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One billion tourists have travelled the world in 2012, marking a new record for international tourism – a sector that accounts for one in every 12 jobs and 30% of the world’s services exports. On the symbolic arrival date of the one-billionth tourist (13 December 2012), UNWTO revealed the actions tourists can take to ensure their trips benefit the people and places they visit, as voted by the public. International tourism has continued to grow in 2012, despite global economic uncertainty, to reach over one billion international tourist arrivals. The figure cements tourism’s position as one of the world’s largest economic sectors, accounting for 9% of global GDP (direct, indirect and induced impact), one in every 12 jobs and up to 8% of the total exports of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Preparations are almost completed for the Kupari project in which investors are very interested and we expect the announcement of a public tender for the project early next year, Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic said in Dubrovnik on Tuesday during talks with Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavic. Dobroslavic underscored the importance of investments for the future development of this southernmost county in Croatia, announcing five large investment projects in the Dubrovnik area including the golf course on Srdj mountain just above the town pointing out however that the project was being slowed down due to problems with town planning procedures. The talks also reflected on the problem with the re-introduction of the visa regime for tourists from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey once Croatia joins the EU as well as the problem of the border crossing of Neum between Croatia and Bosnia and Karasovici between Montenegro and Croatia. Minister Ostojic is counting on investments of 2.5 billion to 3 billion kuna next year and by 2020 these should be about 7 billion euro.