Tourism is a key source of income

Ina Stašević, Croatia/Europe

The boom in the tourism industry has also given birth to the tourism police. Many countries with developed tourism, such as Greece, Thailand and Egypt, have specialized tourist police units whose members assist tourists visiting their country during the tourist season. 
Tourism is a key source of income for many countries, and in Croatia the tourism sector is also considered an important economic sector. In addition to the characteristics of the tourism concept, the perception of safety and security at tourist destinations is a priority for visitors.
And we all know that any security incident can ruin the reputation of a tourist destination and thus significantly reduce the income of the state. Therefore, the safety and protection of tourists should be, and is, a matter of national security in our country. In this context, it is believed that the police help and contribute greatly to creating a positive image of a destination. 

For many years, Croatia has been attracting tourists from all over the world, due to its diverse destinations, colorful culture and wonderful hospitality of the local population. However, in addition, Croatia's reputation as a safe place for visitors has improved, primarily thanks to the special efforts of the police and all services such as security and intelligence services, firefighters, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service and Emergency Medical Services, especially during the tourist season.
For this purpose, the "Croatia - Safe Tourist Destination" program brings police officers from other countries to Croatia during the summer months, and has been implemented for 20 years, to provide additional safety and protection to tourists visiting Croatia. Through this form of interstate cooperation, our goal is therefore to become one of the most visited safe destinations in the world.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the project's implementation. 25 police organizations from 21 countries have been invited to participate, and more than 100 foreign police officers, 112 to be precise, are expected to attend. It is worth noting that the European Commission has recognized the importance of the Safe Tourist Destination project and cites it as an example of good practice in cross-border police cooperation.
This year, foreign police officers from the Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, China and Korea, as well as police officers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries, have been deployed in Croatia. The fundamental role of foreign police officers is to provide a sense of security to tourists coming from their countries, to provide useful information upon request, and to mediate in resolving problems such as lost documents, theft of items, complaints about fraud and the like.
The Chinese Embassy in Croatia held a ceremony yesterday to mark the launch of a joint Chinese-Croatian police patrol. In addition to the Chinese Ambassador, HE Qi Qianjin, the ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Croatian Ministry of the Interior and police officers from the Department for Strategic European and International Police Cooperation.