On the West Coast in Split, the 21st International Croatia Boat Show will be held from April 11 to 15, with 250 exhibitors from 150 vessels, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on April 8, 2019.
“We expect a 20 percent increase in exhibitors compared to last year when, after eight years of crisis, we started to grow again. We will again be one of the largest nautical fairs in the world,” said Vicenco Blagaić, the organizer of the fair, and announced that Brodotrogir just completed a 2700 square-meter barge where the entertainment facilities will take place on the West Coast, along with two Brodospasova tugboats.
“It will be a real showroom, and not dull with just exhibitors and booths,” Blagaić said, adding that visitors can expect a few evening events that wouldn’t be revealed until the opening. What we do know is that the Split Olympic Club will host the 90th birthday celebration of rowing Olympian Duje Bonačić on the West Coast, where the Split Olympian names are printed.
“It will be a surprise for Duje Bonačić, whose brain still works at the age of 90 as it did when he won an Olympic medal. All Split Olympians will be at the opening of the fair, on our West Coast which no one else has in the world,” said Josip Reić, Secretary of the club.
Deputy prefect Ante Šošić emphasized that nautical guests convincingly spend more than others and thanked the organizer for the many benefits the fair brings, namely the extension of the preseason, branding Split and Split-Dalmatia County as a nautical center, contracting jobs and presenting domestic brands.
Ela Žižić, the city's head of the Department of Economy, Crafts, and Tourism, emphasized the immense importance of the Croatia Boat Show for Split, which will again become the center of the nautical world, and welcomed the guests and exhibitors. Nataša Bušić from the Croatian Chamber of Commerce emphasized that the fair helps small shipbuilders because shipbuilding and tourism go hand in hand.
“In our premises in Matejuška, we will host all relevant institutions, ministries, charter companies, and shipping companies,” said Alijana Vukšić and Joško Stella of the Split and Split-Dalmatia County tourist boards, highlighting the importance of tourism at the fair.
The start of the 21st Croatia Boat Show has been postponed for 24 hours. While the main reason was revealed as poor weather, the original opening was certainly not helped by the fact that two more manifestations are set to open in Split on April 10, the ASDA Military Equipment Fair at the Spaladium Arena and the Auto-moto Salon at City Center One.
Thus, the international nautical fair will open its doors on Thursday, April 11 at noon, in the presence of well-respected officials of all levels of the state and local government. The delay has also postponed the planned 90th birthday celebration of Olympian Duje Bonačić to Thursday. The good news is that the fair will be open to visitors until Monday, April 15.
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