The investment drive on the Croatian coast continues.
The Plava Laguna tourist company, owned by the Lukšić Group, will invest almost half a billion kuna next year in building new and upgrading existing capacities, the company said. It also announced a new branding of Plava Laguna, which entered the new investment cycle after the merger with Istraturist, resulting in the formation of one of the largest tourism companies in Croatia, reports Večernji List on December 28, 2017.
The most significant investment worth 245 million kuna is the construction of the Park hotel, apartments and villas in the Špadići neighbourhood in Poreč. This will be a family hotel with 309 accommodation units, which will consist of 154 hotel rooms, 91 suites with gardens, 43 regular suites and 21 villas. The investment also includes the construction of a pool complex. The plan is for the new resort to open its doors at the beginning of the 2018 tourist season.
In Umag, the biggest investment, in the amount of 121 million kuna, will be in the Stella Maris campsite and Garden Suites & Rooms Sol Umag. In 2018, Plava Laguna will also invest more than 10 percent of its capital budget in the housing for its employees.
In 2014, the Lukšić Group took over Istraturist from Zagrebačka Banka for 120 million euros, and the merger is expected to be completed on 1 January. After the merger, the company will manage four resorts (Park Resort, Plava Resort, Zelena Resort, Stella Maris Resort) and nine campsites that will be positioned in the market under the Istra Camping by Plava Laguna brand.
“With this move, we will witness the beginning of a new business era for Plava Laguna, as one of the largest tourist companies in Croatia. The whole process needs to be done in line with the highest professional standards so that we all can be proud of our achievements, both the management and the employees. Ahead of us is a period of new investments, new marketing strategies and new management strategies,” announced Neven Staver, the CEO of Plava Laguna.
The company will implement a new brand strategy, including new loyalty programmes. The new Plava Laguna brand has been designed by The Partners from London and is based on the new “six-star” concept that will be the blueprint for the company. The visual identity will retain the origins of Plava Laguna, and it includes red and white, the colours which are the elements of the Croatian coat of arms, together with a goat as a symbol of Istria and the aspects of the sea.
This year, the company recorded 4,791,090 overnight stays, which is 7.2 percent more than last year, with revenues of 1.06 billion kuna.
Translated from Večernji List.
