Peljesac Bridge is already becoming a tourist attraction and is expected to further boost the demand for holiday destinations in Croatia's south, Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) Director Kristjan Stanicic told the Croatian state news agency Hina ahead of the bridge's opening on Tuesday.

“The bridge will certainly be a new tourist attraction, both for boaters, for whom sailing under the bridge will be a special experience, and for travellers and tourists who will be able to enjoy the magnificent view of the bridge from surrounding vantage points and roads,” Stanicic said, adding that the HTZ would use the bridge in its promotional campaigns.

He said it was still early to speak about the direct impact of the bridge on tourist trends and destinations in Croatia’s far south, but added that the bridge would certainly reduce the dependence of the local tourist industry on air traffic.

“Although the United Kingdom and the United States are among the most important markets for Dubrovnik-Neretva County, also important are the markets of Germany, Poland, France and Slovenia, as well as the domestic market, so it is expected that Peljesac Bridge will increase the demand from these markets and contribute to the image of Croatia of a well-positioned car  destination,” Stanicic said.

He said that a Euronews crew had visited the bridge last week for a travel story, noting that this leading European news channel was available to about 70 percent of households or about 145 million people in Europe.