The Rural Tourism Association of Croatia has written to the government of Croatia, relevant ministries and parliament committees and demanded the removal of restrictions preventing efficient placement of agricultural products through tourism in rural areas in order to prevent further deterioration and depopulation of Croatian rural areas.
The Tourism Ministry has been asked to adopt in urgent procedure the Action Plan for Rural Tourism, regulate the legal framework regarding rural tourism and to begin promoting this type of tourism in domestic and international markets; the Finance Ministry was asked to reduce excise duties on the production of brandies and liqueurs sold on site; the Labour and Pension System Ministry to evoke value coupons enabling the recruitment of workers for part-time catering and tourism services in the rural areas; while the Agriculture Ministry needs to cooperate better with the Tourism Ministry to remove limitations and enable more efficient placement of agricultural products through tourism.
“Agriculture and tourism have been labelled as sectors with the highest growth potential in the government programme, so we hope the government and other relevant institutions will undertake efficient measures to realise one of the key goals of the government until 2020 – halting emigration, especially from rural areas. Considering the alarming situation in the Croatian countryside, we demand a rapid and coordinated action of all institutions regarding this question,” pointed out Jasmina Rakić Horvat, association president.
The Rural Tourism Association of Croatia connects family farms and agricultural crafts registered in the catering and tourism services from all over Croatia. The main goal of the association is sustainable development of the Croatian rural areas through combining agriculture and tourism and creating stimulating conditions for the development of rural tourism through the advancement of legal framework and better promotion of tourism in domestic and international markets.
“Those of us in tourism and agriculture are facing on a daily basis limitations and legal hurdles preventing us from being efficient in this type of tourism which has large potential as the season is year-round. Instead of limitations, we ask for understanding and encouragement so that this type of tourism may be adequately recognised as an engine of development for the rural areas,” said Janko Kezele, deputy president of the association.
The Rural Tourism Association of Croatia offers a partner relationship to all institutions in solving the listed problems and expects concrete meetings with relevant institutions before the 2017 state budget is adopted.
