Tomislav Popović and Veljko Ostojić at the Helm of the New Tourism Association HUT

The newly established association in Croatian tourism, the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT), has completed the registration process, and its management board has elected Veljko Ostojić as the director, while Tomislav Popović, the CEO of Rovinj’s Maistra, was previously elected as the president of the association, HUT reported on Wednesday.

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Veljko Ostojić is a former Minister of Tourism, who prior to that position worked in the largest hotel company Valamar Riviera and in other roles, and in the new association HUT, he will be responsible for its operational management.

HUT was established in May this year with the aim of addressing strategic issues in Croatian tourism, which accounts for 18 percent of GDP and more than 10 percent of employment in Croatia.

“By uniting the largest associations in the Croatian tourism sector – the Association of Employers in Hospitality of Croatia (UPUHH) and the Camping Association of Croatia (KUH), along with leading tourism companies operating in the country, HUT is focused on bringing together all interested hotel and tourism enterprises as well as professional associations in hospitality and tourism,” HUT representatives stated, adding that its founders generate about 70 percent of the total revenue in the tourism sector.

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They also note that the association is open to new members for the purpose of cooperation and actively shaping the business future of the tourism sector, and that its current members are representatives of tourism companies and associations.

They reveal that the management board of HUT consists of leaders from some of the largest tourism companies in Croatia, including Popović from Maistra, as well as the CEOs of Valamar Riviera Željko Kukurin, Jadranka Group Sanjin Šolić, Sunce Group Tonči Boras, Arena Hospitality Group Reuel Slonim, Turisthotel Frane Skoblar, Solaris Goran Zrilić, and Laguna Novigrad Zrinka Bokulić, along with the general director of Borik-Falkensteiner Marin Kirin.

HUT, in collaboration with the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), will publicly ‘debut’ on Thursday, July 5, by organizing a round table titled “How to Encourage Investments through Tax Reform,” where the effects of the announced tax changes on the growth and development of the domestic economy will be discussed, as well as changes in VAT that could stimulate growth in investments, employment, GDP, and the international competitiveness of tourism and the overall domestic economy.

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In addition to this, there are several other associations in Croatian tourism that gather hoteliers and advocate for similar topics that should contribute to greater competitiveness in tourism, from the Association of Employers in Hospitality of Croatia (UPUHH) and the Camping Association of Croatia (KUH) to the Association of Hoteliers at HGK and the Association of Hospitality and Tourism at HUP.