Croatia's health tourism potential unquestionable

Croatia's health tourism potential is not questionable and it has a series of comparative advantages like its preserved natural resources, available professionals and competitive prices. However, to enhance this branch of tourism it is vital to reconstruct the existing capacities or build new ones, promote health-tourism services and specialised destinations and to continue educating personnel, a conference on health tourism organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) and a hospitality and tourism professional journal was told on Thursday.

Neda Telisman Kosuta of the Tourism Institute said that our health tourism potential is unquestionable but that it was exposed to huge competition from neighbouring countries like Austria, Slovenia and Hungary as forerunners in this field.

She pointed out that health tourism could contribute to extending the season as it was a product that could be sold throughout the year, and central Croatia and the northern Adriatic region of Kvarner were ideal for branding in this field.

Director of the Tourism Sector of the HGK Leila Kresic Juric said that Croatia possessed exceptional but insufficient health resort resources. She noted the example of Slovenia with its 15 thermal springs which makes EUR 200 million revenue from 3 million bed nights whereas Croatia only makes EUR 600,000 in health tourism from its total tourism revenue of around EUR 7 billion.

However, Kresic Juric underscored that most of our health resorts required significant investments which will be available through EU funds. (Hina)