Minister Glavina Expects Another Excellent Tourist Season This Year

Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina expects that the figures at the end of the calendar season will show that Croatia had another excellent tourist season, as the pre-season was extraordinary, and the same is expected from the post-season.

Glavina stated this on Monday in Varaždin, where he held a working meeting with mayors and heads of municipalities in Varaždin County and representatives of tourist boards regarding the announcement of changes to legal regulations, i.e., tourism reform. Regarding the figures for the central part of the season, he emphasized that there is no longer much room for growth.

– In the main part of the tourist season, we no longer have and do not need to seek any room for growth, as this definitely does not go hand in hand with the policy of a sustainable tourist destination. People often make a mistake when they think that sustainability is only related to space. Sustainability is equally important for the quality of life. We must not put ourselves in a situation where our fellow citizens feel the burden of tourism and have the impression that tourism spoils and undermines their quality of life – said Glavina.

He emphasized that the future of Croatian tourism lies in seeking balance, i.e., coexistence of tourism and quality of life. He stated that for this year, he expects that the figures at the end of the calendar year will confirm Croatia as a year-round tourism destination.

– I expect that we will be very satisfied with both physical indicators and especially with fiscal ones, in terms of revenues and everything we have realized – the minister stated.

Glavina Called for Nurturing Quality Relationships with Foreigners

In response to an additional journalistic question about attacks on foreign workers and whether this will eventually affect future seasonal workers’ decisions to come to work, the minister reiterated that he condemns these events, but also that they are isolated incidents from which, as he said, a bigger story is being made than it really is.

– We condemned that act completely, but sometimes from such examples, a much bigger story is made than it actually is. If you look at events in other countries related to violence of any kind or racism, you have much more of that in other countries than you have here. These are isolated incidents that are completely unacceptable, but they should not be made an example of, nor should they be exaggerated – said Glavina, who compared the large number of foreign workers in almost all parts of Croatia with the small number of incidents.

He also sent a call and an appeal. – We are an open, polite, and cultured country where we always nurture a very quality and human relationship with each other. As fellow citizens, neighbors, we must be the same towards our guests, towards our workers who are here and develop our economy with us and create added value with us – said the minister.

In response to a journalistic question about how many landlords are operating illegally in Croatia, he replied that this is a question for the State Inspectorate, but also that Croatia is one of the few countries in Europe that has regulated the tourism segment of short-term rentals through a system.

– Providing services in households and all these capacities that are on the market are not a black market but a regulated market, i.e., one that is categorized. Now we have the opportunity to manage it more qualitatively and better because it is not something that happens on the black market. We have great successes and progress here, primarily because a lot of work is being done on the ground – replied the minister, announcing further legislative activities in this area to improve the situation even more.