Mario Paleka has been working as the director of the tourism community of the city of Zadar for a year. He came at the invitation of Raiko Ruzicka, head of the Croatian tourism office in Russia, to see how interesting and promising the Russian market is. The correspondent of the Votpusk.ru website managed to get an exclusive interview with him.
Please tell us about this region. What could be interesting about Zadar?
- The first is closeness. From Moscow to Zadar airport only 2, 5 hours flight and 25 minutes by bus to the city itself.
The second is cultural heritage. The city is ancient, it has a huge number of historical monuments. In Zadar, you can visit the Archaeological Museum, the second largest museum in Croatia, ancient architectural structures. There are many small towns around Zadar, where there are also many interesting things. Near the coast of Zadar is the Kornati National Park, which includes 147 islands of the Zadar archipelago. On some islands, the ruins of Roman buildings are still preserved.
The third is magnificent beaches and a developed tourist infrastructure. There are beaches for every choice - sandy and pebble, popular and wild, located in the rocks. No wonder Zadar has become one of the top 20 destinations in Europe. Here is a great example of how the tourist season with a mild climate can last all year round.
What are the ways, strategies for attracting Russian tourists to Zadar?
- We will establish contacts with the Russian travel industry in order to jointly develop a high-quality and popular tourist product. A big plus: Zadar has its own airport. As part of the Croatian Days in Moscow, representatives of Zadar airport met with Russian airlines, and these are the first steps in a new direction. In Zadar, Russian tourists are loved and respected, so everyone will try to increase their number.
What are Russian tourists interested in?
Not only big hotels, but also the private sector is very interested in Russians, as they take more overnight stays and spend more per day than the average tourist. Before the introduction of the visa regime, Russian families often stayed for a month or more, we want to enter this regime in modern conditions.
What is your wish for Russian tourists?
- We love Russians very much and always look forward to visiting!
