The Croatian National
Tourist Board and flydubai, along with the Zagreb Tourist Board has highlighted
an increase in the number of routes to the Croatian capital and a dedicated
marketing campaign aimed at Middle East
tourists will both contribute towards a record-breaking number of overall
tourists and associated revenue.
Speaking at a press
conference at Arabian Travel Market today, Croatian National Tourist Board representative,
Jelena Slavujevic commented: “Income from foreign visitors to Croatia totaled
US$7.8 billion in 2014, growth of 2.8% over 2013. However we have already
witnessed a 24% increase in the number of arrivals during the first quarter of
2015, so we are confident our tourism receipts this year will eclipse our 2014
earnings.”
Slavujevic justified part of this
increase to the new and direct routes between Dubai
and Zagreb
operated by flydubai which offers direct flights three times a week. Qatar Airways
has also announced it will introduce two additional flights in July to the
Croatian capital taking its tally to seven weekly direct flights from Doha .
Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa
already operate seven flights weekly to Zagreb
from Dubai via Istanbul
and Germany .
Despite being a popular
destination with European travellers, GCC tourists have only
recently began to explore the possibility of a leisure break in Zagreb and indeed Croatia as a whole.
“The GCC market holds great potential for us,
notwithstanding Croatia ’s
stunning natural beauty, our heritage and our cultural similarities, the real
game-changer now is the increased number of direct flights to Zagreb , most notably those operated by
flydubai and Qatar Airways. Many people may not realise that we are little more
than five hours away from Dubai ,”
added Slavujevic.
According to the
recently published survey by Zagreb ’s Institute
for Tourism “Preparing for Tomorrow: Analyzing Tourism Demand from GCC
countries to Croatia ” Kuwait represented the highest share of tourists
to Croatia followed by the United Arab Emirates , Qatar
and Oman .
The average length of stay was three days with the vast majority of GCC
visitors, 83%, staying in four or five star hotels.
During the
press conference, the CEO of Zagreb Tourist Board, Ms. Martina Bienenfeld,
highlighted the work the capital has undertaken to meet the demands of the
Middle East market: “Zagreb is witnessing a
growth in demand from the GCC visitors and was one of the first cities in Croatia to
identify the opportunities of halal tourism. We’re now home to 30% of Croatia ’s 15
halal quality certified hotels. This in turn is having a positive impact on the
number of travel agents, hoteliers and restaurateurs in the city willing to
adjust their offer to capitalize on the increasing number of Middle
East visitors.”
Traditionally, tourism
in Croatia and Zagreb , has relied upon Western Europe, with Germany accounting for around 20% of all inbound
tourism in Croatia ,
however diversification into new markets will see tourism revenues increase
significantly.
“We are always looking for new
opportunities to grow our network of more than 85 destinations,” said Jeyhun
Efendi, Senior Vice President Commercial (UAE, EU, ME, CIS) for flydubai.
“Central and Eastern Europe has
always been an important market for us and last year we launched 5 new routes
from this region to Dubai .
With one of the most comprehensive networks in the GCC and with direct flights
from Dubai three times a week, we are glad to
offer passengers more possibilities to travel to Zagreb , whether for business or leisure,” he
added
In order to attract a
greater number of tourists from GCC countries the Croatian government has
introduced a raft of measures to meet the specific demands of Gulf tourists.
The opening of the Centre of Halal Quality Certification in Zagreb in 2010 has positively impacted on the
number of Halal certifications and accredited cafes and restaurants.
The recently opened
Islamic Centre and Mosque in the city of Rijeka, the first mosque to be built
on the shores of the Adriatic in more than five centuries, will be one of the
focal points in 2016 when Croatia celebrates the 100 year anniversary of the
issue of the “Law of recognition of Islam as the equal religion to all other
religions” by the Croatian Government.
As part of the
celebrations Croatia
will host the Halal Tourism & Trade congress in March and as a nation
celebrate World Halal Day in November next year.
With many cities in Croatia over a
thousand years old, the country has a wealth of history, heritage and culture.
The Medieval Istrian cities, situated on naturally protected hilltops, play an
important part in cultural heritage. From the outside they appear as
fortresses, but inside their walls they nurture medieval towns full of life and
intersected with narrow, curvy streets. Pivotal to city life is the church and
the central square.
The Croatian food and beverage
offering is extremely diverse, and influenced by a mixture of cuisines form
different regions. The coastal region is characterised by Turkish, Roman, Illyrian,
Italian – culture and cuisines. It features a large number of seafood
specialities prepared in various ways, with olive oil and various vegetables.
“Zagreb
is a very trendy destination and is being rediscovered once again. The
standards in our hotels throughout Croatia have improved remarkably
and the quality of our food and beverage can compete with the best in the
world, but it is our rustic beauty and charm that sets us apart,” added Ms Bienenfeld.
Further underscoring the growing
popularity of Croatia with
the UAE market, Dubai destination management
company, Family World Travel & Tourism, will be the only tour operator in Dubai offering group packages to Croatia through an exclusive agreement with Zagreb ’s Nerida Oasis
Travel.
The Zagreb Tourist Board will be
exhibiting at Arabian Travel Market from 4-7 May and can be found in Hall 5 Stand EU5040.
Islamic Heritage in Croatia
Centre for Halal Quality Certification
underscores Croatian Halal credentials
The Centre for Halal
Quality Certification has been developed by the Islamic Community in Croatia to
recognise the efforts of producers and service providers in their efforts to
become Shariah compliant.
Speaking
at the press conference at Arabian Travel Market, Aldin Dugonjic CEO for the
Centre for Halal Quality Certification, opened in 2010, commented: “The centre
has had a key role in educating, investing in research and development and
promoting halal certified products, manufacturers, service and facility
providers.
“According
to the World Tourism Organisation, the most recent statistics show Halal
tourism made up 12% of global tourism income, it is therefore imperative we
continue to highlight all we are doing in this market in order to capitalise on
the increasing number of Islamic travellers and the associated increase in
revenues.”