CROATIAN TOURISM PRESENTED AT PARIS FAIR

PARIS, March 23 (Hina) - According to current announcements from the French market, the number of French tourists vacationing in Croatia this summer could be somewhat higher than last year, when about 40,000 spent their holidays in Croatia. For Croatia, the French are especially interesting as guests since they extend the tourist season by usually vacationing before and after the peak, and mostly choose southern Dalmatia and Dubrovnik as their destinations, Marina Tomas Billet, the head of the Croatian Board of Tourism office in Paris, said on Thursday. Speaking at the beginning of an international tourism fair which closes on March 26, Billet said the basic tourist destination of the French was the so called Mediterranean basin. This should help Croatia win the French tourist market, she added. The French tourist magazine "L'Express" in its latest issue brings an article on Croatia alongside articles on the tourist offers of Madagascar, Syria, and the Dominican Republic. The article on Croatia among else says the time has come for the French to rediscover the history and natural beauties of Croatia. (hina) ha mm