Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli stated on Friday that Rijeka has become an urban center of tourism and that the project of the European Capital of Culture (EPK) 2020 will contribute to this, which the Government will support financially and with other assistance.
Cappelli, who is in Rijeka for the opening of new spaces at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, emphasized that Rijeka has become recognizable in recent years not only during the carnival but also in terms of tourist traffic numbers. He stressed that Rijeka is no longer a city “in transit” in July and August, but has become an urban center of tourism.
>>>Cappelli does not expect stagnation or decline in tourism investments in 2018.
This year, Rijeka has seen about 20 percent more tourists, and they have achieved about 30 percent more overnight stays than last year. This is proof that guests do not just pass through Rijeka and do not consider it merely a future European Capital of Culture, but they stay and reside in Rijeka, in hotels or, for example, in family accommodations that are rapidly expanding, Minister Cappelli assessed.
The minister stated that a significant breakthrough has been made and that urban tourism is “definitely happening and developing” in Rijeka, as in Split or Zagreb, and that the EPK project will also contribute to this, which the Government will support financially and with other assistance. It has been agreed that Rijeka will be promoted through the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) and at all events, such as fairs, both in Croatia and abroad, and will always be part of every promotion domestically and internationally, he noted.
