Croatia's capital Zagreb topped the 2017 list of places by visitor arrivals, and is a great example of a destination that developed to attract tourists year-round, Croatian Tourism Minister, Gari Cappelli, said on Thursday.
Cappelli met on Thursday with head of the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ), Martina Bienenfeld, and Zagreb Mayor, Milan Bandic, and praised the city’s destination management, as well as its excellent tourist results.
“The Ministry supports all the activities by the TZGZ, our cooperation is aimed at common goals and interests, and how much the tourist industry means for the overall economy and gives impetus to all other industries is clearly seen from the data on tourist revenue. Zagreb is a positive example of a destination that lives tourism all year round,” Cappelli said.
According to data taken from the digital registry eVisitor, Zagreb had 1.3 million tourists in 2017, or 17 percent up from the year before. The city also recorded 2.3 overnight stays, or 15 percent up from 2016. By country of origin, the largest groups of visitors came from South Korea, United States, Germany, Italy, and China, and about two thirds stayed at local hotels.
Cappelli added that the year-round tourist activity was largely thanks to efforts to position Croatia as a destination for tourists arriving by air, which he said the Ministry and the National Tourist Board (HTZ) had invested 30 million kuna (€4 million) in, with Zagreb Airport now directly connected to more than 30 other cities around the world.
Cappelli also commented on the government’s decision for Croatia to take part in the Expo 2020 world fair to be held in Dubai.
“Through presenting the very best of our local innovative projects, ideas, inventions, and creative individuals, taking part at Expo 2020 is bound to have a positive effect on the overall economy,” Cappelli said. The fair will be attended by 130 world’s countries and is expected to get 25 million visitors between October 2020 and April 2021.
(€1 = 7.41 kuna)
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