ZAGREB ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - The 7th congress of the Croatian Association of Hotel and Restaurant Operators opened at Zagreb's Sheraton Hotel on Thursday.
ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - The 7th congress of the Croatian Association
of Hotel and Restaurant Operators opened at Zagreb's Sheraton Hotel
on Thursday. #L#
The two-day gathering was opened by President Stjepan Mesic, who
said that tourism was the most important branch of the Croatian
economy and that domestic production should be encouraged to
promote further development and greater competitiveness of the
tourist industry.
The president said that the new government should take into account
everything that had been achieved in this field and follow in the
footsteps of the Ministry of Tourism led by Pave Zupan-Ruskovic.
Mesic also praised the achievements of Niko Bulic on the National
Tourism Board, which he said had taken positive steps in promoting
tourism.
Addressing the congress, Tourism Minister Pave Zupan-Ruskovic said
that hotel operators would have to step up lobbying members of the
future government and parliament to reduce the VAT rate for tourism
to a maximum seven per cent and to continue with the privatisation
of hotel operating firms.
Zupan-Ruskovic said that in the first nine months of this year
Croatia had been visited by 8.6 million tourists, or seven per cent
more than last year, and that 46.3 million overnight stays had been
recorded, which she said was an increase of four percent. She added
that the figures were similar to those of 1990.
The congress continues on Friday, and the main topic discussed will
be the quality and prices of hotel services.
(hina) vm