Published 14. February 2017.
Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli accompanied by Valamar Riviera’s Management Board President visited the largest construction site in Croatian tourism. – This investment worth HRK 562 million will reposition Rabac as the leading upscale vacation destination. -Valamar Rivera announced 350 new job positions this year in Rabac.
During his first official visit to Istria, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli accompanied by Management Board President Željko Kukurin visited the largest construction site in Croatian tourism, where two luxury resorts in Rabac, the Family Life Bellevue Resort 4* and the Valamar Girandella Resort 4*/5* are currently under construction.
The reconstruction of the two new luxury resorts totaling 764 accommodation units for more than 2700 guests represents Valamar Riviera’s largest tourism project in 2017, and the total investment value in Rabac is HRK 562 million. These investments will attract high-end guests and reposition Rabac as the leading upscale vacation destination. The whole local community will also benefit from the investment in these resorts that will employ 630 people. The resorts will be opened in early June and due to the 350 new job openings, Valamar has already started the recruiting process. This project includes a significant investment in the hospitality infrastructure, from children’s playgrounds and beaches that will be open to the local residents, to improvements in the traffic system through the construction of new promenades and parking lots. Croatian contractors and suppliers have been hired to carry out most of the construction work and 50% of them are local, Istrian entrepreneurs.
The total value of Valamar Riviera’s 2017 investment cycle is HRK 873 million. Besides the key investment in Rabac, Valamar Riviera continues investing in the concept of premium camping. Investments totaling HRK 97.6 million are focused on upgrades in the leading European campsite, the Lanterna 4* camping resort. Valamar Riviera will invest HRK 67.9 million in upgrading accommodation and services on the island of Krk in the Zablaće and Ježevac campsites. The total value of the other individual investments is HRK 242.2 million.
This significant investment cycle worth HRK 2 billion in the forthcoming years is considered the driver of other initiatives related to employment and education. Among them is Valamar Riviera's scholarship program that was started last year in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism. As part of this program, 217 students in vocational schools training for a career in tourism and hospitality received a scholarship that includes one thousand kunas monthly for ten months every year, the possibility to gain work experience at one of Valamar's properties and employment opportunities at Valamar, which is one of the five leading employers in Croatia.
Valamar offered permanent employment to 242 people in 2016 and 2017. Moreover, the recruitment program known as Valamar +3 was started: it offers yearlong employment to seasonal workers and the same conditions as permanent employment.
Minister Gari Cappelli accompanied by Željko Kukurin visited the resorts' 15-hectare construction site in Rabac, where about 1100 workers and 150 engineers, architects and project leaders work daily.
“This is the largest investment project in Croatian tourism and confirms Valamar Riviera’s ambitions to continue investing and developing its own portfolio. While global trends report low interest rates and market demand focuses on safe tourist destinations, Croatia has the opportunity to reposition its tourism offer by incentivizing investments in high value-added products and services that stimulate employment and economic growth. Our investment in Rabac is an example of a project that boosted the Croatian construction sector, hired suppliers and opened 350 new job positions and will also significantly increase tourist spending and improve the quality of the destination,” said Željko Kukurin, Valamar Riviera’s Management Board President.
The comprehensive investment project in Rabac includes the total reconstruction of the two resorts with 764 accommodation units, the construction of 17 restaurants and bars and 13 pools with 2363 m2 in total water surface. Additionally, the construction of Maro club, several playgrounds, two entertainment centers, a spa, indoor and outdoor fitness facilities, bike centers and other sports facilities and amenities are also planned. The investments also include the improving of beaches, promenades and the total landscape redesign of the whole area.
It took 18 months for Valamar Riviera to prepare this project and this process received great support from the Town of Labin and the Istrian County. They recognized the project value and Valamar Riviera’s intention to continually develop this destination and improve its appeal and market position.