Minister for bolstering tourism's resilience, sustainability

Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Monday the National Recovery and Resilience Plan's goal regarding tourism was to increase the sector's resilience and sustainability through green and digital transition.

Speaking in Rovinj about the development of sustainable, innovative and resilient tourism as part of the national plan, she said another goal was to contribute to tourism's recovery from the crisis caused by the pandemic and to increase tourism's added value and indirect effects on other industries.

Investments in tourism's environmental, economic and social sustainability safeguard resources and build tourism for the long term because, she said, "in the future we wish to be an even more successful tourist destination."

Brnjac said the national plan ensured the necessary funds "and it's up to us to carry out reforms and strategically steer the development of this important sector." She added that reforming the sector and investments were the prerequisites for utilising the HRK 2.2 billion earmarked in the national plan for tourism until 2026.

She said the funds would be available to all tourist enterprises, both on the coast and on the continent, and that they would be awarded based on public calls, with 60% intended for direct investments in the private sector.

The rest, she added, is intended for investments in the public tourist infrastructure, but may also be used by private enterprises as part of public-private partnerships.

Tourism reform and investments are aligned with the government's strategic policies, the national reform programme and the national development strategy, Brnjac said, adding that the reform included drafting a sustainable tourism strategy until 2030, a sustainable tourism plan and a strategic environmental impact estimate.

(Hina)

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