From 20 to 23 April, Croatia Rally will take place in Croatia for the third time. This is the fourth this year’s race of the World Rally Championship (WRC) which will start and finish with a grand finale in Zagreb. Owing to the excellent organisation of Croatia Rally races in previous years, for the third consecutive year Croatia is one of only thirteen countries to host WRC. The fact that races are broadcast live in 165 countries and watched by more than 800 million persons via television shows the extent of its appeal.
The best rally crews in the world will compete in 20 speed tests in five Croatian counties. After the test drive in the surroundings of Zagreb, in the evening of 20 April the ceremonial start will take place next to Zagreb’s fountains. Audience will meet all 70 expected crews.
The first eight speed tests will take place in Zagreb and Karlovac Counties. Another eight races are scheduled to take place on the second day in Zagreb, Karlovac and Primorje - Gorski kotar Counties, while the four races of the Sunday finale will be held in Varaždin and Krapina Zagorje County. Competitors and spectators will get a chance to see beautiful landscapes of the Croatian inland and the coast, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on Croatian tourism.
Another attraction for visitors will be so-called Rally Village or service park on the Eastern parking lot of the Zagreb Fair. They will get a chance to see service areas of teams and purchase souvenirs. They will also be able to participate in the Meet the Crew programme in which the drivers with the best ranking in Croatia Rally will speak about their experience of competing in Croatia.
Last year there were as many as 310 000 spectators from Croatia and the world watching the races along the track. According to the study conducted by the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Zagreb, their spending amounted to 108 million Euros.
The tickets for speed tests and visits to the Rally Village are available via the platform ulaznice.hr. Special package visits will also be on offer, designed in cooperation with the official tourist agency of Croatia Rally – B Travel.
Photo credit: Fotografije Zagreba