More than 300 facilities included in rural tourism catalogue

More than 300 rural tourism facilities from all over Croatia are listed in the first national rural tourism catalogue, issued by the Tourism Ministry and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) with an aim to connect those facilities and encourage the development and promotion of that form of tourism, which is also important for the revitalisation of local communities, employment and economic growth.

 

The catalogue was presented in the HGK headquarters on Monday, in the presence of Tourism Minister Darko Lorencin and many representatives of family farms.

 

The catalogue lists for the first time, in one place, rural tourism services, accommodation facilities, resorts, wine tasting facilities, ethnographic collections, fruit farms, vacation homes and numerous other services offered in more than 550 villages and settlements in Croatia's rural areas.

 

The catalogue was issued in 1,000 copies.

 

"Rural tourism is one of the key products of Croatia's tourism in the national tourism strategy until 2020 and it can contribute to even regional development and self-employment, and motivate young people to stay in rural areas," Minister Lorencin said, adding that this was also one of the most complex forms of tourism as it potentially included a large territory, given that 90% of Croatia's territory were rural areas.

 

He also presented figures according to which his ministry last year allocated nearly five million kuna for 94 projects from the Competitiveness of the Tourism Economy programme and another 11.37 million in the past three years for 35 projects from the Tourism Development Fund.

 

(Hina)