Golf tourism is one of the most competitive and profitable forms of tourism worldwide and Croatia definitely needs that type of tourism as it brings about additional values and multiplicative effects for the development of a destination and it also enables the prolongation of the tourist season, a conference on golf tourism concluded.

As many as 173 new golf courses have been built in 26 countries in Europe. On the other hand, golf tourism is a fledgling tourist industry in Croatia, as against other Mediterranean countries where it is developed, said Drazen Slamar, one of the conference’s organisers, in the Istrian town of Porec.

Croatia’s current offer with six dispersed golf courses, four golf centres and seven golf training grounds is insufficient, said Slamar who has drawn up an action plan to enrich this segment of tourism.

Therefore, there are plans to build several top-notch golf courses in Croatia in the next decade to make the country attractive for golfers.

Zoning plans in Istria envisage 18 locations for future golf courses.

Currently there is a new golf course in Savudrija and the one the island of Brijuni has bee reactivated.

There are a few more projects for this part of Croatia.

Participants in the conference agreed that golf tourism is a very competitive and lucrative form of tourist industry.

Approximately 60 million people play golf worldwide on 32,000 courses. Golf tourists tend to outspend average tourists.