ZAGREB, January 16, 2020 - The 2020 Vienna Ferienmesse tourism fair opened on Thursday with more than 800 exhibitors from over 80 countries including Croatia, which is a favourite destination for Austrian tourists.

"Croatia is one of the favourite destinations for Austrians who travel to Croatia several times a year and in their own vehicles," a press conference heard ahead of the fair being opened where new travel trends for 2020 were presented.

Alongside Italy, Croatia is the most sought-after destination for Austrians travelling by car, the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board's (HTZ) office in Vienna Branimir Tončinić told Hina, adding that according to survey, 49% of Austrians travel with their own transport.

In 2019, more than 1.4 million Austrians visited Croatia and generated 7.7 million bed nights.

Tončinić informed that in the first 15 days of January, there was an increase of 27% in arrivals and an 18% increase in bed nights from Austria compared to the same period last year.

It is expected that the fair in Vienna will attract more than 160,000 visitors.

This week, from 15 to 19 January, HTZ will attend the 50th Vakantiebeurs tourism fair in Utrecth, which is the largest tourism fair in the Netherlands.

Last year, almost 500,000 Dutch tourists visited Croatia and generated 3 million overnight stays and HTZ believes that a positive trend will be recorded again this year from that market.

The presentation in Utrecth and prior to that in the German city of Stuttgart, marks the start of HTZ's promotions at European and global tourism fairs. All in all, it will present Croatia's tourism sector at about 40 fairs.

More tourism news can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - 2019 was the best year yet for the Croatian tourism industry, with nearly 21 million arrivals and 108.6 million overnight stays, up by 5% and 2.4% respectively, while 2020 is expected to see a continuation of positive trends, with tourist turnover increasing by 3-5%, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli told a press conference on Tuesday.

Cappelli said he expected total revenues to have increased by up to 8%, but added that exact figures would be released by the central bank at the end of March.

"Based on the data for the first nine months of 2019, when revenues were 9% higher, we can say that revenues for the whole of 2019 will be about 5%, and possibly up to 8%, higher than in 2018. This is supported by excellent spending during the Christmas period and the total increase in daily tourist spending in the last year and a half by about 20%, from 79 to 97 euro," the minister said.

"Already now we know that last year spending by visitors staying at hotels increased by 18% to about 140 euro a day, spending by those staying at campsites rose by about 8% to 70-odd euro a day, and spending by tourists staying in private accommodation increased to about 96 euro a day," he added.

Cappelli also noted the increased quality of service, saying that 1.05 billion kuna had been invested in the tourism industry last year, and based on a survey conducted by the ministry, investments are expected to increase this year by about 20% to 1.07 billion kuna. A further 3-5 billion kuna was expected to be invested this year as a result of a new bill on tourism land, which should be passed in the first half of the year.

Cappelli said that a national plan for sustainable tourism was expected to be presented later this year. "This is an important goal for us during the Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU. We will call on the EU member states to follow in the same direction because only quality, responsible and sustainable tourism, which incorporates digitisation and smart solutions, has a future."

Announcing major promotional activities for 2020, Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) Director Kristjan Staničić said that the aim was to strengthen the brand, tourist spending and Croatia's position in remote markets, while maintaining its good position in the European markets.

"Because of the Croatian EU presidency, the HTZ has already begun a branding campaign in several European markets, which will be conducted basically all year round," Staničić said, adding that a special focus would be on promoting nautical and business tourism and on further cooperation with large global companies such as Google, LonelyPlanet and Expedie. He said that Croatia would participate in over 40 international travel shows and about 100 presentations.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

The Croatian EU presidency is now in full swing. Having taken over the EU's rotating presidency from Finland, the next six months will see Croatia partake in influential decisions within the bloc. Not only that, but as Brexit is set to occur at the end of this month, seeing the UK enter into a transitional period, Croatia will take a leading role in helping to negotiate the UK's (hopefully) smooth exit.

