- Title: Czech train full of holiday-makers arrives in Croatia
- Date: 1st July 2020
- Summary: RIJEKA, CROATIA (JULY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) TRAIN CARRYING TOURISTS ARRIVING IN RIJEKA VARIOUS OF TOURISTS DISEMBARKING FROM TRAIN WOMAN STANDING WITH BABY ON PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM CZECH REPUBLIC, SUZAN (SURNAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING: "We're staying for eight days in Vrsar (small coastal town) and it's my first time here so I hope it's going to be safe, although it's the coronavirus here." MAN WALKING ALONG PLATFORM WITH SUITCASE STUDENT FROM URUGUAY, MIGUEL (SURNAME NOT GIVEN), STANDING WITH BAGS ON PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (English) STUDENT FROM URUGUAY, MIGUEL (SURNAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING: "The trip was really nice, really quick, we don't have any problems at the borders. The police was really quick in checking the passports, it was really easy to get inside Croatia. And now time to enjoy the nice weather." MEMBER OF TRAIN STAFF WAVING TO PASSENGERS CROATIAN TOURISM MINISTER, GARI CAPPELLI (LIGHT BROWN JACKET) STANDING WITH OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) CROATIAN TOURISM MINISTER, GARI CAPPELLI, SAYING: "All guests are always welcome, (the number of) Czech tourists was 800,000 last year, they were fifth or sixth in tourist (nationalities), Slovaks came at around 400,000. They were the guests who were in the lead in arrivals, we were always friendly with them, they loved the Croatian coast, especially Dalmatia but also here in the north. The division was half-half." TOURISTS AT PICK-UP POINT OUTSIDE STATION TOURIST WEARING MASK MAKING A CALL (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) CROATIAN TOURISM MINISTER, GARI CAPPELLI, SAYING: "In the first train there are around 500 (tourists), a train will arrive every day, I saw around 30,000 tickets have been sold. It will continue until Aug. 1, and thus increase the number of tourists in Croatia. At this moment we have around 300,000 (tourists) in Croatia." VARIOUS OF TOURISTS LOOKING AT MAP OF RIJEKA PEOPLE HUGGING OUTSIDE STATION VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GETTING ONTO TOURIST BUSES OPATIJA, CROATIA (JULY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) HARBOUR IN RESORT TOWN OF OPATIJA WOMEN LOOKING AT HARBOUR AND TAKING PHOTOS MAN SWIMMING IN SEA VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING ON WALKWAY BY SEA TABLES SET OUT BY THE SEA PEOPLE PADDING IN KAYAK PERSON SUNBATHING BY SEA
- Embargoed: 15th July 2020 13:30
- Keywords: Czech tourists holiday in Croatia tourism tourist train
- Location: RIJEKA AND OPATIJA, CROATIA
- City: RIJEKA AND OPATIJA, CROATIA
- Country: Croatia
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKZB5MH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO AS INCOMING ON SHOTS 10 AND 12
Tourists travelling on a train from Prague to the Croatian port city of Rijeka disembarked to start their holidays on Wednesday (July 1) after an overnight trip from the Czech capital.
Many of those travelling were from the Czech Republic, but the train also passed through the Slovak capital Bratislava and Slovenia's Ljubljana on its way to the Adriatic coast.
Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said Croatia was a popular holiday destination for Czechs and Slovaks in normal years, with hundreds of thousands visiting the country every year.
Czech tourist Suzan said she was looking forward to starting her holiday and hoped that it would be safe from coronavirus.
The tourism industry accounts for close to 20% of Croatia's gross domestic product, with holiday-makers particularly drawn to its beaches and warm summers.
But tourism has been hugely affected by coronavirus travel restrictions, and the government said in April it expects the economy to shrink 9.4% this year because of the pandemic.
To date, Croatia has seen 2,777 cases of coronavirus and 107 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.
Authorities recently re-imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on visitors arriving from four non-EU Balkan countries - Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.
(Production: Antonio Bronic, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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