Tourist indicators for the first five months of 2009 in Croatia show a 9-percent drop in arrivals and an 8-percent drop in overnight stays, Croatian Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said at a sitting of the Croatian Tourist Board`s Tourism Council Friday.

We don`t expect pluses this year, just like the general tourism in the world. Our desire is to be better than our surrounding competition (Italy, France and Greece), i.e. to be in lesser red.

Damir Bajs

Biggest drop linked with arrival of home tourists

The season so far has shown that the biggest drop is linked with the arrival of home tourists, i.e. congress tourism which is a consequence of reduced activity of home companies and savings, the minister said.

He added that results for six months will provide insight into the season, i.e. a better review of bookings for July and August will be available at the end of June.

Bajs voiced satisfaction with relatively good and solid positions on the most important markets for Croatia, the German, Slovene and Austrian one.

Good promotion is key to success

All efforts which have been taken, especially the promotion, are positive, Minister Bajs said, singling out the intensified online campaign, which is five times bigger than the one last year.

Bajs pointed out that entering the main season is characterised by last minute deals of potential tourists and hopes that such activities would continue.

- We don`t expect pluses this year, just like the general tourism in the world. Our desire is to be better than our surrounding competition (Italy, France and Greece), i.e. to be in lesser red - Damir Bajs said.

According to figures of the Croatian Tourist Board, negative tourist turnout indicators were recorded in May – according to five-month accumulative indicators, an 11-percent drop of overnight stays and an 11-percent drop in arrivals were recorded with home tourists, while foreigners recorded 8 percent less arrivals and 7 percent less overnight stays compared to the same period last year.

However, it is pointed out that five-month indicators cannot represent a solid foundation for the assessment of the whole season, because this period amounts only to 17 percent of tourist arrivals and 11 percent of overnight stays.

Tourists Want Cheap Deals, Croatia Bookings Down

PHOTO: Croatia On Posters Across Europe