CROATIA TOURISM ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION

The Ministry of Tourism (NTA) is responsible for drafting strategies, policies and other measures at national level and drawing up proposals for legislation that regulates the tourism and hospitality industry, the tourism board’s role and activities and tourism tax issues. The Ministry is headed by the Minister and he has one Deputy Minister. There are also four Assistant Ministers who are heads of Directorates (Travel Market and International Cooperation; Development and Competitiveness of Tourism; Tourist Board System and Destination Management; Legal Affairs), each Directorate being composed of a number of Sectors, Departments and Units.

Tourism promotion lies within the responsibility of the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB). The Minister of Tourism presides over the CNTB in an ex officio capacity, but it also has an Executive Director, who is in charge of daily operations and activities. The CNTB work is monitored by its Supervisory Committee (one member is always from the Ministry), and its Council (representatives of Regional Boards, professional associations, tourism industry and the Ministry) regularly meets to discuss current issues and prepare decisions. At regional level, within the county administrative office, there is usually a service responsible for tourism and hospitality. County administrative offices handle the classification and permits for private accommodation operators, but the classification of hotels, campsites and marinas is the responsibility of the Ministry.

The Tourism Committee of the Croatian Parliament establishes and monitors the implementation of policy, and in procedures to enact legislation and other regulations. It has the rights and duties of the competent working body in matters pertaining to: the concept and strategy of the development of Croatian tourism, the establishment and monitoring of the implementation of tourism development policies of the Republic of Croatia, hospitality industry and tourism activities and directly related activities, monitoring of concessions in tourism, developmental programs in tourism of particular importance to the economic development of the Republic of Croatia, the establishment and monitoring of the implementation of protection and maintenance of the quality of tourism sites, co-operation with the corresponding bodies in the European Parliament and the parliaments of other countries.

The Ministry regularly co-operates with professional associations (e.g. associations of travel agents, hoteliers, camping sites etc.), as well as with NGOs and trade unions.

The main areas of cooperation are:

• Coordination of measures and activities for preparation of tourist season;
• Coordination and implementation of marketing and promotional activities;
• Cooperation with professional associations with the aim to improve their quality and business conditions;

The Ministry of Tourism conducts various project financing programmes for tourism professional associations (e.g. improving the quality of human resources and strengthening the competitiveness of tourism offer, vocational trainings, green businesses, tourism clusters development, competitiveness of tourism products and services, innovations in tourism etc.)

In April, 2013 the Ministry convened a conference of tourism stakeholders operating in the public, private and civil sectors, on state, regional and local level, with the aim of presenting the opportunities and limitations to financing tourism projects in the financial prospective 2014-2020. On that occasion the Croatian tourism competitiveness cluster was established as a model of strategic and national interest projects creation.

Furthermore, five leading tourism professional associations in Croatia signed a letter of intent on joining the umbrella association to represent the interest of the tourism economy (Association of Employers in Croatian Hospitality, Association of Croatian Travel Agencies, Croatian Camping Union, Small & Friendly Hotels in Croatia and Croatian Youth Hostel Association).

The most important areas of association activities are : development of new tourism products, modernization of the process of management and operation of tourism enterprises and the whole tourism system in accordance with international standards, harmonization of the fiscal system in the Croatian tourism with those in competitor countries and removal of barriers and establishment of a system of incentives for future tourism investments.