Spain has been a holiday destination since Roman times, and has generally managed the pressures of modern tourism well. Large swathes of the country are national parks and the Government has worked hard to construct an overall plan to prevent rampant unregulated development. With a surfeit of neglected ancient towns and high unemployment, the economic importance of tourism is paramount. In keeping with EU guidelines, most development now preserves and restores structures from the past while improving basic infrastructure for the future. Achieving these goals is helped by the fact that in the centre of many medieval towns the roads are too narrow for cars, let alone coaches.

The temperate climate and placid waters of the Mediterranean have long attracted foreigners; Italians, Germans, Austrians, Slavs, Russians - and now the English. Croats, justifiably proud of the beauty of the country, seem quite ready to share it. With a population of less than 5 million, there are still plenty of empty islands, quiet coves and inland wilds to afford such generosity. Residents also realise that their economic future is in tourism, and are often eager to sell some of their property to foreigners as a fast track to prosperity.