Within his official visit to Austria, and in addition to visiting the nautical trade show in Tulln, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli held a meeting yesterday with the Second President of the Austrian Parliament, Karlheinz Kopf.
On this occasion, the importance of arrivals by Austrian tourists to Croatia was emphasized, while stressing the importance of friendship between Austria and Croatia, reports HRTurizam on March 3, 2017.
“Austria represents a traditional and very important market for Croatia, and it is also one of the largest partners for investment. Tourists from Austria are loyal guests who, for example, recorded 1.2 million arrivals and 6.5 million overnight stays last year, which on an annual basis represents an increase of 10 percent. On this occasion I sincerely thank you for your interest in Croatia,” said the Minister, who added that the results achieved are particularly significant because only 30 percent of Austrians travel outside the country on holiday.
Following the meeting, the Minister met with the President of the Tourism Committee of the Austrian Parliament, Gerald Hauser, on the subject of joint cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism. At this meeting, the Minister stressed that Austria is the second-largest investor in Croatian tourism and the fourth largest trading partner for Croatia, which is a continuation of good relations between Croatia and Austria and is very important for the future of both countries.
Minister Cappelli also suggested that next year they will organize an event to present the possibilities of investing in Croatia, in which both the Croatian Chamber of Economy of Croatia and Austria will participate. The meeting also discussed the management of tourist boards and Austrian colleagues in an effort to offer their experiences in the organization of destination management.
“Tourists from Austria have great significance for Croatian tourism as their share of total overnight stays is at a high 3rd place. Nearly half of all overnight stays are realized in the pre and post season, and they are particularly interested in nautical tourism,” concluded the Minister.
At the fair, the Minister also met with members of the Board and Director of ACI, Kristijan Pavić, to discuss further development of nautical tourism in Croatia – and in particular new investments in the marinas. In doing so, special emphasis was placed on the marina in Rovinj, which will be ready for the 2018 season, the marina in Vodice, and the marina in Dubrovnik where the Minister visited during his last official visit to Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The meeting was also attended by representatives of ADAC, with whom they discussed the possibilities of enhancing cooperation.
The Boot Tulln Fair is the largest trade fair of ships and water sports in Central and Eastern Europe, which presents more than 300 companies and their products, services, and innovations in the nautical field, water sports, and diving.
