​Coronavirus prevented Croatian tourism office to reopen in Madrid

The Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) had planned to reopen its office in Madrid, which was closed five years ago, but because of the coronavirus, that office will not be opened these days as had been planned.

"Subsequent to circumstances caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Croatian Tourist Board has temporarily deferred implementing some of its planned activities for 2020," HTZ said in a response to HINA.

"The continuation of activities related to opening an HTZ office in Spain will be considered after the necessary conditions are created, which primarily depends on further developments with the pandemic in the entire world," the HTZ's public relations officer Dario Trnka added.

Over the past few years the number of Spanish tourists in Croatia has increased at a rate of 10% each year.

"HTZ closed its office in Madrid in 2015 with the explanation that it was reallocating money to traditional markets like Italy and the Czech Republic, and it was never quite clear to me why that office was closed. That would be like closing the embassy in Brussels," former tourism minister Gari Cappelli said.

The headquarters of the World Tourist Organisation (UNWTO) is located in Madrid.

In January, Cappelli attended the FITUR tourism fair and announced that HTZ would reopen its office in Madrid.

Madrid is important as a centre of tourism and for the political-tourism world, with UNWTO being based there, and having an office there means respecting tourism and that organisation and being in focus of its programmes and projects, Cappelli told Hina then.

(Hina)

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