Hotels, particularly those in the capital city of Zagreb, are also experiencing a boom which is expected to continue as the city plays host to many EU delegates, and Croatia's presence grows more strong on the European tourist map. Owing to that, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) has decided to use the Croatian EU presidency as a way to attract tourists from the country in which Brussels is situated - Belgium.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 8th of January, 2020, HTZ's director Kristjan Staničić has stated that guests from Belgium usually book their holidays between December and February.

HTZ is conducting a major promotional outdoor advertising campaign in Brussels to mark the beginning of the Croatian EU presidency. During January and mid-February, public transport, buses, trams, airports and the most frequent and representative city locations in Brussels will be adorned with Croatian motifs, all with the aim of further emphasising that Belgians should pay a visit to the youngest, and also the most beautiful, member of the EU.

"The Croatian EU presidency is an ideal opportunity for the further promotion of the country, so before the very beginning of the presidency we started this campaign that we believe will have positive promotional effects. We also support the timing of the campaign, which fits in perfectly with the Belgian "tourist" calendar, as market research by the umbrella association of Belgian tour operators ABTO shows that guests from Belgium most often book their holidays between December and February,'' and Kristjan Staničić, adding that more than 220,000 arrivals and almost one million overnight stays were realised in Croatia from the Belgian market last year alone.

As part of the Brussels campaign, 25 buses and trams operate on which citizens of the European Union's capital, as well as its numerous visitors, can see pictures of Croatia with a focus placed on the country's nautical tourism.

Advertising activities are also carried out through large posters located at subway stations in Brussels, in the city centre, and in the so-called "European Neighbourhood", in selected attractive city locations and through large digital screens positioned at the most frequent locations within Brussels Airport, which sees over 26 million passengers annually.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel page for more.

ZAGREB, January 7, 2020 - During the Christmas and New Year holidays 238,000 tourist arrivals and 621,000 bed nights were recorded, which is an increase of 8% compared to the same period last year, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Tuesday.

The HTZ was citing data on tourism turnover in the commercial and non-commercial sectors as well as nautical charters, taken from the eVisitor system for the period from 20 December 2019 to 6 January 2020.

HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said in a press release that the results are beyond expectation and confirm that Croatian destinations are continually developing their year-round offer.

"We have created attractive content and rich Christmas market programmes that ushered in 2020 in a positive atmosphere. We are faced with a very challenging tourism year but we are optimistic about retaining our competitive position on the large international market," Staničić said, adding that the most bed nights during the Christmas and New Year season were generated by visitors from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Germany and Italy.

As for tourism turnover on the coast, Adriatic counties recorded 134,000 arrivals and 405 bednights during the Christmas and New Year holidays while turnover in continental regions, including the city of Zagreb, amounted to 104,000 arrivals ad 216,000 overnight stays.

The most bednights were generated in Istria and Kvarner Bay as well as in Split-Dalmatia County, while the most overnight stays in continental Croatia were recorded in Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje and Međimurje counties.

The most nights by destination were generated in Zagreb, Opatija, Poreč, Rovinj, Dubrovnik and Split, HTZ informed.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 23, 2019 - The German ZDF national broadcaster will air a one-hour show - "Horst Lichter Looking for Happiness - Through Croatia on a Motorbike", in prime time on Christmas Day and an estimated three million viewers are expected to watch the show, Croatia's National Tourism Board (HTZ) reported on Monday.

The show is hosted by renowned German cook and TV host Horst Lichter who travelled together with German actor Henning Baum along the Croatian coast in search of happiness.

"Adventure shows involving popular individuals uncovering tourist destinations are an effective promotional tool because viewers watch real experiences by their idols whom they trust. I am certain that this show will result with some brilliant reactions on the German market which is exceptionally important for us and so far this year almost three million arrivals have been generated from that market, which compared to the same period last year, is an increase of four percent," HTZ director Kristjan Staničić underscored.

