Is the Zadar China connection finally going to start?
Meetings between various Chinese delegations and representatives of the City of Zadar and local tourist boards have finally produced first results. On 20 October, 26 tour operators from China will come to Zadar to discuss possible tourist programs for Chinese visitors, reports Zadarski List on October 13, 2015.
Thanks to the work of the Chinese Southeast European Business Association (CSEBA), led by president Mario Rendulić, multiple arrivals of Chinese delegations are already producing first results. The association has been working for two years to establish tourist and economic cooperation between China and Croatia, lately with a focus on Zadar.
Delegation composed of 17 directors of the largest companies from the Chinese province of Chongqing visited Zadar in early September in order to check the feasibility of investment projects. They visited Gaženica, Crno Business Zone, and Zadar Airport which is seeking investors to extend the runway, which would enable it to receive transport aircraft.
Although the Chinese were reportedly satisfied with what they had seen in Zadar, there has been no feedback on possible investments. However, CSEBA reports that it is working on the preparation of tourist packages for the first group of Chinese visitors who will come to the Zadar area. "We are working on organizing the arrival of the first group consisting of 26 tour operators from 22 Chinese cities in order to present various tourist attractions of the Zadar County", said Rendulić.
The fact that some of China's most important tourism managers are coming to Zadar is a great step forward in the realization of tourist and economic cooperation with the Chinese province of Chongqing. Now it is necessary to prepare attractive tourist packages that will attract as many Chinese tourists as possible. "This group is coming primarily in order to sign a contract and an agreement on the details of arrival of Chinese guests in the period from November 2015 to May 2016, in cooperation with the tourism ministries of Croatia and Montenegro and the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro. It is a multi-city travel project. Chinese guests will be in Zadar on 20 and 21 October, and then they will go by a bus to Dubrovnik, with an overnight stay in Montenegro", said Rendulić, adding that after Montenegro they will return to Zagreb and continue towards Hungary.
