October 5, 2022 - For the first time, Croatia participated at the International Tourism and Travel Fair SITEV in Algeria. The Croatian stand was extremely popular and additional tourist brochures were requested. Many questions were asked about Croatia, which showed that there is great interest for our coast, as well as continental destinations. It's no secret that Algerians consider Croatia a friendly country, they admire its coast and warm sea, they know a lot about Dubrovnik, Luka Modrić and Croatian football.
"Nothing comes by chance. At the end of last year, our Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman visited Algeria. The reception was exceptional and they opened the door for cooperation wide. They decided to develop their tourism, and Croatia can help them in every way, from nautical tourism to hotel industry. We consider our participation in the fair to be the opening of Croatia to their market
which could be a "win-win" situation. I am grateful to the Minister of Tourism who supported the idea of going to the fair, as well as the Croatian Tourist Board", highlighted Ilija Želalić, the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Algeria.
Photo: Slobodan Kadić
He is especially pleased that Croatian tourists are also visiting Algeria, specifically, recently about fifteen people visited the Sahara via Croatian agencies, and it is precisely this area that they want to promote as a tourist destination. Two years ago Croatia and Algeria exchanged the text of an agreement in the tourism segment that could be signed quickly, and after that many things will happen faster. Višnja Letica, the advisor of our ministry and the delegation from the Croatian Tourist Board all travelled to Algeria for the 21st SITEV. They made sure that our stand looked beautiful and handed out traditional Licitar hearts.
Photo: Slobodan Kadić
"Algeria has opened the doors of cooperation for us, and through Algeria we can also go to the west coast of Africa. They will build a high-speed railway to the border of Niger, Mali and Senegal... Our products could be exported there, and there is always the possibility of a free trade market among African countries, just as we, in addition to the EU, also have agreements with some countries from before. This is an advantage that many do not know about or show no interest in. Regarding obtaining Croatian visas, not every traveller is a potential migrant. Many Algerians travel around the world, have Schengen visas, and we would very much welcome such clientele. This is how they promote our tourism, which encourages others to come and enjoy our sea and its beauty", concluded Želalić, stressing that in the future it will be possible for investors from Algeria to invest money in tourist facilities and marinas.
Photo: Slobodan Kadić
This year's SITEV was the 21st in a row and lasted from September 29 to October 2, 2022, and is considered the largest international tourism fair in the Maghreb countries. Alongside with several neighboring countries, Turkey participated. We are witnessing excellent growth of tourism after the coronavirus epidemic, and Croatia's participation in fairs of this type is a step forward in the additional promotion of our ever-improving tourist offer.
Croatia is in fashion
"Wherever I went, Algerians would say that Croatia is in fashion. They watch a lot of French television, and there are countless travel series about Croatia. They know a lot about Plitvice, Dubrovnik, Split and our football. A friendly soccer match between Algeria and Croatia had also been arranged, but since they were eliminated by Cameroon and are not at the World Cup, instead of playing against them, we will play against Saudi Arabia. Algeria is a promising country and I am convinced that we can achieve a lot in cooperation", said Ambassador Želalić.
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