New Tourism Minister Tonči Glavina (HDZ) on Monday underscored the further promoting of Croatia as a year-round tourist destination, saying he believes that record tourism results will continue.
After the first session of the new government, Glavina said that his ministry and team have a responsible job, emphasising the "strong policy of continuity," and developing strategic frameworks and goals set so far, and upgrading them.
Glavina, who was the ministry's State Secretary in the previous cabinet, thanked his predecessor, Nikolina Brnjac, and said that as one of her closest associates, they together had done a lot so far.
There is a good team in the ministry, and Glavina believes that the "good and record results" will continue. He recalled that in 2016 Croatia's tourism revenue amounted to €8.4 billion, while last year it reached a record high of €14.6 billion.
"So, the increase in income from foreign guests by more than 75% is a truly impressive result," said Glavina.
When it comes to the results YTD, Glavina underscored even better tourist results than last year's record pre-season, with the number of arrivals and overnight stays increasing by more than 20% in May alone and since the beginning of the year, guest figures outnumbered that of last year by more than 10%.
Stadiums in Zagreb and Split of national interest
When it comes to sports, Glavina also drew a parallel between 2016 and the recent period, stating that eight years ago, investments in sports on an annual level amounted to around €28 million while today it exceeds €120 million.
A big step forward has been made in investments in infrastructure, which will continue, also cooperation and investments in work with young people need to be further strengthened, and there is also an increase in the number of scholarships for top athletes, Glavina underlined.
At the same time, he underscored the stadiums --Zagreb's Maksimir and Split's Poljud -- to be of national interest, saying that the government will be at the disposal to Zagreb and Split city authorities - Tomislav Tomašević and Ivica Puljak - for these projects to begin as soon as possible, which include the construction of a new stadium in Zagreb and reconstruction of the one in Split.
(Hina/FaH)
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