Results in tourism in first nine months better than expected, says minister

Croatia recorded a rise, higher than expected, in the tourist sector in the first nine months of this year, when 10.4 million tourists visited the country, 7.6 per cent more than in the comparable period last year, with 62.7 million overnight stays, a 6.7 per cent increase year on year, Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said while presenting results in the tourist trade in the January-September period in the coastal town of Pirovac on Wednesday.

The positive trend continued after the high season, all Croatian Adriatic counties and the City of Zagreb had reported a rise in September. In September, the number of tourists visiting Croatia went up year on year by 15.3 per cent to 1.27 million, with overnight stays increasing 11 per cent to 7.26 million, according to preliminary figures compiled by local tourist boards.

Minister Bajs said that Croatia's performance in the tourist sector in the first three quarters of 2011 was twice the expected European average where growth was projected at two to four percent, Bajs said. According to the minister, an increase in the tourist trade turnover has produced positive effects on the economy and employment.

According to figures released by the Croatian National Bank (HNB), travel revenues totaled EUR 1.7 billion in the second quarter of 2011, which was by 14 percent higher than in Q2 2010. The number of employed people in the Croatian tourist sector in the first seven months went up 13.6 per cent on the year, the national employment service said. (Hina)