SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY SEASON BEGINNING IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - Very good tourist results in first five months this year indicated that this tourist season would be successful and they justified predictions of Tourism Ministry that the turnover would increase by 20 percent in comparison to 1996, Croatian Tourism Minister Niko Bulic said on Monday's session of the tourist council of the Croatian Tourist Association (HTZ) in Zagreb. The peninsula of Istria showed best indicators where 445,000 guests were in the first five months this year (16 percent more than in the same period last year). And, an increase of 20 percent was among foreign visitors. In May, 1.13 million room/nights were recorded in Istrian resorts (50 percent more than in May 1996). In the area of Rijeka and Kvarner (Primorsko-Goranska County) there were 740,0000 room/nights or 40 percent more than in the first five months last year. In May, 350,000 room/nights (55 percent more than in May last year) were recorded there. The area of Dubrovnik had 167,010 room/nights. (hina) jn mš 232252 MET jun 97