Government: Hit Tourist Season

""This year"s tourist season was one of the best, so far. According to all indicators this was a hit season."" That is how the Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development described the tourist season 2005 at the session of the Croatian Government.

He reported that in September the magic number of 50 million night stays had been exceeded, something which Croatia had never achieved, even not within a whole year. He continued with the information that the year 2005 would surpass the number of 10 million tourist arrivals.

The number of tourist arrivals, according to the statistics for the first eight months, increased by 5% as compared to the same period in 2004. The number of night stays went up by 7%. The Ministry expects for the year 2006 a 2% increase in physical traffic and a 5% income increase from tourist travels.

Regarding this season’s financial effects, Kalmeta could not present precise figures but he pointed out that the good results were also visible in the great increase of deposits on foreign exchange accounts in Croatian banks.

He underlined as one of this year’s characteristics - the important results in fighting "grey economy" in the private accommodations sector, especially chartering. ‘Grey chartering doesn’t exist anymore, it is wiped out’, Kalmeta confirmed. He announced that, by introducing amendments to the State Inspectorate Act, it would become possible to perform a closer control of foreign citizens, i.e. their buying houses or apartments in Croatia in order to rent them to tourists, the charging of those services takes place in their home countries and in Croatia they present those guests as their family members.
He also announced new investments for 2006, f.ex. the opening of two new golf courses in Umag and Ližnjan, subventions for the building of small family hotels and pensions (300 objects/3years).

Kalmeta announced the passing of the Tourist Land Act, which should solve the problem of legal and ownership relations regarding that land, the introducing of a legal framework for solving the problem of noise in urban tourist centers, and other. (Hina)