Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac and Croatian Tourism Association director Veljko Ostojic said on Monday the summer season could be "better than last year's," provided Covid-19 measures were complied with, and a majority of tourism employees and the general population were vaccinated.

“Based on last year’s experience and the preparations we have made together with the tourism sector and all tourism stakeholders, including the vaccination of tourism employees, which we consider the number one priority, I’m confident that this season could be quite good,” Brnjac said in Rovinj.

The tourism sector is very interested in vaccination against Covid-19, she added.

“We have no problems with that at all because everyone is aware how important vaccination is so that we can ensure an even better season. After Dalmatia and Istria, the vaccination of tourism employees has begun in the interior and we have information that almost 70 percent of the tourism sector is willing to be vaccinated.”

Brnjac said the Croatian Institute of Public Health should ensure additional doses for tourism employees. She recalled that the Digital Green Certificate should be introduced on 1 June, that Croatia was part of a pilot project, and that Croatia already on 1 April clearly defined conditions and criteria for entering the country.

Ostojic said that unless something unforeseen and negative happened, he expected the summer season to be better than last year’s. He said he expected a lot from the Green Certificate, adding that the Covid-19 situation was improving.

“If the epidemiological situation isn’t good, we have no right to expect tourism to happen. But by intensifying the vaccination of tourism employees as well as the general population, we will significantly improve the situation and be competitive as we were last year at the start of the season,” said Ostojic.