When it comes to the hospitality industry and the closing of restaurants across Croatia, Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli says he feels no guilt.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of April, 2020, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli explained just how the Republic of Croatia is heading for the upcoming tourist season after the coronavirus epidemic.
“We did most of this last week. Now it’s up to the epidemiologists to sit down together and brush it up to the finest detail. We, from the profession, sorted out every detail, and everyone sitting at the table did their bit. However, since this is an impossible situation, everything we plan to do in this way can collapse within 24 hours. However, our goal is to do it all,” Gari Cappelli told Nova TV.
He said that state bodies are already meeting with Czech secretaries who want to close their borders for a year.
When asked how Croatia will attract guests, Gari Capelli says there is a prepared programme for that. “Next week, the Council of the Tourist Board will give it the green light and we’ll be ready when we go into negotiations with any country to invest in PR marketing about things to do with security that are happening in Croatia,” said the Minister of Tourism.
“You can see the benefit the Civil Protection Headquarters have brought about, the whole epidemiological situation and the people who worked hard [on Croatia’s anti-epidemic measures], the Government that listened and did what it needed to. We’ve been recognised throughout Europe and the world, especially our neighbours, for controlling the situation and being a safe country. That’s why people want to come. This is proof that the Government has been able to control the situation,” Gari Cappelli said.
As touched on above, when it comes to the negative effects on the Croatian hospitality industry and the closing of the country’s restaurants, the minister says he feels no guilt about it. “It doesn’t matter now who is guilty or not guilty. Today, at the meeting, we addressed all the details of who and what was needed, the epidmeiologists gave us a more detailed explanation of what to do in the food industry,” Gari Cappelli stated.
When asked about plexiglasses between tables at restaurants, Capelli said that after the epidemic, nothing would be the same again. “That must be made clear. We won’t be able to even go onto a tram without a mask,” the minister said.
He added that his ministry had made several suggestions regarding the hotel industry and how to what extent it would be able to accommodate guests. “We’ll take things one step at a time, first, we’ll open the facilities and maybe start with 30 percent of these strict measures,” he explained.
“Tourism will no longer be what it once was, nor will I lives be what they once were. Things will be different, things will be done more carefully. Unfortunately, we may need to hang out less. Life will change, tourism will change. We’ll have to get used to it, and in that direction, we’ll work on marketing and all other actions,” said Gari Cappelli. He pointed out that those in the catering and hospitality industry and all others working in Croatian tourism will be informed in due time of any new decisions and new measures.
When asked what might open first, Gari Cappelli said they are mainly committed to outdoor activities at this moment in time, such as nature parks and campgrounds.
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