Croatia - Japan hold second round of air service talks
Croatia and Japan have held a second round of talks over the introduction of scheduled services between the two countries in Zagreb. The two sides will continue negotiations over the adoption of an Air Service Agreement, which is a precondition for the establishment of nonstop flights. A date for the meeting is yet to be set. The first round of negotiations were held last November in Tokyo. The Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs said, "Discussions between the aeronautical authorities of Japan and the Republic of Croatia are continuing. A tentative framework has been reached until the conclusion of an Air Services Agreement between the two countries. Considering the possibility and forecasts, there is sufficient air traffic demand for scheduled air services between Japan and the Republic of Croatia in the future".
Currently, Japan's largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), operates summer charters from several cities to Dubrovnik. Previously, Zagreb also boasted charters from Tokyo. In addition, Japan Airlines (JAL) is considering serving points in Eastern Europe through its newly established long haul low cost airline Zipair. The carrier, which will launch operations next summer, said destinations which can be visited by young travellers with more restricted budgets during peak season will be its first targets. The Croatian Ministry for Tourism has listed Japan as one of its prime markets. "The Ministry's strategic goal is to develop Croatia as a destination which is accessible to various airlines, particularly before and after the height of the summer season. That is why we are turning towards the Asian market, primarily Korea, Japan and China, where we are concentrating a lot of our efforts", it said.
The number of Japanese tourists visiting Croatia has been growing steadily. In 2018, a total of 159.574 holidaymakers from Japan arrived in the country, representing an increase of 12.3% on 2017. The majority of those stayed in Dubrovnik, followed by Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, Split and Opatija. Furthermore, 24 Japanese companies do business in Croatia. The initiative for the introduction of regular flights from Japan to Croatia is said to have come from the Japanese side. The Croatian Minister for Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, expressed hope for negotiations over a new air agreement to be swift in order for flights between Tokyo and Zagreb to be launched in the near future.
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