Opposition: Tourism law won't halt excessive building development

Zagreb - The parliamentary Opposition on Wednesday said that the proposed legislation on tourism would not solve the problems in the tourism sector, and that the new law would not stop the excessive building of apartments in tourist destinations.

Katarina Nemet of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) said that the new law does not prohibit the building of apartments and properties for rent which are already envisaged by the existing physical plans, and accused the government of shifting the responsibility to the local authorities.

Commenting on the proposal for stepping up control of properties advertised on platforms by apartment renters and stepping up control by the tax authority, she said that the law does not provide for controls of apartments whose owners, foreign citizens, advertise them on foreign platforms.

Anka Mrak Taritaš of the GLAS party said that the tourism industry was a generator of illegal construction.

She commented that the final bill on tourism could be great "in laboratory conditions" but that it could not function in real life.

Other Opposition MPs said that the bill was too complicated and failed to offer fast solutions to the current problems.