Croatian Pupils Head for Barcelona Despite Attacks

Croatian travel agencies will not refund money that parents paid for their children's trips to Barcelona due to last week's terrorist attacks if parents cancel them.

Only days after the deadly terrorists attack in Barcelona claimed 14 lives and injured over 100, Croatian high schoolers on Thursday are due to depart for Lloret de Mar, a popular resort 75 kilometres from Barcelona, with short trips organised to the city as well.

Last Friday, Croatian Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak proposed that schools should postpone all such trips to Spain.

However, travel agencies claim that this proposal cannot be a basis for refunding the money for groups and single parents who wish their children to stay put.

Mario Miocic, director of F-Tours agency from the coastal city of Split, told BIRN that their organised groups of pupils are leaving for Spain at the end of the week and that they are acting "as if everything is going according to plan".

"Everything is already paid for - hotels, buses, tickets, etc. - and there isn't much we can do at this moment … Nobody has to go on the trips, but parents must be ready that they will lose the money. I don't see what we can do to reschedule the trips ...  when it is so close to departure," he said.

He explained that agencies "don't have a basis" for asking for rescheduling or for refunds from booked hotels and bus companies.

He insisted that that Education Ministry's proposal "isn't enough" for that, while the Foreign Ministry has issued only "maximal caution" advice for visitors to Spain.

According to Miocic, the Education Ministry's proposal has only "created dilemmas" over cancelling trips, as it is not known "for how long agencies should avoid Barcelona".

Miocic...