Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli has expressed satisfaction with the indicators showing a growth in the Croatian tourist trade, and in this context he underscores the importance of 20% growth in tourist expenditure.

Tourist spending has risen by about 20%, and those are financial indicators that boost tourism, he told the national broadcaster (HRT) on Wednesday evening.

Cappelli commented on the statistical figures provided by the Croatian National Bank (HNB) showing that Croatia earned €9.44 billion in revenues from foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2019, which is an increase of €769 million or 9% over the same period in 2018.

Also, this year tourist arrivals increased by 5%, and overnight stays by 2%-3%.

Cappelli underscores that fact that in 2019, the average spending per tourist stood at €97 as against 79 euros of the average tourist expenditure in 2017.

The average tourist expenditure rose to €144 in hotels, while it stands at €94 for guests in private accommodation, and €62 in holiday-makers accommodated in camping sites.