MORE FOREIGNERS BUT SLOWER START RECORDED IN TOURISM SEASON

( Editorial: --> 9680 ) ZAGREB, July 24 (Hina) - Croatia recorded 4.9 million overnight stays in the first three weeks of July, which was 8 per cent lower than during the same period last year. But Croatian Tourism Ministry estimates also said, based on a poll of 30 or so Croatian hotels, that the first half of this year realised 6.6 million overnight stays which was an 8 per cent increase. According to previous figures by the State Bureau of Statistics, foreign tourists provided about five million overnight stays for the first six months of this year - 12 per cent more than the same period in 1997. Those guests who arrived in an organised form achieved 3.2 million overnight stays, 12 per cent more, while individually they realised 3.4 million overnight stays or 5 per cent more. However despite these figures, Croatia recorded a reduction in tourist traffic in relation to the same period last year. Tourism Minister Sergej Morsan believes the main reason for this is poor pricing policy in Croatia and changes in school holidays abroad. "In well developed countries pricing policy is subject to the market, that is prices are adjusted to what is on offer," he said. "This, in the meantime, has not happened here. Namely, they have not adjusted but have approximately risen by 30 to 40 per cent, which is unacceptable for the market." As well as this, Morsan believes other aggravating circumstances include the continued presence of socialist ways of thinking in people, the war years and the reconstruction of hotels. (Hina) mbr jn 242112 MET jul 98