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Croatian Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic on Wednesday held a news conference to announce his ministry's main activities and projects in the next four years, including the lowering of the VAT rate for tourism, the adoption of a strategy for tourism development, the continuation of privatisation, investment stimulation, the restructuring of tourism boards, amendment of legislation on land designed for tourism purposes, and training. The minister said that the VAT rate in the tourism sector was expected to be lowered to between 8 and 10 percent. More information on the new VAT rate will be known in the coming days, Ostojic told reporters, introducing his deputy Oleg Valjalo and the head of his office, Bernard Zenzerovic.

The tourist authorities in the Croatian capital have recently set up a Tourist Information Centre at the Central Bus Station, bringing the number of TICs in Zagreb to four. During the ceremony held at the Zagreb Bus Station last Tuesday it was announced that the fifth TIC would be opened at the Plitvice Motel in Lucko, southwest Zagreb, next year. The first three tourist information centres were set up at the main square "Trg Bana Jelacica", the Central Railway Station and Zagreb Airport.

The Croatian tourist sector welcomes the formation of the new government and the appointment of the new tourism minister Veljko Ostojic, holding high expectations of the new authorities which they hope will adopt a new tourism strategy, lower Value Added Tax for this branch and carry out a well-planned privatisation. Representatives of the Croatian Hoteliers' Association (UPUHH), the Croatian Travel Agencies' Association (UHPA) and the Trade Union of Workers in Tourism and Services (STUH), who have been polled by Hina, say they believe that 2012 will be more demanding and difficult than 2011, the year in which many favourable circumstances, such as a long and warm summer, have led to better results than expected.

In the first 11 months of this year, 11.07 million tourists visited the Croatian Adriatic coast and Zagreb, or 7.7 per cent more than in the corresponding period of 2010, while the number of bed/nights increased by 7 per cent to nearly 65 million, according to figures released by the National Tourist Board on Friday. Most of the tourists were foreigners - 9.8 million, or 8.2 per cent more than in the January-November period of last year.