February the 3rd, 2024 – Thirteen Croatian wellness and spa tourism projects are being co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Programme and the government.
As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, less than two weeks ago, the first contracts for the co-financing of Croatian wellness and spa (health tourism) projects were signed. These projects had to have met the stringent criteria from last year’s tender entitled “The regional diversification and specialisation of Croatian tourism through investments in the development of tourism products with high added value”.
Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac announced that in addition to funds from within the Recovery and Resilience Programme (NPOO), from which 7 of the selected 13 Croatian wellness and spa tourism projects could be financed, additional funds from the state budget were also provided.
Not long after that, the government approved the allocation of a massive 60 million euros for Croatian wellness and spa/health tourism projects. This would be divided into 20 million each this year and over the following two years, which will increase the support from the NPOO. In total, this all amounts to 61.7 million euros from the NPOO. All of them, according to Minister Brnjac, are products that work to further reduce the seasonality of Croatian tourism, and are of particular importance for the development of continental Croatian tourism. Until now, this tourism segment has been characterised by an insufficient supply and quality of health tourism infrastructure, as well as the more or less total absence of major investments.
Among the Croatian wellness and spa tourism projects that will be supported through NPOO and the state budget are the reconstruction of the castle of the Inkey noble family in the Koprivnica area, as well as the proper arrangement of the wellness centre, the construction of a swimming pool and a hotel as part of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation in Stubičke Toplice (spas), the improvement of the Minerva Hotel in Varaždinske Toplice, and the improvement of the offer of Daruvarske Toplice.
The Croatian wellness and spa/health tourism development project of the Naftalan Special Hospital, the reconstruction of the Fontana building at the Lipik Toplice into a health tourism hotel, investments in the Bjelovarske Toplice project, the Special Orthopedic Hospital in Biograd na Moru, Thalassotherapy Crikvenica, the Veli Lošinj Spa Centre, the Kalos Special Hospital, the Topusko Spa, and last but by no means least – the Biokovka Special Hospital.
An investment of 60 million euros in improving the structure of Croatian wellness & spa tourism (according to a study by the Zagreb Economic Institute) can generate an additional 1.13 billion euros of investments in the short term, increase GDP by 0.8%, and up private investments by 9. 8%.
