WORLD TRAVEL RECENTLY MET WITH MR. RAJKO RUŽIČKA, HEAD OF THE CROATIAN TOURISM OFFICE IN RUSSIA, UKRAINE AND CIS COUNTRIES. WE TALKED ABOUT STRATEGIES IN THE CURRENT REALITIES, TRENDS IN MARKETING, THE SITUATION IN CROATIA AND PLANS FOR FURTHER GROWTH.
RAJKO, OF COURSE, THE MOST PRESSING QUESTION TODAY IS WHAT IS THE CURRENT EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION IN CROATIA AND HOW MUCH OF A TURNING POINT IT HAS BECOME FOR THE COUNTRY 2020?
Rajko Ruzicka: The epidemiological situation was under control at all times, and prompt measures were taken by the competent authorities, which allowed us to receive tourists from Europe in May 2020, and all tourists from third countries in June. The country had one of the best morbidity statistics in Europe, and mortality was generally minimal.
Since June, flights to the main resorts have been launched from Ukraine, and for the first time in many years, a direct flight to Dubrovnik has started. Of course, 2020 was a very difficult year, but the results of Croatian tourism, due to the security measures we provided in a timely manner, were the best of all Mediterranean countries. We are proud of this and hope that the situation will be even better this year.
Now Croatia has also developed a package of measures that we all hope and expect will allow us to open the country for the 2021 summer season for tourists. The epidemiological situation in Croatia is very good right now, and we hope that it will improve even more by the summer season.
UNDOUBTEDLY, WITH THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS SUFFERING ENORMOUS LOSSES AND IS UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE. WHAT ARE YOUR FORECASTS FOR INBOUND TOURISM IN CROATIA IN 2021?
Rajko Ruzicka: In Croatia, everyone believes that the 2021 season will be better than last year, and everyone is preparing for it. After all, a lot has already been done for this. Advertising campaigns have already been launched in some markets, and others are planned to be launched later. To ensure that the season takes place and that foreign tourists' vacations are safe, the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board have launched the Stay Safe in Croatia project. The aim of the project is to guarantee the safety of foreign tourists in Croatia. Hotels, restaurants, bars, public places, and yachts will be marked with a special Safe Stay sign. For Croatia, tourism is a very important and strategic sector, which is why all our efforts are aimed at making our guests feel comfortable and safe during their vacation in Croatia.
RAJKO, PLEASE CLARIFY HOW THE STAY SAFE IN CROATIA PROJECT WILL GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF TOURISTS? WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE SPECIAL SAFE STAY SIGN INFORM ABOUT?
Rajko Ruzicka: Safe Stay in Croatia is a national designation for security protocols in the tourism and hospitality sector, which was initiated in 2021. It is awarded to facilities in the tourism sector by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. This designation allows visitors to easily identify regions, accommodation, transportation, tourist attractions and other facilities that have adopted global health and hygiene standards. The brightly colored "Safe Stay in Croatia" sign informs visitors that a tourist destination operates in accordance with the current recommendations of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Croatian Institute of Public Health. By introducing this mark, Croatia puts the safety of visitors first. There are special requirements for hotels, restaurants, buses, yachts, apartments - each facility has its own strict standards. In the future, staff vaccination is also planned. And when the facility has complied with all mandatory measures, and the commission officially confirms this, the facility receives a certificate and a Safe Stay badge. Inspections are carried out constantly, and the commission confirms the certificate. The badge also contains a QR code, by scanning which a tourist can find all the detailed information, for example, about the hotel where he checked in - what safety requirements are met by the hotelier, what safety requirements are applied to the staff, to the guests, as well as information about all the facilities that have received the certificate, as well as information about the epidemic situation in the regions of Croatia, recommendations for tourists, as well as tourist information. The safety of our guests and employees in the tourism industry is our top priority.
RAJKO, YOU HAVE ALWAYS SUCCESSFULLY COOPERATED WITH MANY TOUR OPERATORS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT WORK ON PROMOTING CROATIA? HOW IMPORTANT IS EARLY BOOKING NOWADAYS OR HAS EVERYONE STARTED TO LIVE "HERE AND NOW" WITHOUT LONG-TERM PLANS?
Rajko Ruzicka: As in recent years, we continue to successfully cooperate with Ukrainian tour operators and are happy to meet with them offline. We are very pleased that the number of new tour operators, our partners and friends working with Croatia is growing from year to year. A large number of flights from Ukraine for the summer season to the main resorts of Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik have been announced. Since the beginning of the year, a regular flight to Croatia, Kyiv-Zagreb, has been operated twice a week, which has not been available for several years. Joint marketing projects with Ukrainian tour operators are underway. Also, the Croatian Tourist Board has planned a separate marketing campaign before the start of the season, and is actively planning promotional tours for agents, there are many requests for summer tours, and demand is quite active given the pandemic situation. There are not many early bookings so far, and indeed, this year will be held under the motto last min. Croatia is ready for it! Also, on 13.05.21, we plan to hold our annual Sell Croatia B2B workshop offline and a press conference for journalists in Kyiv. Details will be announced later.
WHAT CAN YOU, AS A TOURISM OFFICE, DO TO PROMOTE TOURISM WHILE THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS STILL ONGOING?
