When 1000 people from all over Croatia appear at the conference in Zagreb on the first snowy weekend this year, despite the barely passable roads, it is a confirmation that they are very eager for new knowledge and the need for networking because they are aware that this is the only way they can be more successful. .The Fourth National Forum of Family Accommodation (FOS), held on February 2 and 3 in the Congress Hall of the Zagreb Fair, will be remembered not only for the excellent attendance and good organization, but also for the news that could be heard there, which should further strengthen the largest branch of tourism. markets in the country. The great response was also impressed by the Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli, who stated on stage that Croatia has what others do not have, and that is family accommodation!It was a moment of encouragement for those gathered that the state is aware of the importance of small private renters and wants to help them raise the quality of this service, which with 92.000 registered facilities makes up more than half of the domestic market. Cappelli said that finally this year we can expect recategorization and favorable HBOR loans for this type of accommodation with interest rates of up to 3 percent, which will be preceded by the adoption of changes in the law in the hospitality industry. He explained that this does not mean that someone will have to stop dealing with it due to high categorization due to high investment costs, but that the state will make it easier for him to invest since the quality of this accommodation is just as important as in camps and hotels.Today, the guest will rather pay more for an experience in a hut at 1000 meters altitude, where the host will prepare organic potatoes under the baking lid, than for a 5-course gala dinner in a hotel or restaurant.The first man of the European Association of Family Accommodation, Carlos Villaro Lassen, also landed at the Forum from Brussels, supporting the demand for household accommodation and higher-than-expected growth. Numerous online platforms that have built their businesses on the offer of accommodation have certainly contributed to this, as well as the ever-improving quality of the offer and the need to experience local communities and people. He confirmed that the trends are changing rapidly in favor of small household capacities, saying that 11 million beds were registered in hotels in Europe, and as many as 20 million in “short-term rental” facilities. While some European cities such as Berlin, Paris and Portugal are trying to suppress it, and some are even denying it, such as Venice, he cited Croatia as a country that has managed to adequately regulate it. Lassen personally congratulated Cappelli on our model of flat-rate taxation of household service providers and more than 540.000 registered beds, noting that we are cited in Europe as an example in creating legislative frameworks.That we managed to create recognition, we convincingly confirmed at last year’s awards ceremony for the best European holiday homes, where Croatia won in 4 of 8 categories. The winners (Villa Vista Zamask in Istria in the category of the most original house, Villa Sreser from Peljesac for the best house on the coast, Villa Falcon Rook from Konavle for the best family house and Villa Vadedija near Zminj for the best wellness house) were awarded by Lassen at the Forum.Photo: HGKAt the same time, the awards “Tourist flower-quality for Croatia 2017″ were awarded. in 11 categories, and the title of the best accommodation of the year was awarded to Linden Tree resort & ranch from Velika Plana. This intimate and luxurious refuge nestled on 50 hectares of the Velebit mountain also won in the category for the best eco-accommodation. The best accommodation for a family is Sunny Apartments in Zagreb, the best accommodation for an active vacation is Villa Falcon Rook from Konavle, the best accommodation for pets is the cottage Bobica from Pokupsko, the best accommodation without barriers is boarding house Mamica from Puscina, and the most original accommodation Bear’s Log from Rakovica. The award for the best accommodation in rural tourism went to B&B Tinka from Momjan, for the best accommodation in nature was chosen B&B Casa Rustica from Vodnjan, the best accommodation on the coast was Villa Evelyn from Fažana, and the best accommodation in the city was the apartment Emerald from Zagreb.On the first day, a panel was held on the possible impact of the recently postponed real estate tax on family tourism, where we heard that Croatia is not even close to its introduction because, as Željko Uhlir, State Secretary of the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, said, we have only 3,5% data between land registers and cadastres, and we lack a real estate register. Assistant Director of the Tax Administration Marijana Vuraić Kudeljan confirmed that this tax is not currently a topic in the Ministry of