NUMBER OF GUESTS ON CROATIAN COAST RISES BY 20 % COMPARED WITH LAST YE

COMPARED WITH LAST YE $ AR ZAGREB, Aug 6 (Hina) - According to figures of the Croatian tourism ministry, there was an increase by 20.3 percent in room/nights in July this year in comparison to July last year in resorts on Croatia's Adriatic coast. The number of foreign holiday-makers was higher by one quarter than in July 1996. According to results of polls conducted every ten days in about thirty leading hotel companies, approximately five million room/nights were registered this July, and foreign guests had 4.5 million overnight stays. In this way, 75 percent of room/nights registered in the pre-war period was achieved this July , and July's overnight stays of foreign guests achieved 89 percent of the room/nights registered in the pre-war period. Most of room/nights were registered in Istria (the northern Adriatic coast) where 3.1 million overnight stays (or an increase by 19 percent) were recorded this July. Foreign tourists had 3 million overnight stays in Istrian resorts, which was more by 20.6 percent than in July last year. Resorts in Primorje (northern Adriatic) registered 1.3 million overnight stays or more by 12.7 percent than in July last year. Foreign guests had 1.1 million overnight stays or more by 20 percent than in July 1996. Dalmatian resorts (the central and southern Adriatic coast) registered 575,158 room/nights or an increase by 51.7 percent in comparison to July last year. There were 419,923 overnight stays ( or an increase by 106 percent) by foreign tourists. (hina) jn mš 061643 MET aug 97