30 REGION EUROPE
30 REGION EUROPE Croatia’s Capital Stepping Out @ ITB Berlin © Elena Lupsor Exclusive Interview - Martina Bienenfeld - CEO Zagreb Tourist Board View from mountain peak Ravni Tornik, Zlatibor, Serbia With a new passenger terminal at Zagreb International Airport, free wi-fi being trialled on the city’s trams, and growth of the famed INMusic Festival, Zagreb is a trending European city. We asked the city’s tourist board CEO, Martina Bienfeld how the statistics are evolving… ZLATIBOR- MOUNTAINS A YEAR-ROUND HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE Martina Bienfeld Zagreb’s Tourist board CEO Hall 1.2 / Stand 214 In 2017, 1,289,944 visitors made 2,283,478 overnight stays in Zagreb. This marks an increase of 17% in arrival and 15% in overnights and the majority of visitors came from South Korea, USA, Germany, Italy and China. The largest growth market was the UAE market which marked the increase of 106% in overnights and 98% in arrivals. What promotional activities and infrastructure are underpinning this growth? Zagreb Tourist Board’s work is focused on online and offline marketing, publishing promotional brochures, providing tourist information for visitors of Zagreb, participation at trade fairs and organisation of workshops and familiarisation trips for journalists and touroperators. To this end, we are supporting many city events and investing in the development of new products intended for the enrichening of the tourist offer. What new things can we see on your stand at ITB Berlin? This year, Zagreb Tourist Board is focused on the promotion of events and exhibitions such as Festival of Lights Zagreb (March), exhibition Hermitage in Zagreb (April- July), Design District Zagreb festival (June), INmusic festival (June), Zagreb Classic festival (July), Courtyards (July) that, in our opinion, are a strong motive for a cultural and city break trip to Zagreb. Besides that, we will present the offer of medical tourism in Zagreb that we are currently developing. How important is ITB Berlin as a global platform for your DMO and individual exhibitors? For the Zagreb Tourist Board, ITB Berlin represents not only a great platform for presenting our current offers, but is also a knowledge hub where we can get new insights on global trends and innovations in the tourism industry The Zlatibor-Mountains in Serbia are a popular holiday destination that offers diverse activities all year-round. Tourism in Zlatibor started 120 years ago when King Aleksandar Obrenović visited the area. Today, Zlatibor is a modern and attractive tourism centre, appealing to those seeking rest or health treatment, as well as adventurers. The low mountain range, situated near Užice and Ćajetina in Serbia’s south-west, is around 200km away from Serbia’s capital Belgrade. Zlatibor’s highest peaks are located at Tornik (1,496 metres) and Ćigota (1,422 metres). In spring and summer, the Tourism Organisation of Zlatibor runs a number of daily trips. These include Stopića cave, the open-air museum of traditional architecture Staro Selo in Sirogojno, Gostilna waterfalls, Mokra Gora or a ride on the narrow-gauge railway Šargan Eight. Zlatibor offers winter sport enthusiasts a modern infrastructure. Beginners can develop their skills on the slopes of Obudovica. Tornik, situated only nine kilometres from Zlatibor city, is ideal for experienced skiers Hall 1.1 / Stand 203 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 1 st March 2018 www.itb-berlin-news.com
EUROPE REGION 31 BALTICS CENTENARY A Year of Celebration For Latvia Latvia has unveiled a whole host of events to commemorate its anniversary Andris Ozols Director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) In 2018, Latvia is celebrating the country’s centenary. Andris Ozols, director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), gives us the lowdown on what the country is showing at ITB Berlin. “I am Latvia. I create Latvia. I make Latvia” is the key message guiding the centenary celebrations with the aim of encouraging participation. It serves to remind us that Latvia’s greatest resource is its people who fought for freedom and dedicated their lives to shaping Latvia. Every citizen and organisation is invited to host an event or volunteer some of their time to Latvia. How was 2017 for tourism in Latvia? The first three quarters showed encouraging figures like a 12.7% increase in the number of international arrivals compared to 2016. Bed nights were up by 12.3%. China is one of the top growing markets for us with a 21.4% increase in arrivals, therefore we are planning to continue targeting Chinese travellers. In terms of the number of arrivals, our traditional leaders have kept their positions in the top three, Germany, Russia and Lithuania. How is the tourism infrastructure evolving over time? We are seeing an increased interest in leading hotel operators launching properties in Riga. The Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga opened in 2017 and Hilton Garden Inn and Marriott International have plans to enter the market in the coming years, and the Rezidor Hotel Group is building a new property. Local operators Mogotel and Semarah are expanding operations with new city centre properties in Riga. Outside the capital, a recent opening includes the Zéērglis zipline, which uses existing cable car infrastructure to whisk people across the ancient Gauja River Valley 55 metres above ground at speeds of up to 60km/h. What are the key highlights for tourists in Latvia? Our untouched nature provides a blissful escape from the hustle and bustle of modern metropolises. Some 50% of Latvia is covered in forest and we are proud of our four national parks and 500km white sand coastline. Latvia’s cultural calendar is full of events from local crafts markets to world class opera festivals. Highlights include the Riga Opera Festival in June, Positivus music festival in July, town fairs throughout Latvia in the summer and Riga’s Christmas markets in December. Thanks to great value for money, quality of ingredients and talented chefs, Latvia is also an increasingly popular foodie destination. What does the future hold for Latvia’s tourism industry? The influx of new hotels mean more beds, conference and meetings spaces so Latvia will become an increasingly popular choice for the MICE sector. There are plans for a dedicated convention centre to be built in central Riga allowing the city to cater to large congresses in the near future Hall 18 / Stand 130 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 1 st March 2018
