​Tourism development decisions to be delegated to local authorities

Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Wednesday that the new Tourism Act would make it possible for local government units to decide on the development of their tourism industry based on exact data.

Local authorities will be given new powers and obligations in tourism management, in accordance with the specific features of their tourist destinations, the minister told Parliament.

Towns and cities will be able to decide on the number and category of hospitality establishments and accommodation facilities, restrictions on the number of tourist arrivals or schedule of their arrivals, and the introduction of a tourist environmental contribution, she said.

Decisions will be made in accordance with the exact parameters so as to prevent arbitrary decisions by mayors, she said.

During the discussion on the bill, opposition MPs warned about excessive building of apartments in coastal areas, illegal construction and foreign property owners using foreign workers as cheap labour in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Branko Grčić (SDP) said that a significant number of properties in Croatia are owned by foreigners and that in 2022, 40% of real estate sales contracts involved foreigners.

 A large number of those people do business in the tourism sector illegally, he said.

(Hina/FaH)

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