Brnjac: The positive comments of the Tourism Committee of the Bundestag are an additional incentive to continue our activities

Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac met today in Zagreb with the delegation of the Tourism Committee of the German Parliament (Bundestag), led by President Jana Schimke, who is on a three-day visit to Croatia. The meeting discussed the consolidation of cooperation in the field of tourism between Croatia and Germany, the exchange of experiences in the development of sustainable tourism, and the joint activities achieved so far.

"I introduced President Schimka and the members of the Tourism Committee to our reform of the management of tourism development, the guidelines prescribed by the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy until 2030 and the framework of the first Croatian umbrella Act on Tourism. We are proud that our direction of sustainability is recognized in other member states EU, and such cooperation and exchange of experiences additionally contribute to the achievement of all our strategic goals", she said Minister Nikolina Brnjac.

The German representatives showed special interest in the application of the Law on Tourism and strategic guidelines at the local and regional level, the method of financing projects of special importance for destinations, as well as the possibility of charging an ecological contribution, and welcomed the solutions presented to them.

Croatia and Germany nurture a long-standing partnership and cooperation in the field of tourism, which is regulated within the framework of the Action Plan on enhanced cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports continuously cooperates with the German provinces within the framework of the Permanent Croatian-Bavarian Commission and within the framework of the Joint Governmental Commission Croatia - Baden-Württemberg, as well as within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).

"Germany is the most important emission market for Croatia, from which 2022 million arrivals and 3,4 million overnight stays were realized in 24,9, with a trend of further growth in the first months of 2023. By entering the Schengen area and the eurozone, Croatia has become a destination for German tourists even closer and more accessible throughout the year, which is confirmed by the results of the first five months of this year", said Brnjac, adding that according to public opinion surveys, Croatia is one of the most favorite destinations for Germans and is among the ten leading destinations for German tourists.

Let us remind you that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports also has a successful cooperation with the German auto club ADAC, with which it signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2021 with the aim of establishing a long-term cooperation that significantly contributes to the facilitation of travel for German tourists as well as the promotion of Croatian tourism on the German market. Also, the Croatian Tourist Board regularly participates in tourist fairs in Germany, and at the meeting, great satisfaction was expressed that this year Croatia was a partner country at f.re.e. fair in Munich, which recorded the highest attendance so far.

In addition to President Schimka, the delegation of the Tourism Committee included members of the Bundestag, Rita Hagl-Kehl, Anja Karliczek, Michael Donth, Stefan Schmidt, Reginald Hanke, Mike Moncsek, Thomas Lutze, accompanied by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Croatia, Dr. Christian Hellbach. During its visit to Croatia, the delegation also visited the County of Istria, and meetings are planned with the Vice President of the Croatian Parliament Željko Reiner and members of the Tourism Committee of the Croatian Parliament.

Source and photo: MINTS