TOURISM MINISTER: CRO TOURISM IN CRISIS, BUT PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERY ARE GOOD

ZAGREB, May 12 (Hina) - Preparations for this year's tourist season were the most difficult ones in the past ten years because the Croatian tourism is in deep crisis, however prospects for its recovery are realistic, Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic said in Zagreb on Friday. Zupan Ruskovic made the statement at a forum on the situation in and prospects for further development of Croatia's tourism, which is held within the 12th international business and tourism fair (ITTF) at the Zagreb Fair. Apart from damage caused by the war, the Croatian tourism has lost two development cycles. The tourist product has become obsolete and the turnover from tourism in the past year amounted to 50 to 60 percent of the pre-war tourism turnover, she said. However, judging by current information from foreign markets, the interest of foreign tourists in spending this year's holidays in Croatia is increasing by the day, requests and inquiries are frequent and there is a possibility for the Croatian tourism to go into full swing in two to three years, the Tourism Minister said. With the aim of enabling the recovery of tourism, the Ministry will suggest a reduction of the Value Added Tax rate for tourism (zero tax rate) as well as granting tourism the status of export branch, she added. (hina) rml