Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Croatia expects a 10-15% increase in the annual flow of Ukrainian tourists in connection with the suspension of visa regime for Ukrainian citizens for the period of the summer tourist season, state secretary of the Croatian Tourism Ministry Branko Grgic has announced at a press conference.

"We're not considering this [suspension of visas] as a one-time measure and are hoping that it will have a permanent basis and we think that in the long run the growth will be constant. I don't know how much this year [will increase the number of Ukrainian tourists in Croatia] on the back of the financial crisis, but nevertheless I hope that the rise will be a long-term one and will make 10-15% annually," he said.

Croatia accepted 32,000 Ukrainian tourists in 2008, a 9% increase over 2007.

According to information from that country's Tourism Ministry, most of Ukrainians who come to rest in Croatia stay in hotels, less in villas or apartments, and even less on camping sites and at private persons.

The Croatian Ambassador to Ukraine Zeljko Kirincic attended the press conference too and in his turn stressed that his country had passed a unilateral decision on suspension of visas for Ukrainian nationals and was not demanding similar decision from the Ukrainian side.

The Ambassador marked, the basis for this Croatian government's decision was economic expediency, but the political context was as much important.

Kirincic called the suspension of visas Croatia's friendly step toward Ukraine.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Croatia suspended visas for Ukrainian citizens for the period of the tourist season from May 1 to October 30.

Ukraine and Croatia are seeking deeper interaction in the sphere of the European and Euro-Atlantic integration.