Croatia sees rise in tourist arrivals during Easter

During the Easter holidays, from April 22 to 25, 5,800 tourists visited Zagreb and the Croatian Adriatic coast, or 48 per cent more than in the same period of 2010, while the number of bed/nights rose by 37 per cent to 8,835, Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said on Saturday.

Bajs held a press conference to present the initial results of the early season. He was speaking after a meeting of the government's commission coordinating preparations for the 2011 tourist season, held at the airport of the coastal city of Zadar.

Bajs said that 256 contracts, worth HRK 111.4 million in total, had been signed as part of the measures provided for under the government's Action Plan for Tourism, adding that the contracts should bring nearly two million travelers to Croatia.

Bajs also said that 71 contracts, worth HRK 51 million, had been signed with airlines that should bring about 632,000 travelers to destinations in Croatia.

Among others, contracts were signed with Ryanair, Germanwings, Thomson Airways, Air Berlin, Jet2Holidays and the national carrier Croatia Airlines. Speaking of the advertising of Croatian tourism abroad, he said that HRK 10.9 million had been spent for that purpose in Germany, HRK 5.5 million in Italy, HRK 4.15 million in Austria, HRK 2.95 million in France, HRK 2.3 million in the Czech Republic, HRK 2.4 million in Poland and HRK 1.55 million in Slovenia. (Hina)