Source: N1 Hrvatska Photo: Dalmacija danas
During the peak season, approximately the same number of tourists stay in Split as last year, Tomislav Šuta told N1 Hrvatska and added that, as mayor, he believes that Split should not be exclusively a “party destination”.
“I think this needs to change so that Split becomes a city that will have tourism in the service of culture and sports. I believe that we have a huge advantage here. I have proposed amendments to the Trade Amendment Act and the Catering Amendment Act, which the Government should adopt. Unfortunately, at night, drinking alcohol and bad scenes can be seen on the city streets. We have alcohol stores in the center where young people buy it, and I think that creates a big problem. We need to see how to change this,” he warned.
Sport as a tourist “ace up the sleeve”
The mayors of other Adriatic destinations agree that there is no more room for growth and are increasingly focusing on the preseason and postseason. How does Split think?
“Prva stvar koju moramo učiniti jest poboljšati sportsku infrastrukturu. Primjerice, Toni Tomas kojeg volim isticati zbog svega što je napravio za Hrvatsku, sve pripreme održava u Antalyi. On kaže da pripreme mogu biti i u Splitu tako da naši sportaši ne moraju odlaziti u inozemstvo. To je ono na čemu u budućnosti želim raditi. Mislim da splitski HNK također može ponuditi mnogo, primjerice kroz određene manifestacije”, kaže Šuta.
One of the most famous Split brands is Hajduk. And that is not the only sports brand that Split has that can attract guests in the off-season, not necessarily just for matches. – There is also the Split basketball club, formerly Jugoplastika. That club certainly still arouses the interest of guests and basketball fans throughout Europe and beyond.
One of the problems in the City of Split is the failure to adopt a GUP.
Post-offer and how to keep them at least for a few days? Do you already have a plan for what to do with that audience and potential guests – how to attract them, what to offer them?
“One of the things is certainly the Sports Museum, a project that my colleague and deputy Matea Dorčić is working on. I think that, given the sports history of Split, we can offer a number of attractive stories and keep the guest staying. In addition to football and basketball, there are a number of other sports. I think that is a way in which we can promote ourselves,” believes the Split mayor.
What is happening in Split regarding real estate prices, which, like in other tourist centers, are unaffordable for young people?
“Housing policy is one of my main priorities. We are preparing some projects for affordable housing for young people and I think that Split should go in that direction because I think that the price of four or five thousand euros per square meter of an apartment is unattainable for young families. In the City of Split, one of the problems is “The failure to pass the GUP, and I will do everything I can to get it passed,” promised Tomislav Šuta.
