ZAGREB, January 19, 2018 – The EU-China Tourism Year 2018, aimed at strengthening cooperation between China and the EU in the field of tourism, was officially inaugurated on Friday in Venice with numerous officials from EU countries, the European Commission and China in attendance, including Croatia’s Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli who said that Croatia expected more tourists from China this year.
Croatia’s Tourism Ministry on Friday reported that as a member of the EU, Croatia will be actively involved in tourism activities and cooperation between the EU and China and that this year new opportunities are opening up for investment and growth in tourism as well as for mutual presentation of cultures and values.
The main aim of this event is to attract more Chinese tourists to Europe by promoting trans-European products and helping European operators to enter the Chinese market.
Part of the activities in the EU will be attempts to create special tourism products and offers adapted to Chinese tourists, including European destinations in the China Quality Service (QSC), a certification programme in tourism aimed at facilitating visa procedures and introducing direct flights from China to European destinations.
The Chinese tourism market is important for Croatian tourism which in 2017 showed an increase of about 50% compared to 2016 and we expect that number to grow this year too as it is expected that 150 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad, Minister Cappelli said.
He added that he believed that the new Croatian Tourist Board office in Shanghai would contribute to even more arrivals from that country.
