Mohit Rathod – Mumbai
Adriatic DMC, a Croatia based destination management company, has partnered with India’s Namaste Tourism as part of expanding its reach to the India market. As part of the partnership, effective from April 1, 2016, Namaste Tourism will represent Adriatic DMC in India, aiming at increasing outbound travel from India to Balkan regions such as Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia and Macedonia.
Pave Zupan Ruskovic, senior advisor, Adriatic DMC, said, “Croatia is now one of the flourishing destinations in the Balkan regions. We have received a number of responses and queries from the India market. Our partnership with Namaste Tourism will prove beneficial for Indian arrivals in the Balkan regions. MICE activities are also expected to grow.”
Subhash Motwani, founder director, Namaste Tourism, commented, “As Croatia and Slovenia are part of the European Union, there has been an increasing interest by Indians to visit these countries. Indians holding a valid multiple entry Schengen visa can visit most of these countries without obtaining individual visas. Turkish Airlines flies to all these countries via Istanbul and Air Arabia flies to Sarejevo as well. Turkish Airlines flies to Zagreb and will also be starting flights to Dubrovnik in the coming months as well, which will definitely result in increase in footfalls.”
“MICE is definitely on the rise to these countries. Zagreb is having good connectivity with European carriers as well as Turkish Airlines. The infrastructure offered for MICE movements to Croatia and Slovenia is already there. The Adriatic and Balkan region will definitely have larger MICE movements from India. Now with flights to Dubrovnik offered by Turkish in the near future, MICE movements to Croatia and its surrounding regions will be encouraged more,” added Motwani.
Namaste Tourism plans to conduct training workshops for the travel trade as part of its marketing strategy to promote the destination.
