Ferien-Messe: Along with Italy, Croatia is a favorite holiday destination for Austrians

Today it is in Vienna open tourist fair Ferien-Messe, the largest international tourism fair for business and the general public in Austria on which this year's partner country Croatia. The fair will be open until March 19st, about 160 thousand visitors are expected, and in addition Croatian National Tourist Board as the main exhibitor, will present its offer as part of the Croatian stand 21 Croatian co-exhibitor among which are hoteliers, agencies, transport companies, but also tourist boards.

"We started negotiations for the appearance of Croatia as a partner country at the Ferien-Messe fair in Vienna in 2019, and we are extremely happy that this partnership was realized in the first year after the corona pandemic, when numerous fairs throughout Europe and the world are again held live and without any restrictions. This appearance and the presentation of Croatia as a partner country comes at the right moment, because the interest in traveling in Austria is at a very high level, and our country is among the favorite foreign destinations of Austrians. This is confirmed by the excellent response of the Croatian co-exhibitors who on this occasion will to present our offer to numerous business partners, as well as to the general public who will visit the fair in Vienna in the coming days", he said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board, emphasizing that by joining Schengen, Croatia has become an even closer and more attractive destination for Austrians, especially for shorter weekend trips, which we expect in greater numbers from the Easter holidays.  

The opening ceremony of the fair, with the director Stanicic, also attended Nikolina Brnjac, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, Branimir Tončinić, director of the HTZ Representative Office in Austria, Michael Duscher, manager of the Tourist Board of Lower Austria, Phillies Ramberger, president of the Austrian Association for Tourism and Martin Winkler, president of the tourist concern "Austrian Tourist Office", while they opened the fair Robert Seeber, president of the Section for Tourism and Leisure at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Susanne Kraus Winkler, State Secretary for Tourism of Austria.

"We are very pleased that after Munich, Croatia is also a partner country at the largest fair in Austria - Ferien-Messe. Although Croatia is in the top three most popular tourist destinations on this market, our goal is to upgrade the current position, especially in the context of shorter trips by Austrians throughout the year, which is certainly supported by the fact that Croatia is now a member of the Eurozone and the Schengen area. In Vienna, we present Croatia as a destination with quality accommodation and facilities, ideal for family trips, which Austrians prefer the most, as well as for active holidays and shorter trips outside the summer season. We really have a lot to offer in these segments, as shown by the data on the continuation of investments in sustainable growth and business, which are clear signals of recovery from the crisis. All these excellent results did not happen by chance, but with the clear support of the Government The Republic of Croatia, which has so far never been more challenging for tourism, has firmly stood by the tourism sector and the continuum led an early policy of open dialogue and aid", she pointed out Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac and added that she was in a meeting with the Austrian State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus Winkler discussed all the strategic activities we undertake, as well as Austrian experiences in sustainable tourism.  

"I am happy that Croatia is a partner of the fair, especially because Austria is one of the top destinations for Croatian guests. Austria is very popular in the winter and summer seasons. Last summer we welcomed 63% more guests from Croatia than in 2019. Croatia is among the top destinations for Austrians. Recently published research by the Austrian State Tourist Office claims that 22% of Austrian tourists want to visit Croatia in the spring and summer of 2023. This fair with many visitors clearly shows that the desire to travel is unbreakable.", stated the state secretary for tourism in Austria, Susanne Kraus Winkler.

The program of the opening of the fair was enriched with an attractive performance by the LADO Ensemble, members of the Association of Rab Crossbowmen also presented themselves, while Stanislav Briskoski through a cooking show presented Istrian delicacies with an emphasis on pjukan, asparagus, truffles and prawns.

During the first day of the fair, a conference was organized for the Austrian media where she addressed media representatives Minister Brnjac, while director Staničić presented the results of Croatian tourism, expectations for this tourist year, but also numerous other news, investments and good examples of sustainable projects from Croatian tourism. The press conference was attended by Daniel Glunčić, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Austria.

Let's also add that during the fair, the Croatian delegation will meet with the most important Austrian partners, such as Aaretal Reisen, which connects Austria and Switzerland with the island of Brač with charter lines, while bus lines connect Austria with Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia, and the meeting will also be held with representatives High Life by Reisen which connects Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein with Pula and Zadar with charter lines.

"Last year, we achieved excellent results from the Austrian market, which is also confirmed by the growth of tourist traffic of five percent compared to the record year 2019. In the current part of this year, the results are also impressive, and with more than 110 thousand overnight stays by Austrians, we are recording a growth of 31 percent. compared to the same period in 2019. Considering such good results and trends, I am even more pleased with the partnership at the fair and the opportunity to present Croatia with a rich and diverse program that, I am sure, will attract a large number of Austrians to our country.", he concluded Branimir Tončinić, director of the HTZ Representative Office in Austria.

Otherwise, during all four days of the fair, the entire program will be enriched with numerous performances, presentations and tastings, which will bring visitors closer to the extremely diverse cultural and historical heritage and rich eno-gastronomy of all Croatian regions and regions, from the coast to the interior of our country, while in cooperation with with Croatian Chamber of Commerce guaranteed tasting and presentation of top Croatian wines.

Source and photo: Croatian National Tourist Board