AFP, Zagreb :
With an ice sculpture festival, brass band fanfares and a huge skating rink, Croatia’s capital is pulling in growing numbers of winter tourists in the hope of cheering its struggling economy.
In a country better known for summer holidays along its pristine coastline, Zagreb is promoting itself as a festive wonderland aiming to rival Europe’s traditional Christmas destinations such as Vienna and Prague.
A packed ‘Advent in Zagreb’ programme offers special flight and hotel offers, themed walking tours, dozens of concerts and illuminated market stalls, where mulled wine, hearty sausages and cinnamon donuts are among the big hits. The event, now in its sixth year, has propelled Zagreb to win the title of ‘Best Christmas Market’ this month from a poll of more than 100,000 travellers on the European Best Destinations website.
“This event is something really really important for our economy here in Zagreb,” said Luka Benko from the city’s tourist board, outlining the “huge promotion” of the Advent programme in domestic, regional and faraway markets.
“Probably you would say Croatia is a country for sea and summer, but then we are a continental country as well, we are very diversified.” Tourism is crucial for the European Union’s newest member as it slowly emerges from six years of recession.
The sector was hard-hit by Croatia’s 1990s war of independence from Yugoslavia, but it has since gradually recovered and now accounts for about 17 percent of gross domestic product.
Last year, this Adriatic nation drew in more than 13 million tourists-more than triple its population.
While most headed to the coastline dotted with hundreds of islands, the Advent programme attracted a record 56,000 visitors to Zagreb in December 2014, marking a 21 percent rise from the previous year.
With an ice sculpture festival, brass band fanfares and a huge skating rink, Croatia’s capital is pulling in growing numbers of winter tourists in the hope of cheering its struggling economy.
In a country better known for summer holidays along its pristine coastline, Zagreb is promoting itself as a festive wonderland aiming to rival Europe’s traditional Christmas destinations such as Vienna and Prague.
A packed ‘Advent in Zagreb’ programme offers special flight and hotel offers, themed walking tours, dozens of concerts and illuminated market stalls, where mulled wine, hearty sausages and cinnamon donuts are among the big hits. The event, now in its sixth year, has propelled Zagreb to win the title of ‘Best Christmas Market’ this month from a poll of more than 100,000 travellers on the European Best Destinations website.
“This event is something really really important for our economy here in Zagreb,” said Luka Benko from the city’s tourist board, outlining the “huge promotion” of the Advent programme in domestic, regional and faraway markets.
“Probably you would say Croatia is a country for sea and summer, but then we are a continental country as well, we are very diversified.” Tourism is crucial for the European Union’s newest member as it slowly emerges from six years of recession.
The sector was hard-hit by Croatia’s 1990s war of independence from Yugoslavia, but it has since gradually recovered and now accounts for about 17 percent of gross domestic product.
Last year, this Adriatic nation drew in more than 13 million tourists-more than triple its population.
While most headed to the coastline dotted with hundreds of islands, the Advent programme attracted a record 56,000 visitors to Zagreb in December 2014, marking a 21 percent rise from the previous year.
