Tourism Minister: “We are Expecting Record Tourist Year”

Croatia’s Tourism Minister Darko Lorencin says that the ‘pre-season’ is going according to plan, and despite the football World Cup in Brazil going on this year, Croatia should smash tourism records in 2014….

“Every second year we have either a World Cup or European Championship or even Olympics. If these events are held on our continent, then that affects the arrival of tourists, but on a small-scale, but it is then compensated for the following month,” said Lorencin at the opening of Croatia’s first water park in Istria yesterday.

Although it is still too early to judge, the nations Tourism Minister is expecting 2014 to eclipse the record-breaking 2008 year.

“Financially, we had growth last year of 5%. I expect that this year we will have a record year, or come close to the record-setting 2008 year, when we achieved 7.4 billion euros in income (from tourism),” said Lorencin, adding that Croatia’s number one market – Germany, is looking optimistic for growth again this year.

“Besides (Germany), we expect growth in the number of arrivals from the UK, and we are also working on the Korean, Japanese, Chinese and American markets,” the Minister concluded.