The Mayor of Vrsar Does Not Believe That Maistra Will Suspend Operations in Vrsar

After an extraordinary press conference called by the CEO of Maistra, Kristian Šustar, where he announced the suspension of all business activities of the company in Vrsar due to the demand for payment of three euros per square meter for land owned by the Municipality, the Mayor of Vrsar stated that he does not intend to lower the price.

For approximately 30 hectares owned by the Municipality, Maistra would need to pay around 50 million kuna, including interest since 2001, when Maistra purchased Anita d.d. from which it inherited the dispute and compensation issue. – We cannot agree to a reduction in the price that has already been set by the Municipality’s regulations, but we have offered Maistra an installment payment for the land compensation over the next seven years. We managed to reach an agreement with Plava Laguna and Riviera Poreč, but we will have to negotiate with Maistra through the court. We have a very correct cooperation with Maistra regarding spatial plans, golf, and tourism projects, so let the court resolve past issues, and we can continue discussions about the future – stated the Mayor of Vrsar, Franko Štifanić. Maistra has requested the Municipality to wait for the adoption of the new Law on Tourist Land and to collect its share based on the same principle that the state will use to collect its share, but Štifanić does not want to hear about it because the conditions for obtaining a concession are still unknown and he fears that the state could charge only one or two kuna per square meter, which would be disastrous for the municipality, he says.

– We are exposed to misunderstanding, anti-entrepreneurial, and harsh extortion policies of the Municipality of Vrsar, which has unilaterally imposed a land price of almost three euros per square meter. No other tourism company pays such a high fee. We are ready, and we represent this in negotiations, for a fair compensation that will be determined by the state as part of a comprehensive solution to the issue of so-called tourist land. Moreover, we are ready for this solution to apply for the entire period since the beginning of the dispute. However, we are not ready for extortion and unilateral impositions that hinder the company’s operations and its long-term sustainability, Šustar stated at the extraordinary press conference, adding that Maistra guarantees secure jobs for all employees from Vrsar.

Maistra’s facilities in Vrsar, which are on disputed land, will remain closed until further notice and will not accept guests for the Easter holidays. In addition to ceasing business activities, Maistra is also suspending all investments in the area of the Municipality of Vrsar. According to Šustar, since 2001, Maistra has invested nearly 400 million kuna in facilities in Vrsar, and according to assumed obligations, it was required to invest 100 million. In the upcoming period, Maistra is ready to invest an additional 500 million kuna in business development in Vrsar, expecting that it will receive support and understanding from the municipal authorities for its development plans. In Vrsar, Maistra d.d. employs more than 450 employees annually, and more than 85 percent of total overnight stays in Vrsar are realized in its facilities.

Maistra will continue to talk with representatives of local authorities and try to reach an agreement; however, according to the mayor’s mood, it is unlikely that they will succeed in lowering the price. Štifanić does not even believe that Maistra will stop operations in Vrsar, especially in the season, and refers to a letter from Ante Vlahović, the CEO of the Adris Group, which allegedly states that the decision to stop operations is unfounded. The Adris Group rejects the claim that Vlahović expressed a contrary opinion to the decision of the Maistra Management in any letter and claims that Šustar has the full support of the owners. Maistra’s story is a direct consequence of the delay in adopting the Law on Tourist Land, which should have already been voted on, but this process has been prolonged so that, allegedly, hoteliers would not be financially burdened further during the crisis. In Maistra’s case, it is a supreme paradox. (Željka Laslavić)