MINISTER SAYS TOURIST BUSINESS MARKS 15 PERCENT INCREASE

ZAGREB, Aug 20 (Hina) - Results in tourism in the first seven months of this year marked a 15 percent increase as against 2000, in line with plans, Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic told state television on Sunday evening. The number of foreign tourists in the first seven months of 2001 rose by 17 percent, which according to Zupan Ruskovic will make "this year's tourist season even better, and we shall definitely realise our plans of an overall increase in tourist arrivals between 10 and 15 percent as against last year, which was also successful." "The tourist season is quite good," the minister said, adding she was surprised by the unexpected increase in August's arrivals "of three-four percent in two consecutive weeks." Speaking about the privatisation of hotels along the Croatian Adriatic coast, Zupan Ruskovic said that in the future the government would pass decisions on the sale of hotels, especially important companies, and not the Croatian Privatisation Fund alone. If an agreement is signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the decisions will be made by their and Croatian experts, she said. (hina) ha