57 PCT OF TOURISTS IN YEAR'S FIRST SIX MONTHS DIDN'T ARRIVE AS PART OF ORGANISED TOURS

ZAGREB, Aug 11 (Hina) - Fifty-seven percent of the tourists who vacationed in Croatia in this year's first six months did not arrive as part of organised tours, although organised arrivals accounted for more tourist overnights (52.2 percent), the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Of the 2.8 million tourists registered in Croatia in the January-June 2004 period, 1.6 million (57 percent) did not come as part of organised tours, down two percent from the same time last year. These tourists accounted for 5.3 million overnights, or 47.5 percent of a total of 11.3 million, down five percent from January-June 2003. On the other hand, there were 1.25 million organised arrivals, up eight percent from the first six months of 2003, who accounted for 5.9 million tourist overnights (52.2 percent), up four percent. In this year's first six months, there were 1.2 million foreign tourists who did not come as part of organised tours, down two percent from the same time last year. They accounted for 4.4 million tourist overnights, a drop of five percent. There were 995,900 foreign tourists among organised arrivals, up eight percent. They accounted for a little over five million tourist overnights, an increase of two percent. Among domestic tourists, 394,700 did not come as part of organised tours, down one percent from last year's first six months. They realised 924,800 overnights, a drop of five percent. There were 260,200 domestic tourists among organised arrivals, up eight percent. They accounted for 883,200 overnights, up 15 percent from the first six months of 2003.