ZAGREB — An international erotic fair, the first such event in this largely conservative, predominantly Roman Catholic Balkan country, opened here Friday, with hundreds of people flocking to see the offer.
Despite heavy rain and snow, several hundred people came to the Zagreb trade fair to enjoy live performances by some 15 international porn stars, male strippers, topless DJs or buy some of the sex toys offered at dozens of stands.
“Erotic fairs have been flourishing in Europe during the past 15 years and we believe that the time has come to have such an event in Zagreb,” Petar Penava, of the Eros4U fair organisers, told AFP.
Around 100 exhibitors from eight countries, including Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States, displayed sexy lingerie, films, calendars and other “sexy” items.
The programme was planned to be “something between hard and soft porn, but there will be no explicit sex”, Penava said.
“Nothing would happen here that could prevent an ordinary visitor to come. This is an event enabling people to spend a weekend in a way that has not been possible so far,” he insisted.
For the occasion, Igor Mezga, owner of a sex shop and a tattoo salon in the northern town Varazdin, offered piercing of intimate parts for free.
“Croatia is still very conservative but I see an improvement. This event is organised like similar ones elsewhere in Europe,” he said.
But a saleswoman at his Eroticom sexshop stand regretted that there were not that many female visitors.
“We offer various interesting items and it is always said that women are hard to please, so maybe they could find something for themselves,” Lidija Simudvarac lamented.
The biggest crowd, mostly men, gathered around a stage were a stripper was undressing, taking photos of her with their mobile phones.
“The programme is very good,” commented Gordan Budimir, who came with a friend.
But the 30-year-old complained there were “too few exhibitors”.
“The organisers probably knew that there would be fewer visitors than at similar events abroad since people (here) would be ashamed if someone saw them,” he said.
Ana Doncevic, a rare female visitors, said that it was “a pity that there are not more male strippers”.
“Like in the whole porn industry, everything here is designed to please the men,” the 25-year-old sociologist said.
The fair closes on Sunday and the ticket costs 100 kunas (13 euros, 18 dollars) for men and 75 kunas for women.
Almost 90 percent of Croatia’s population of 4.4 million are Roman Catholics and the Church has considerable influence in many segments of Croatian society.