The City of Osijek and Osijek-Baranja County are crucial in the development of continental and year-round tourism, Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina said in Osijek on Friday during a meeting with the county's tourism sector.
The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation and preparing activities for the implementation of the tourism development management reform.
"The government has placed significant emphasis on developing the continental region through all its investments, with 75% of the total allocation from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan earmarked for tourism investments in continental Croatia, including public infrastructure and private enterprises. We're talking about 52 projects in total, co-financed with €270 million," Glavina said.
The government has consistently supported the development of Osijek-Baranja County through tourism and sports projects, securing almost €10 million in the last four years, he added.
These investments are already yielding results, as confirmed by the tourism turnover in the continental region, which is up 4% in arrivals and nights compared to 2023. Osijek-Baranja County is performing even better, with 9% more arrivals and 4% more nights than last year, Glavina said.
It is particularly encouraging that the increase in nights across Croatia has been generated during the preseason, not just during the peak of the tourist season.
Glavina said the greatest opportunity for developing Croatia as a sustainable, year-round tourist destination lies in the contribution of continental tourism and year-round travel.
He recalled that his ministry and the Croatian National Tourist Board funded the first master plan for developing Slavonia as a tourist destination.
"For several years now, Slavonia has been presented on global markets as a recognisable destination. In all segments, Slavonia has made tremendous progress in tourism," he said.
In the last eight years, Slavonia has made significant strides in the development of hotels, enogastronomy, and events that create "strong reasons for visitors to come," Glavina said, highlighting the goal of having Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem recognised as a unified destination for local cuisine and wines, sports tourism, and major sporting events.
(Hina)
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