Minister, HUT director push for vaccination

Let's wait for Labour Minister Josip Aladrović's proposal for job-retention subsidies, Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Monday, adding that Croatia's main goal was to have a better tourist season than last year and to distinguish between those responsible and those irresponsible.

"Minister Aladrović will definitely outline those measures to social partners and employers first, and they will be in accordance with the Constitution and the law. We'll see after that, but we cannot punish those who are responsible for the irresponsible behaviour of individuals," the minister told a news conference, adding that the measures are expected this week.

Brnjac also said the vaccine was not mandatory but it was up to us to decide whether we want to be contagious and carry the disease or not, and she recommended everyone to take a COVID certificate because everything was also easier with them in the tourism sector.

Croatian Tourism Association (HUT) director Veljko Ostojić also thinks that it is important to keep good figures in tourism, in which employees were among the first to get vaccinated.

"Among the members of the HUT, which includes ten or so largest hotel companies in Croatia, about 70% of the employed have been vaccinated to date," he said, stressing that the success of this season depends on vaccination and adherence to measures.

"Hoteliers will do their part, and I recall that last year, when we didn't have the vaccine and when we knew much less about the virus, we didn't have a single case of infection in our commercial facilities," he noted.

Shortage of workers biggest challenge

Ostojić warned that the biggest problem in the tourist trade was again labour force shortage and that there was already a shortage of about 15,000 workers today, including 5,000 workers in the hotel industry and about 10,000 in the restaurant industry. Because of that, he added, some facilities won't even open, and for some this problem will affect their quality lose quality because they don't have enough workers.

(Hina)

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