Of all the tourists arriving in Croatia, 12.5% do so solely for the culture, and Croatia is full of excellent combinations of culture and tourism, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said on Friday at a panel on cultural heritage and the development of tourism.

The panel was held in Miljana Castle in Krapina-Zagorje County and was attended, among others by Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek, Finance Minister Zdravko Maric, and Slovenian Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Pocivalsek.

Obuljen Korzinek said the development of culture was a driver of tourism, notably in small communities. She highlighted the Vukovar-Vucedol-Ilok project in the eastern Slavonia region “as the most complex post-war reconstruction project” as well as the Zagorje Museums and the Krapina Neanderthals Museum.

Minister Cappelli said about 40% of tourists planned something to do with culture on their travels. Speaking of how culture contributes to Croatia’s tourism, he highlighted Klis Fortress and the Apoxyomenos Museum. He underlined the importance of combining culture, tourism and gastronomy, notably in continental Croatia, to make tourists stay for more than two days on average.

Minister Maric said tourism was a strong and propulsive industry with high potential and that it “can and should support” agriculture, the food industry and construction. Culture “is another very propulsive, promising and potent industry” and that “we must not forget creative industries either,” he added.

Minister Pocivalsek said culture was one of the more important products in Slovenia 2017-21 sustainable tourism development strategy, and that the country was being promoted as a five-star healthy and cultural destination. Twenty percent of tourism revenues come from culture and the goal is to raise it to 30%, he added.