Croatia's Ministry for Tourism and Sport earmarked 20 million kuna (€2.6 million) for the purchase of antigen Covid tests for visiting tourists who will need to take tests before returning to their home countries, Tourism Minister, Nikolina Brnjac, told state news agency Hina in an interview released on Wednesday.

Brnjac also told Hina that the mass vaccination of workers in tourism would begin next week.

Neither the exact price of the testing kits, or their number, nor the fee charged to tourists for tests are known yet, Brnjac said. Hina reported that this information would become available only after “the completion of public procurement procedure” – without explaining when that might be.

In spite of all the unknowns, Brnjac remained optimistic.

“We consider this to be the key measure that will impact all stakeholders in the tourism sector in efforts to revive the tourist season and increase the competitiveness of the Croatian tourism industry on foreign markets,” Brnjac told Hina.

Antigen tests are planned to be distributed through the local health care system, and testing sites will be set up in tourist resorts, hotels, campsites, and marinas. Mobile testing teams will also be set up.

“The epidemiological situation is and will remain the key factor for tourists when choosing a holiday destination,” Brnjac told Hina.

Earlier this month, Jutarnji List daily reported that mass vaccination for some 68,000 full-time workers in tourism would begin on April 15. However, the plan would not include seasonal workers who are the backbone of the local tourism industry.

Croatia’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism revenues, and the industry is thought to account for as much as 20 percent of its GDP. In 2020 tourist arrivals had dropped by 60 percent compared to 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions imposed throughout most of Europe.

This year, the country is trying to convince travelers to visit Croatia by portraying it as a safe destination. Since the majority of tourists Croatia receives come from other EU countries such as Germany, Italy, and Slovenia, the European Parliament’s plan to approve the establishment of the so-called Covid passports in June might provide another boost to Croatia’s plans just in time for this year’s summer season.

At the same time, the rising incidence of coronavirus cases per capita in recent weeks led to Germany listing the entire country as a Covid “red zone” earlier this month, requiring anyone wishing to come to Germany from Croatia to do a coronavirus test and stay in mandatory self-isolation for at least five days.