The tourist season in Croatia by the end of August was more successful than ever and the government will adopt very soon, in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry, a plan of measures for the next season, including visa liberalisation, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said.

Opening the 13th Hotelier Congress, she said the EUR 30 million invested in the promotion of Croatian tourism this year had been a good investment, including Internet promotion and support for air travel destinations, adding that the same would be done in 2011.

Kosor said the government would consider hoteliers' proposals to further cut para-fiscal levies and non-tax contributions which hamper their business, saying this government had been the first to cut all non-tax contributions by 20-25 per cent via its Economic Recovery Programme.

In the wake of hoteliers' claims that said measure was not supported at local level, Kosor said the utmost must be done to include local self-government in implementing it.

She said that on her recent visit to the US she discussed investment in Croatian tourism with American business people, adding that the entire Croatian economy, including tourism, needed investment for further development.

In the US Kosor also presented a dozen tourism investment projects, including those for the sale of military facilities for tourist purposes.

She said it was better to sell that unpromising state-owned property, even at lower but transparent prices.

Kosor congratulated hoteliers and all tourism sector employees on the successful season, adding the government attached a lot of importance to tourism.

Asked by press after opening the congress if VAT in tourism would be reduced, at least on food and drink, in the wake of complaints from bar and restaurant owners about a decline in turnover, Kosor said no VAT reduction was being considered at present.