FOREIGN MARKETS DEMONSTRATE INTEREST FOR CROATIAN TOURIST OFFER

ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Since early May, several foreign tourist markets have demonstrated a slight increase in interest for booking holidays in Croatia. The majority of tourist-generating countries are not cancelling tourist packages and have started with bookings for Croatia, the Croatian Tourist Association director, Marijan Bulat said at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce on Friday. After several years of "loyalty" to Greece, Hungary is currently demonstrating great interest in Croatia as a tourist destination. Croatian tourist packages have achieved relatively good booking results on the Czech, Slovak, Slovene, and Austrian markets, Bulat said, adding that the Italian market was still divided. Some Italian tourist agencies do not sell Croatian tourist packages at all, while some are returning to the Croatian market. Tourist markets in Germany, the Netherlands, England, France and Poland have not yet demonstrated significant progress. Foreign reporters, who were visiting Croatia the past several weeks (in the HTZ's organisation), described Croatia as a safe country. Croatia will continue to present it tourist offer abroad in the upcoming weeks via television commercials and jumbo posters The Government had earmarked US$9.14 million for Croatian tourism, Bulat said and added that the Tourism Ministry and tourist associations would set aside US$2.28 million. According to him, another US$2.8 million will be raised for cooperative advertising with foreign tourist agencies, Bulat said. (hina) it lml jn