CROATIA INTENSIFIES TOURIST PROMOTION IN GERMANY - SAYS MINISTER

ZAGREB, Apr 20 (Hina) - Croatia's Tourism Ministry will intensify the promotion of Croatia's tourist offer on the German market as of next week. Four conferences will be held in Germany by the end of this month to alleviate the tension caused by the "Kosovo crisis" and to show the Germans that Croatia is a safe country, new tourism minister Ivan Herak told Hina on Tuesday. "It is a set of more aggressive promotional activities which the Tourism Ministry has undertaken in foreign tourist-generating countries. Our intention is to point out that Croatia is a safe country," Herak said. After Germany, Croatia will focus on the Slovene, Hungarian, and Italian markets. Herak said German tour-operators ADAC Reisen and I.D. Riva Tours had proposed that the Croatian Tourism Ministry issue a statement on the security situation in Croatia, to the effect of putting an end to cancellations, and to organise press conferences which will discuss Croatia as a safe country. The tour-operators suggested that one such press conference be organised in Frankfurt by the end of the month. In attendance will be Herak, and representatives of the Croatian Foreign Ministry and Croatia Airlines. (hina) ha jn