Croatia to present its tourism at ITB fair in Berlin

The Croatian National Tourism Board (HTZ) will this week present Croatia's tourism at the world's largest tourism fair, ITB Berlin, which will attract more than 10,000 exhibitors from all segments of the tourism and travel industry from 190 countries.

ITB is a business fair and every year several hundred thousand tourism and other professionals in related industries from around the world visit the event which enables direct deals and provides information on the latest trends and forecasts for the current tourism year, featuring hundreds of lectures, presentations, panel discussions and the like.

Berlin ITB has developed into one of the strongest business platforms on the global tourism market but also offers an opportunity to win the trust of Germans who are the greatest world travelers and this year's indications are that subsequent to positive economic trends, around 4 to 5 per cent more Germans plan to travel within the country or abroad compared with last year.

Croatia will focus on the German market at the ITB which is showing a trend of continuing stability toward Croatian tourism and bookings on that market in the first two months of this year are at about the same level as they were in the same period last year. Some tour-operators have slightly better bookings.

Croatia has for years been the sixth favourite destination for German tourists who travel mostly to Spain, Italy and Austria.

Around 20 Croatian exhibitors will present their services at the fair along with the HTZ, including Croatia Airlines and the Plitivice Lakes national park. Tourism Minister Darko Lorencin and HTZ director Ratomir Ivicic are to attend as well.

On March 4 Lorencin is expected to participate in a ministerial meeting of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) focusing on the promotion of cooperation by developing trans-national routes.

Lorencin will complete his visit to Berlin at an international conference - Berlin Economic Forum 2015, on the theme of Innovative Nation Branding: Creative Economies, Sustainable Tourism.

(Hina)