Lichter and Baum visited the entire Croatian coast from Istria across Zadar and Split to Dubrovnik. Their entire trip was motivated by the desire to search for their own personal happiness.

"Because of Lichter's popularity and the fact that the show will be aired in prime time, it is expected that several million people will see the show and that certainly add some wind in our sails for a positive image about Croatia on the German market," the director of HTZ's office in Germany, Romeo Draghicchio said.

HTZ added that after the premier airing of the show it will later be available on other on-line TV channels.

Horst Lichter is a popular chef who experienced two cardiac arrests in his late twenties and then decided to change his life and became a TV host. The show in Croatia was filmed in June and Licther is particularly fond of Croatia also because his wife is Croatian, HTZ said.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

December 17, 2019 - Croatia should see a 4 percent increase in tourist traffic over the upcoming holidays compared to last year. 

According to a survey conducted by the Croatian National Tourist Board in conjunction with the system of tourist boards, during the Christmas and New Year holidays, that is, from December 20, 2019, to January 6, 2020, around 227,000 arrivals and 594,000 are expected across the whole of Croatia, which represents an estimated 4 percent increase in tourist traffic compared to the same period last year, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said.

“Croatian and foreign tourists are increasingly recognizing and praising the quality offer of Croatian destinations in the winter, both on the continent and on the coast, but also on the islands. This is precisely the right direction in trying to position Croatia as a destination with an attractive and diverse offer throughout the year, i.e., an evener distribution of tourist traffic throughout the year,” said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić.

Looking at the announcements of tourist traffic in the counties along the Adriatic, the coast during the Christmas and New Year holidays expects about 126,000 arrivals and 383,000 overnights, which is an increase in traffic of about 2 percent, while the continent expects around 100,000 arrivals and 211,000 overnights, which represents tourist growth of about 6 percent.

The most significant tourist traffic on the coast is expected in Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties, while in continental Croatia, the highest tourist traffic is expected in the city of Zagreb, and Krapina-Zagorje, Međimurje and Karlovac counties, according to the Croatian National Tourist Board. 

Recall, Zagreb Advent will run until January 7, 2020, while those on the coast, like Advent in Split, will only run until January 2, 2020. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

December 16, 2019 - Five Slavonian tourist boards have teamed up for the first time to promote the beauties and tourist offer of Slavonia.

HRTurizam writes that under the symbolic name "Divani", a presentation of this unique region was held at Procaffe Cafe in the heart of Zagreb, with premium Slavonian wines and the finest dishes signed by the Danube hotel in Ilok, the first to boast a Michelin recommendation in that part of Croatia.

Martina Jakelic, director of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board, Maja Jakobovic Vukusic, director of the Pozega-Slavonia County Tourist Board, Ruzica Vidakovic, director of the Brod-Posavina County Tourist Board, Mislav Matisic, Assistant Director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board, and Rujana Busic Srpak, director of the Vukovar-Srijem Tourist Board, who is also the coordinator of the Slavonia Cluster, presented the tourist attractions of the easternmost Croatian region.

This is a strong and concrete step in promoting and presenting Slavonia as a Croatian tourist destination, pointed out Rujana Busic Srpak, and added: 

“With the cooperation agreement in creating and promoting the Slavonia tourism brand, signed last year by all five county tourist boards, the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism, we have defined the frameworks and activities that we want to achieve our ultimate goal - product development and promotion as a generator for increasing tourism results. None of the signatories can achieve this goal alone, and therefore togetherness in readiness to accomplish all that Slavonia can do in tourism is a key success factor. We still have a lot to boast. As a new approach to promotion, the first step was to develop a strategic marketing plan for Slavonia tourism with a branding plan for 2019-2025, which will soon be adopted, the Slavonia brochure came out of the press this year, and joint appearances at fairs and special presentations have already yielded first results,” points out Rujana Busic Srpak.

