News

The first international conference dedicated exclusively to the relationship between tourism and the media is to be held by UNWTO and Croatia under the title Tourism in the Headlines (12-13 September, Zagreb, Croatia). The conference will address why, despite being one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economic sectors, tourism rarely makes the headlines or the economic pages of newspapers. Globally, as an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and the automotive industry, yet its economic and development relevance is often overlooked by the media.

After many years, Croatia is expected to enter the high tourist season with positive results from the pre-season for the first time and the first two weeks of July are crucial for that, Tourism Minister Damir Bajs told reporters in Split on Monday. At the conference, the 6th ADRIAN project - the selection of the best family and small hotel - was presented. The selection, under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry, is organised by Slobodna Dalmacija daily in cooperation with Zagreb Airport, the National Association of Small and Family Hotels, and Hypo Alpe Adria Bank.Bajs said the first weekend of July showed that tourists vacationing along the Croatian Adriatic mainly arrived by road and that domestic arrivals were higher than in the first weekend of July 2010. Zagreb Airport director Tonci Peovic said the need for small airports, notably on the islands, would increase with Croatia's accession to the European Union. He added such airports exist on Brac and Hvar and would be building on Vis and Korcula. (Hina)

A Croatian Auto-club (HAK) tourist information point was opened at the Macelj border crossing on Saturday, with Tourism Minister Damir Bajs saying Croatia's tourism sector was ready for the high season. He said most tourists arrived in Croatia by road in the peak months of July and August, adding that arrivals in the first half of 2011 had grown on the year. HAK president Ivo Bikic said the tourist info point opened today was aimed, among other things, at increasing the safety of foreign tourists on Croatian roads. Also, Bajs and HAK secretary general Zvonko Smuk signed a cooperation agreement on a HRK 450,000 Kuna which the Tourism Ministry gave to HAK to co-finance various activities aimed at increasing road safety.