Finance, and hopes that it will remain so, said Nedo Pinezić, one of the most deserving persons for the development of family accommodation in Croatia, saying that the introduction of new charges is unacceptable. just because we have too expensive and inefficient public administration.However, Luka Benko from the Zagreb Tourist Board showed that the rapid development of short-term rent should not be left to itself. In the last 10 years, private accommodation there has grown by an incredible 3181 percent! Not so long ago in 2007 there were only 57 renters in the city, and today there are 2954 of them with a total of 7121 beds. Such growth brings with it the other side of the coin. Out of 100 open facilities, 25 are closed, which means that this activity is not for those who think that it is enough to refresh the paint on the walls and change the bed linen and towels, and guests will flock in large numbers. To survive in an increasingly competitive market, it is necessary to understand the rules of the new digital revolution, market trends, finances, communication skills, speak foreign languages and be original and excellent in the offer because guests are looking for the maximum for their money.What financially means short-term bed rental we heard from family accommodation advisor Anamarija Cicarelli, who showed the average annual amount of basic costs of a double apartment (which includes VAT on commission, price of advertising on portals, investment in real estate, overhead costs, cleaning, bed linen washing, welcome of guests and flat tax and sojourn tax) in the amount of 17.000 kn. Only when we take all this into account, we can create the price of our bed and see if it is achievable given the competition and the attractiveness of the destination. We saw that Croatia with an average price of 45 euros is cheaper than Montenegro and Slovenia, which is not in our interest because we really have something to offer and according to guest ratings and the latest Booking.com research, we are the best hosts in Europe. We strengthen the price by additional offer and connecting in clusters through the branding system, which is the only way to avoid the image of a cheap destination and sustainable tourism.One of the most interesting lectures was by Vanja Šebek from the University of Algebra on the life cycles of our users and their behavior on the Internet. This certified Google trainer explained how the user goes through 4 key stages before choosing a destination before becoming our guest, and the better we understand his habits, the sooner we will catch him in our network, i.e. sell him our bed. This process can take from a couple of hours to a year, and when the guest finally arrives, in 85% of cases it is only on the spot that he decides on the activities at the destination. By then we must already have enough information to offer him innovative content according to his wishes. “Learn from your guests because they are your mirror”, Said Sebek.RRIF advisor Ljerka Markota spoke about the tax obligations of household accommodation providers, emphasizing that everyone must have a VAT identification number and pay VAT on commission to foreign OTA platforms as small taxpayers because it is our obligation since joining the EU. The head of the Croatian Climate Change Panel, Vjeran Piršić, reminded that Croatia, like the rest of the world, is exposed to the negative effects of climate change, which also result in significant economic losses. Disasters such as prolonged droughts, floods or fires paralyze tourism, but this topic is often imposed too late only when disasters like last year’s fire in Dalmatia occur.The forum was best concluded by UNDP international tourism expert Tim Clancy, who said that we are our greatest strength and that today the guest would rather pay more for an experience in a hut at 1000 meters, where the host will prepare organic potatoes under the baking lid, than for a 5-course gala dinner at a hotel or restaurant. According to UNWTO estimates, the passion for travel will continue to grow in the coming period, and we are the ones who must attract them with original content and hospitality as promoters of the indigenous lifestyle. At the same time, we must be careful not to eat ourselves because of tourism, because as a small country we already have one of the highest tourist traffic densities in the EU of as many as 3 arrivals per capita.Otherwise, we could be hit by a Spanish or Italian scenario where their most visited destinations suffer greatly from the consequences of mass tourism. One of the founders of the concept of sustainable tourism, Jost Krippendorf, best described it in the eighties – “Where a growing crowd seeks rest, fewer and fewer find it”.Related news:MINISTER CAPPELLI ANNOUNCES RECATEGORIZATION OF FAMILY ACCOMMODATION AND FAVORABLE HBOR LOANSLINDEN TREE RETREAT & RANCHA FROM VELIKA PLANA NAMED THE BEST FAMILY ACCOMMODATION IN CROATIA
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