Slavonia is a destination that has everything to offer 365 days a year, said Mislav Matisic, Assistant Director of the County of Osijek-Baranja Tourist Board, and added: 

“One of the main motives for arrivals is gastronomy, and we also have the Kopacki rit and Papuk nature parks which are divine in every season. Slavonia offers the most beautiful blend of tradition and urban life, and all who come for the first time are delighted when they taste the colors and scents, experience the mighty Danube, but also the Sava and Drava, the vast vineyards, the Golden Valley, the Noble Route and discover that Slavonia is not just an endless plain. Just look at Pozeska gora, Psunj and Papuk, Erdut and Bansko Brdo. With us, you can ride a bicycle, quads, kayak, climb in adrenaline parks in Zlatna Gora and Papuk…” said Matic.

Although there is still a long way to go to define a well-rounded Slavonia tourism brand, this first historic step towards joint promotion and synergy should be commended.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

As Glas Istre/Duska Palibrk writes on the 14th of December, 2019, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) announced a public call for non-refundable grants for the top events and manifestations to come across the Republic of Croatia in 2020, which are among the main motives for both domestic and foreign tourists to come to a given destination.

This announcement from the Croatian National Tourist Board encourages the development of facilities to further attempt to extend the typical Croatian tourist season and further increase traffic, especially in the pre- and post-seasons. Applications will be received in electronic and hard copy forms by January the 7th, 2020, with a massive 2.5 million kuna available in total.

''We launched a public call in December to allow all interested parties enough time to prepare and apply for projects in a proper manner. I'm sure that this time we'll receive a large number of applications, which will be an additional confirmation of the continuous development and improvement of the Croatian tourist offer with an emphasis placed on manifestations as one of the main motives for tourists deciding on a destination,'' said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, adding that investments in facilities and infrastructure are a basic precondition for positioning Croatia as an attractive year-round destination.

Companies, crafts, cooperatives, public institutions, cultural institutions, arts organisations, local and regional self-government units and tourist boards are all free to apply. The approved fees are intended to cover the costs of organising the event, such as all of the equipment, space and transportation needed, as well as potential equipment rental, material procurement, accommodation costs, contractor fees, promotional and other organisational activities.

The non-refundable grants being offered by the Croatian National Tourist Board have been approved for use for the organisation of cultural, entertainment, eno-gastronomic, historical and traditional events, which have been held at least twice over the last five years and have a strong promotional effect both here in Croatia and abroad.

The Croatian National Tourist Board's tourism council may, in exceptional cases, decide to support an event which is being held for the first time, if it can clearly be expected that it will greatly enrich the tourist offer of the destination in which it is going to be held.

The criteria for evaluation will be the importance for creating the motive for the arrival of guests, the importance for the development of the destination and its tourist offer, and its promotion of Croatia as a whole abroad, the nature of the event, its content and quality, the period of the event and the event's media advertising plan.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

December 4, 2019 - The Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian Tourist Board, and UNICEF are cooperating on promoting children's rights in the Croatian tourism sector.

HRTurizam writes that the main objective of this cooperation is to promote good tourism practices in the context of young guests, the children of families employed in tourism, and young students and workers.

As part of the cooperation, the Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian Tourist Board and UNICEF will promote the importance of caring for children's rights in the tourism sector, through conferences, congresses, and other events, and organize training on children's rights for tourism professionals. The Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board will also support UNICEF's programs to help the most vulnerable children in Croatia and their families.

"Tourism is an industry of experience and emotions, and we desire that all children who visit Croatia have the opportunity to see all the best that Croatia has to offer so they can remember it forever. Likewise, tourism can be an opportunity for everyone to create together. That is why the Ministry of Tourism always encourages children and students to be creative and innovative through part of its youth programs. We want young people to be involved in creating competitive and responsible tourism, which is why working with UNICEF is another step towards building the foundations for the future of Croatian tourism, because ultimately, people are always the key to success,” said Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli.

