PM Plenković says tourist season very good

Physical and financial indicators of the tourist season are very good and bear witness to growth in relation to last year in terms of arrivals, overnight stays and revenue, and the season is expected to be very good, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday.

"The overall picture of the tourist season is very positive," Plenković said after a meeting of government members and representatives of the tourism sector in Podstrana near Split.

The meeting focused on the new law on tourism and subsidiary legislation, to be put to public consultation soon, the implementation of the law on land for tourism purposes, the issue of security, work permits, etc.

Plenković said that in terms of arrivals and overnight stays the tourist season was 5% and 1% better respectively compared to the same period last year, noting that revenue from tourism would also be higher than last year's.

Total investments in tourism in recent years amount to €6.4 billion, which has resulted in an increase in accommodation capacity, he said, adding that Croatia has close to two million beds.

Commenting on the real estate tax, Plenković said that the government would launch a new round of tax reform and keep the continuity of the policy of fiscal breaks, noting that in the long run, one should aim to lower real estate prices to make housing more affordable to young people.

Commenting on the hacker attack on Split Airport, he said that such attacks evidently happen but the public mostly does not learn about them, adding that the most important thing is that the airport is operating.

Tourism and Sport Minister Tonči Glavina said that he was satisfied with the results of the tourist season so far, notably the pre-season, and that the strategic goal of year-round tourism was slowly becoming a reality.

Glavina said the meeting also discussed the workforce in the tourism sector, notably the hiring of domestic workers. Participants in the meeting also underlined the importance of the concept of value for money.

"There is no reason for us to be cheaper but also not more expensive than our competition," Glavna said, adding that a set of rules and implementing acts for the Tourism Act were presented at the meeting.

"We have made it possible for towns and municipalities to decide what kind of destinations they want to be and to possibly limit the number of accommodation or catering facilities. We expect them to define what they want over the next year," he said.

Commenting on reports about the slow filling of accommodation capacity, he attributed it to an increase in the number of accommodation facilities.

"We have had a constant increase in arrivals and overnight stays, but also of the accommodation capacity, so it is logical that the occupancy rate is lower," he said.

Croatian Tourism Board director Kristjan Staničić said that the situation on foreign markets was "more than good" and that Croatia was among the most sought-after destinations.

(Hina/FaH)

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