In order to facilitate international travel and mobility through health and hygienic protocols it is important to strengthen Covid-safe protocols and the image of air travel, Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac said during a videoconference dedicated to reviving international tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said in a press release that the conference was organised on the Canary Islands by the Spanish government in cooperation with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), with ministers and experts in tourism from many countries participating.

“Considering that tourists around the world perceive air travel as a more risky form of travel compared to travelling by car, it is necessary to work on its image and restore trust. That could be the crucial issue for destinations in Europe and globally to restore international travel,” Minister Brnjac said online.

She said that some regions in Croatia registered very low numbers of Covid infections during the summer, however, tourism turnover fell because of the fact that they are traditionally air destinations.

Referring to global health and hygienic protocols, she said that Croatia had joined a WTTC project dedicated to the international implementation and spread of global protocols, preparing the necessary safety protocols and measures.

She believes that adapting to the global WTTC protocol is important not only for ensuring and stabilising the next season but also for the future development of smart and sustainable tourism.

Brnjac concluded that the main expectations for 2021 and basic precondition for travel was safety in the broadest sense of the term and that Croatia would focus on providing timely and reliable information related to the Covid situation as well as improving protective measures so that it remains a desirable destination.