"We are extremely proud of our cooperation with UNICEF in promoting children's rights in the tourism sector in Croatia, especially considering that children up to the age of 14 make up 18% of the total Croatian tourist traffic and form a significant segment in tourism. Accordingly, a large number of our promotional campaigns around the world, but also our total tourist offer, is directed precisely at families with children,” said Croatian Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic.

Globally, UNICEF works with the travel and tourism sectors, governments and civil society organizations to promote the perspective of children's rights and to support companies in the sector in identifying and managing their impacts on children.

Cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board is an important step in the realization of children's rights in Croatian tourism and contributes to the sustainable development of tourism and society as a whole, points out Regina M. Castillo, Head of the UNICEF Office in Croatia, and adds:

“Tourism, as an important industry, has a great impact on children. The safety of children traveling with their parents, decent wages and working conditions for parents or guardians, working conditions for young employees, care for the environment in which children grow and develop are just some of the areas of interaction of the tourism sector with children. The Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board are strong partners who, together with UNICEF, will work to raise awareness of these impacts and promote good practices that will positively impact the lives of children and their families. We are happy that one of the leading tourist groups in Croatia - Arena Hospitality Group - will join us in this important work,” said Regina M. Castillo, Head of UNICEF Office in Croatia.

Arena Hospitality Group is the first tourism group in Croatia to support families with children from the welfare system in Istria County in cooperation with UNICEF.

On this occasion, a partnership between Arena Hospitality Group and UNICEF was announced to support UNICEF's Stronger Family Program initiative, which improves the quality of social support for families with disabilities.

Arena Hospitality Group will launch a series of activities focused on guests and employees in its selected hotels, resorts, and camps in collaboration with UNICEF to promote children's rights and solidarity with the most vulnerable members of our society. The funds raised through the cooperation will be used to support families with children from the social care system in the County of Istria.

“Arena Hospitality Group, as the first Croatian hotel company to expand its portfolio beyond the borders of Croatia, is continuously investing in the development of social responsibility towards its guests, employees, partners, shareholders and the community in which it operates. In our work, we are especially focused on families with children who strive to provide a variety of quality facilities and the highest level of service. But we also take into account the needs of families with children in our community who are facing various life difficulties. By joining forces with UNICEF, we will support the implementation of the "For a Stronger Family" program initiative, which will help strengthen systemic support for the most vulnerable families with children in Istria County. We are particularly proud to include our employees in the project, who, through activities with families and children, will draw attention to the importance of solidarity with our guests,” said Reuel Slonim, CEO of Arena Hospitality Group d.d.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

ZAGREB, December 2, 2019 - A crew of Russia's MUZ TV music channel is currently in Zagreb where it is filming Zagreb's Christmas market as well as the SalajLand Christmas light show in Cažma, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Monday.

MUZ TV is Russia's version of MTV and the production crew will stay in Zagreb until December 4 where it will shoot on site at Zagreb's Christmas market and the SalajLand Christmas light show, which will be broadcast on its Independent Traveler show on December 21.

"In the past three seasons, the show has attracted more than 25 million viewers throughout Russia. I am certain that the show from Zagreb and SalajLand will be an opportunity for a lot of Russians to come to know Croatia as a quality all-year round destination with a very rich offer during the winter months too," HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said.

Daily direct flights between Zagreb and Moscow throughout the year will certainly contribute to the positive trends from the Russian market, added Staničić.

The increase of the tourist turnover from the Russian market this year will be almost 14% and interest by Russian tourists for Croatian destinations is constantly rising, the director of HTZ office in Russia, Rajko Ružička said.

This is the third study tour that HTZ has organised for Russian television. A crew for the "Let's Go, Let's Eat" show on NTV filmed in Croatia in June, and in September the Friday TV did some shooting for its show "Orel I reshka".

More tourism news can be found in the Travel section.