CRO TOURISM REVENUE EXPECTED TO BE 20 PERCENT HIGHER THIS YEAR

( Editorial: --> 1625 ) ZAGREB, June 16 (Hina) - Croatia earned US$2.5 billion in tourism in 1997 and the revenue is expected to be 20 per cent higher this year, Croatian Tourism Minister Sergej Morsan said Tuesday. We aim towards high-revenue tourism which calls for professionalism and a rich non-accommodation offer and the government has to that end invested DM1 billion in tourism last year and the first six months of 1998, said Morsan. The largest funds have been invested in collaterals to hotels, subsidies and hotel restoration, he added. According to data of the World Tourist Organisation, only 1.4 per cent of European tourists visit Croatia, accounting for only 1.1 per cent of the total European earnings. This shows that Croatia lags behind Europe and that is why we are doing everything to increase the ratio of foreign tourists and earnings, said Morsan. The number of overnight stays in the pre-summer season is modest in comparison to the same period a year ago, Morsan assessed, but pointed out a visible increase in overnight stays during May and the first half of June. Domestic tourists accounted for more than 35,000 overnight stays along the coastline between June 1 and 10, while foreign tourists accounted for 595,000 overnight stays, which is more than in the same period last year. As 90 per cent of Croatian guests come from abroad, the Tourism Ministry has been negotiating with Croatian Radio and Television to launch a tourist radio programme which should inform foreign tourists about events in Croatia, thus making their stay even more comfortable. (hina) ha/bag jn 161702 MET jun 98