Rajko Ruzicka: We continue our work to promote Croatia and establish new contacts, but Unfortunately, so far only in the online format. Several online presentations, workshops, and roundtables have been held, where many talked about the beautiful Croatia and its tourist opportunities. We hope to return to the offline format soon, as digital tourism is not as attractive as a real vacation.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC. NOW THAT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IS MOVING INTO THE VIRTUAL WORLD, THERE IS MORE AND MORE TALK ABOUT VIRTUAL TOURISM. THERE IS AN OPINION THAT VIRTUAL REALITY CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? AND MAYBE YOU YOURSELF ARE ALREADY USING SOME TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS OF VIRTUAL TOURISM (VIDEOS, TOURS, SIGHTSEEING...)
Rajko Ruzicka: We, of course, give tourists the opportunity to admire the beauty of Croatia in the virtual world on all our digital platforms, but it is simply unrealistic to feel the Adriatic Sea on your skin, smell the pine trees, taste fresh seafood, Croatian olive oil and wine in the virtual world. Therefore, we invite everyone to come to Croatia after the pandemic is over and experience for yourself how amazing and wonderful a vacation in Croatia is.
RAIKA, PLEASE SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF ADAPTATION AND INNOVATION DURING THE CRISIS THAT YOUR OFFICE HAS GAINED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
Rajko Ruzicka: It was a very strange year indeed. We, who are used to working in person with a lot of people, felt like birds without wings. Immediately after the pandemic started, all our work moved to the digital world and we started working remotely. But thanks to this, we have acquired interesting skills and new knowledge. Honestly, I didn't even know that so many different things could be done online, but I can't wait until everything is back to normal and we finally have the opportunity to do our work the way we used to - meeting people, discussing issues, and together dealing with the challenges and tasks that our interesting work in the tourism industry poses to us.
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, ONE OF THE TRENDS OF THE NEW WORLD WILL BE THE PERSONALIZATION OF LEISURE. THIS MEANS THAT MOST TOURISTS WILL WANT TO SWITCH TO A MORE INDIVIDUALIZED VACATION. ARE YOU READY FOR NEW TRENDS AMONG TRAVELERS THAT COULD AFFECT CROATIA AS A TOURIST DESTINATION?
Rajko Ruzicka: What used to seem to be a disadvantage of Croatian tourism, I mean a large number of apartments, villas, campsites, glamping sites and a small number of large hotels, now seems to be a huge advantage and strength of Croatian tourism, which guarantees an individual approach to the guest and the safety of a vacation in Croatia. Also, one of the main advantages of Croatia is a fairly long coastline and more than 1000 islands. Also, yachting and boat trips have always been very popular in Croatia, which also provides an excellent opportunity for privacy. Croatia is an ideal place for adaptation and treatment of the consequences of coronavirus, the climate itself is therapeutic, the country has many specialized medical and healthcare facilities.
WHAT TYPE OF VACATION WILL REMAIN EXACTLY THE SAME IN CROATIA? WHAT TYPES OF SUSTAINABLE VACATION IN CROATIA WOULD YOU ESPECIALLY RECOMMEND?
Rajko Ruzicka: When we talk about vacations in Croatia, we primarily mean summer vacations at sea. Here you can choose a boat trip, accommodation in a villa, apartment, or camping. It is important to emphasize that vacations in Croatia are always interesting and active. There are many outdoor activities and sports. Trekking, cycling, hiking mountain routes. A large number of national parks, nature parks, nature reserves, such as Plitvice Lakes, Brijuni, Krka, Kornati. The resorts with UNESCO World Heritage sites are no less beautiful: Dubrovnik and its Old Town, Split and its Diocletian's Palace, Šibenik, Trogir, Zadar with its sea organ, the famous Lungomare in Opatija, Rovinj, Porec, the islands of Cres, Lošinj, Pag, Brac, Hvar, Mljet and many others.
Yachting, wellness and medical tourism have always been popular among vacationers in Croatia. As well as autochthonous tourist "delicacies" - truffle hunting in Motovun, oyster farms in Lima and Ston, wine trails, and others. But don't forget about the direct flight to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. This city is a must-see. Tourists will feel unrivaled in this cozy city full of unexpected attractions.
Austro-Hungarian architecture, various festivals and concerts (after the pandemic is over), delicious food and wine. You can organize many interesting excursions to Zagorje, Plitvice Lakes, Plescevica, etc. Also, Zagreb's Christmas markets have been recognized as the best in Europe three times. To be honest, we can talk endlessly about the possibilities of tourism in Croatia. You just need to come and experience everything for yourself. The most diverse and unforgettable vacation awaits you in Croatia!
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR TOURISM RECOVERY IN THE NEW YEAR?
Rajko Ruzicka: Keeping in mind that this is the second year of the pandemic and vaccination is underway almost everywhere in the world, we expect light at the end of the tunnel in the near future. This probably won't be the year when tourism returns to normal, but we really want to hope that 2021 will be better than last year and this is the beginning of a return to life in the corona.
RAIKO, WHAT GIVES YOU REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES?
Rajko Ruzicka: In these difficult times, my family and the sports I play intensively give me the strength and optimism to survive all the challenges the pandemic has presented. I am most optimistic about the global science that has given us the coronavirus vaccine. I hope that vaccination and collective immunity will return us quickly enough to the realities of life, to which everyone is accustomed and looking forward to returning. Nothing lasts forever, all crises in the world have come and gone. It will be the same this time.
