Croatian Tourism Minister Darko Lorencin met with Ukrainian tour operators in Kiev on Wednesday, saying that upon returning to Croatia he would talk with Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic about measures to further improve visa issuance, the Tourism Ministry said.
Lorencin was accompanied by Croatian Tourist Board and Foreign Ministry officials. Marko Peric of the Foreign Ministry said 3,500 visa applications for Croatia had been filed at the embassy in Kiev this year, with increased interest in the last two weeks and about 100 applications daily.
Ninety-six tourist agencies are accredited with the Croatian Embassy in Kiev and final talks are under way with a company which will open visa centres in Ukraine in July, said Peric.
He recalled that the Croatian government recently passed a decision under which foreigners with Schengen residence permits and visas need no additional visa for Croatia.
Lorencin said Ukraine was among the 20 most important tourist-generating markets for Croatia.
He and Croatian Ambassador Tomislav Vidosevic invited tour operators to cooperate.
The minister visited Moscow for the same reasons on Tuesday.
