Bajs is working on a budget rebalancing and expects a smaller budget in 2009.

Tourism Minister Damir Bajs is ‘increasing’ the funds for promotion in 2008 by 17 million kuna as he expects a smaller budget for 2009 after the government’s rebalancing.

However, regardless of the funds he will receive next year, he plans to double the funds for the promotion of Croatia, from 65 to 130 million kuna. On Tuesday, the first meeting of the Commission for Coordinating Promotional Activities of the Public and Private Sectors for 2009 was held at the Ministry of Tourism, where it was agreed that all promotional measures would be carried out through the system of the Croatian Tourist Board, which must adopt a budget rebalancing and redesign the Work Program for the next year as soon as possible.

Although he did not specify to what extent the private sector would participate in the enhanced joint advertising, and to what extent the Croatian Tourist Board would, HTZ Director Niko Bulić emphasized that entrepreneurs would participate in such advertising as much as they could, that agencies are already participating in it, but that the hotel sector must reconsider its commercial promotion and understand that promotion is a key factor in changing perceptions of Croatia. Bulić also emphasized that he wants to quadruple the number of arrivals of foreign agents to Croatia. One of the Commission members, CEO of adriatica.net group Marko Vojković, pointed out that agencies were the first to feel the impact on the financial market and that they are the only ones who can redirect travelers.

– The measures that the Commission will adopt must be flexible because all our competitor countries are currently doing the same thing, and we will have to adapt them to the market situation. – Vojković stated at a press conference, adding that the crisis in tourism is already being felt in the German and British markets, which, due to the devaluation of the pound and the increase in costs in Croatia by 18 percent, no longer wants to share the risk with tour operators but focus on their key destinations. The measures of the Commission, which consists of agencies, hoteliers, camping associations, HUP, HOK, HGK, and HTZ, in addition to enhanced joint advertising, include global TV advertising, support for the promotion of charter programs for travel organizers, and the promotion of aviation destinations, as well as jumbo advertising in the markets of the wider environment. (Željka Laslavić)