Cappelli: Zagreb Lives Tourism Year-Round

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli stated on Thursday that Zagreb was number one in terms of tourist arrivals in Croatia last year and is a positive example of a destination that lives tourism year-round.

Cappelli, who met with the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ) Martina Bienenfeld and the Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandić, said that besides statistical indicators, those related to destination management and the enhancement of the overall offer are also important, as stated in the Ministry of Tourism’s press release.

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– The Ministry supports the activities of TZ Zagreb, our cooperation is directed towards common goals and interests, and the significance of tourism for the overall economy and its driving effect on all other industries is evidenced by the data on total tourism revenue. Zagreb is a positive example of a destination that lives tourism year-round, said Cappelli.

He added that year-round tourist activity is largely a result of positioning Croatia as an air destination, into which the ministry and the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) have invested 30 million kuna, while Zagreb Airport is directly connected by flights to over 30 global destinations.

Dubai EXPO 2020.

Cappelli also reflected on the Government’s conclusion regarding Croatia’s participation in the world exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai, stating that EXPO is one of the largest global, non-commercial events of great economic and cultural significance.

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– Through the presentation of the best domestic innovative projects, ideas, inventions, and creative individuals, participation in EXPO will positively impact the entire Croatian economy, Cappelli assesses, stating that it will also be an opportunity to showcase Croatian tourism potential in the Middle Eastern market, as well as to exhibitors from 130 countries and 25 million visitors.

Bandić noted that from January to mid-April this year, Zagreb recorded 254,632 arrivals and 496,988 overnight stays, representing an increase of 13 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

– The Zagreb Tourist Board is in synergy with the work and tourism sector, permanently focused on the development of new events that enrich the city and further establish it on the world tourism map, said the Mayor of Zagreb and president of TZGZ.

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The director of TZGZ, Martina Bienenfeld, stated that she discussed with Cappelli, among other things, new laws that are in preparation, which relate to the system of tourist boards, as well as data on overnight stays and arrivals that Zagreb achieves.

According to data from the eVisitor system, Zagreb recorded 1.3 million tourist arrivals last year, which resulted in 2.3 million overnight stays, representing a growth of 17 percent in arrivals and 15 percent in overnight stays compared to 2016.

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The largest number of guest arrivals came from the markets of South Korea, the USA, Germany, Italy, and China, with guests most frequently using hotels for accommodation in 65 percent of cases, household facilities in 17 percent, and hostels in 10 percent of cases.