2013 has far from lived up to last year’s visit records. Expecting further growth, many owners have expanded their hotels and pansions, and loan repayment is a growing problem. As room prices drop and competition gets harder, this week’s Youth Festival is crucial for many local people.
Still many people, but also far from full. This has been the situation in many hotels and pansions this year in Medjugorje
Delayed by five years, the global financial crisis has come to Medjugorje. First half of 2013 has seen significantly fewer pilgrims than last year, with especially Italians and Irishmen having canceled many visits.
The situation is threatening to many owners of hotels and pansions who recently increased their capacity. Most expansions were financed by bank loans, and repayment has become a pressing issue many places.
Recent years’ pilgrims boom has had many pansion and hotel oweners expand their property, and loan repayment has now become a problem
The pilgrim decline has intensified the competition of housing those who come, and room prices have gone down due to pressing financial problems, the local news portal Brotnjo Online quotes the printed edition of the Croatian newspaper Vecernji List.
“They fight for every guest. Prices are decreasing, for example from 15 to 12 Euro per night being offered to large groups of visitors. I am afraid that, by the end of the year, the struggle for guests will be all the dirtier” an unnamed local source tells Vecernji List.
From last year’s Youth Festival. Starting on July 31, this year’s festival may either partly save a weak season, or definitely mark 2013 as a major disappointment
This week’s Youth Festival is very important to many. The second-largest event of the year in Medjugorje will tell if 2013 will be very disappointing or simply disappointing.
“The season really is weaker than last year. However, the real picture will be coming soon, starting with the Youth Festival. If this event is not as expected, then we have a big problem” sources in Medjugorje’s lodging sector tell.
“Last year, people invested millions of Bosnian Marks, and now we can get problems with loan repayment. We all expected the number of guests to grow, and it instantly falls. And a large number of Irishmen canceled arrivals. The Youth Festival will provide most of the answers to the questions we have now.”
Full house and more on June 25, the 32nd anniversary of the apparitions. A repetition is needed for the Youth Festival
Sources at Mostar International Airport report that many groups have canceled their trips, with entire flights having also been canceled. The Italian airplanes, full of pilgrims last year, have had many more empty seats this year.
“We expected a growth in passenger numbers, but it is hard to achieve it. Now we expect the number of passengers to be at 2012 level which is not bad. However, we always want to move on, and therefore we are already working on plans for next year, and possibilities for increasing the number of airlines” sources at the airport tell Vecernji List.