one of these facilities, would have to allocate over half a million dinars!
Another reason for a small number of domestic tourists can be found in a very low propaganda that the Adriatic places conducted that winter. Everything else was advertised: Majorca, and Siberia, Safari, and Japan, even Leningrad, and all of these trips could be obtained through a multi-month loan.
Only the Adriatic was left without propaganda, which, for objective reasons, neither offered nor gave credit for their trips.
Non-responding to letters and reservations, crowded and unfinished hotels, are just some of other complaints that caused that situation back then.
(Source: fokus.ba)
