Croatian Tourist Board seeks to extend tourism season

An annual meeting of the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) on Thursday adopted the HTZ activity programme for 2013 worth HRK 245 million aimed at achieving the board's strategic objectives - increase the volume of tourism revenues in the off-season as well as in continental parts of the country, and to repeat this year's exceptional results and perhaps improve these by 2-4%.

These objectives can be achieved through cooperation between the public and private tourism sectors in creating new attractive products which is why the Tourism Ministry and HTZ will promote the development of Destination Management Organisations (DMO) and Destination Management Companies (DMC), Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic said.

He added that he was certain Croatia would know how to utilise its accession to the European Union when it will certainly be the focus of global media.

HTZ director Meri Matesic announced changes to communication and marketing tactics, saying that significant increased funding would be allocated to online and multimedia promotion.

She added that the board was working on defining a Croatian marketing brand, adding that tour operators and other partners had shown an increased interest in joint advertising campaigns.

Matesic concluded that the board would continue to support underdeveloped regions as far as tourism was concerned by organising events and other products to promote those areas. (Hina)