ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - This year Croatia's tourism has definitely come back to the world market and proved that it can and must be a driving force behind the development in the country, the Croatian Government assessed at its session
on Thursday. In the mid-August the volume of business in tourism reached the entire turnover last year. Besides, prospects for the post-season are good, Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic informed the Government.
ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - This year Croatia's tourism has definitely
come back to the world market and proved that it can and must be a
driving force behind the development in the country, the Croatian
Government assessed at its session on Thursday.
In the mid-August the volume of business in tourism reached the
entire turnover last year. Besides, prospects for the post-season
are good, Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic informed the
Government.#L#
This year is likely to see 36-37 million overnight stays, or 35-40
percent higher as against 1999, or 15-18 percent higher in
comparison to the best post-war year 1998.
Citing information and figures on the tourist season, Minister
Zupan Ruskovic said that from January to July 19.8 million
overnight stays were registered or 47 percent higher as against the
same period last year. Domestic guests made up 2.6 million
overnight stays (13 percent), whereas foreigners had 17.2
million.
The minister assessed that political changes that happened in
Croatia since January 3 elections led to changes in tourism as
well.
She recollected that there had been difficult conditions in the
preparation for the summer season, and obstacles were for instance
indebtedness of tourist firms, impossibility to get loans and so
on. These issues remain problems in tourism and therefore it is
necessary to immediately start with financial rehabilitation,
restructuring and privatisation of tourist companies as well as to
improve transport lines and infrastructure conditions, she
suggested.
It is necessary to prolong the season, and it should commence in
March, April and finish in November, the minister added.
Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said he believed that the income
from tourism this year would be some 3.2 billion dollars and
described predictions that the profit might come to 3.5 billion
dollars as exaggerated.
Today Croatia's share in the entire Mediterranean tourism is three
percent but it can rise to 10 percent, Economy Minister Goranko
Fizulic maintained.
The Government is aware of the importance of tourism, Premier Ivica
Racan said advising companies and citizens to orientate themselves
towards tourism and seek long-terms prospects in that economic
sector. The Government will try to stimulate such endeavours.
(hina) jn ms