Croatia ready for more Chinese tourists: tourism minister

Croatia is preparing to welcome more tourists from China to discover its beautiful landscapes and historical cities as well as cuisine, Croatian Tourism Minister Darko Lorencin told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Following a recent five-day visit to China to discuss further cooperation with Chinese officials, Lorencin said the meetings focused on how to make Chinese tourists more interested in visiting Croatia.

"We know better about the Chinese market now. We will promote programs specially organized for Chinese tourists. For example, programs involving natural landscape with historical sites, cuisine and wine-tasting trips," he said.

His ministry will work with local tourism agencies and other departments to prepare brochures and signs in Chinese and train more Chinese-speaking guides, he added.

"I can say we are ready to welcome more Chinese tourists," Lorencin said. The Croatia embassy in China is also making efforts to help Chinese tourists obtain visas more easily, he added.

Only 45,000 tourists from China visited Croatia in 2013, according to official figures. To better promote Croatia as a tourist destination, the ministry of tourism plans to invite the Chinese media and tourism agencies to visit Croatia in September.

Croatia will also participate in the international tourism fair in Shanghai in November this year, the minister said.

"We expect more investment from China, not only from state companies but also private players," the minister said, citing several advantages investors can benefit from under Croatian law.