Croatia: Kornati islands: now also fees in konobas?

It was the most frequently used cost brake for the now extremely expensive entrance fee for yachts in the Kornati National Park: Those who moored at the jetties of a konoba and went to eat there in the evening were not checked by the national park inspectors and could avoid paying the fee. In the high season (June-September!), the fee for a ticket purchased in the national park is now around 162 euros per day for a boat of 11 to 18 metres. If you buy it online in advance, it is 50 per cent cheaper.

However, the fact that no checks have been carried out at the konoba piers to date is not an official exemption, but is due to the refusal of the restaurant owners to allow the inspectors onto their premises. They have been resisting the fee in this way for years, as they fear a sharp drop in the number of visitors to their restaurants. In recent years, the national park administration has tried several times to introduce controls in the konobas, but failed due to the sometimes fierce civil resistance of the landlords.

But now that seems to be changing. YACHT has received an initial report that a local crew was asked by the konoba owner whether they were in possession of a national park ticket. If not, he offered them the opportunity to buy a discounted ticket directly from him for 180 kuna. The price would then be almost 50 per cent lower than the already discounted advance booking price via the Internet or the advance booking offices on the mainland. As the crew had a ticket, they declined.

When asked, area expert Karl-Heinz Beständig confirms a similar development: "The restaurants there and the national park administration have been looking for a solution to the dispute over charges for some time, with the help of a ministry. It is becoming apparent that the landlords should ask their guests whether they have a ticket. However, they are not allowed to check whether they actually have one. I have information that some restaurants already have ticket printers."

There are no corresponding references to a new regulation on the national park's website under the instructions for purchasing tickets.