- Published: 23.10.2025.
Minister Bačić: new Physical Planning Act establishes balance between tourism development and space preservation
Today in Opatija Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić participated in a panel called “Croatian tourism 2050 – are we ready?”, where he spoke about legislative novelties from the field of physical planning, illegal construction, condominium conversion in tourism zones, and campsites development. The panel was organised by the Croatian Economic Association (CEA) and the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FTHM) in Opatija, and it gathered economists, experts and scientists from the tourism sector.
In his introductory speech, Minister Bačić pointed out that tourism “is a large consumer of space, namely of the most valuable space in Croatia,” highlighting that space “cannot be a burden to success, but has to be a resource for progress.”“The new Physical Planning Act should enter into force by the end of the year, and we expect support from professionals. Together with the Act on Tourism Activity, this is the most important act for tourism development,” the Minister said.
“Our activities and legislation must enable proper tourism development in line with the country and the economy. The new Physical Planning Act will contribute to further strengthening of Croatian economy, namely tourism, but also to space preservation. The space we have inherited must be preserved for future generations - unexploited, as it is not an inexhaustible resource,” the Minister clarified.
Commenting on condominium conversion in tourism zones, the Minister clarified the new Act will enable the conversion on clearly defined conditions.
“Condominium conversion will be possible in the zones of at least a five-star rating, where at least 70% of accommodation capacity refers to hotels, while 30% can include other accommodation units. Condominium conversion will be possible only after a use permit for the entire zone has been issued, and all condominium units will still need to be used for tourism purposes,” Minister Bačić said.
He pointed out that the aim is to prevent using tourism activity as a front for real estate business, “which brings no benefit for the community, economy or tourism.”
When addressing illegal construction, the Minister announced further tightening of legal measures.
“Illegal construction severely disrupts the space. In cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, and the State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia, we are going to suggest defining illegal construction as a criminal offence. This will be a clear statement that illegal construction will no longer be tolerated,” the Minister said.
The Minister also presented novelties referring to the development and regulation of campsites, namely in part referring to mobile homes.
“We are aware that mobile homes are an important source of income in the tourism sector today, but they occupy space and must be regulated. The new act will prohibit the positioning of these structures within 100 metres of the coastline in designated construction areas and within 25 metres of the coastline in settlements. An eight-year transitional period is also planned to coordinate existing campsites,” Bačić clarified.
He added that the possibility of increasing campsite development up to 30%, including mobile homes, will be considered, while also maintaining the fundamental purpose of campsites - spending time in nature.