Split voted Croatia's 2012 tourism champion

The southern coastal city of Split has been voted the best tourist destination on the Croatian Adriatic coast in 2012. The award was presented by Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic at the end of the two-day event Croatian Tourism Days in Dubrovnik's Valamar Lacroma Hotel on Friday evening.

Presenting the award, Milanovic congratulated everyone on a job well done, saying that tourism represented Croatia as a country and that Croatia was capable of attracting tourists with its quality services and hospitality.

He expressed hope that there would be more well-booked hotels where people, especially young people, would be able to work all year round and not just in the summer season.

"Tourism is obviously our destiny. We are good at it and our goal is to be the best in Europe," the prime minister said.

Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic presented the Employee of the Year 2012 Award to 24 employees in the tourist industry.

The Flower of Tourism Award was won by Cavtat and Dubrovnik on the coast and Zagreb and Daruvar in continental Croatia. Awards also went to the Frapa marina in Rogoznica and the campsites Bor on the island of Krk, Vira on the island of Hvar and Lanterna near Porec. Pucic Palace won the award as the best small hotel in the Adriatic and Villa Magdalena as the best small hotel in continental Croatia.
Among the best four- and five-star hotels are Zadar's Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik,

Dubrovnik's Excelsior, and Zagreb's International, Westin and Esplanade.

The event brought together nearly 2,000 domestic and foreign tourism workers and their guests. The award-giving ceremony was attended by Croatian government ministers, members of Parliament, local government officials and prominent public figures. (Hina)