24 October 2021 - This year the Biograd Boat Show celebrated it's 23rd show with 21 years of continuous record breaking shows, a unique accomplishment with so many boat shows around the world. Held at Marina Kornati in Biograd na moru, this is Central Europe’s largest in-water boat show and has gained international popularity amongst both exhibitors and visitors alike. Industry events held within the Biograd Boat Show  include the 5th HGK (Croatian Chamber of Commerce) Nautical Days (20th-22nd), the Croatia Charter Expo (21st-22nd) and the Biograd B2B business networking event.

The first day was opened by the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Nataša Tramišak.

Stretched out across four marquee halls and three piers spanning the northern and western wings of Marina Kornati, the Boat Show offered visitors the chance to peruse over 300 registered exhibitors across all aspect srelated to the marine industry, including apparel, solar energy, boat charter agents, food products , chandlery and textiles. A highlight for many visiting the boat show, there were also up to 300 boats on display, with many of them open to the public to look through and inspect. 

Of course, in these COVID times, safety measures were in place such as RAPID testing available at the entrance for 50 kuna per person for anyone who did not have a COVID passport (required to enter the event.) There were also many sanitizer stations laid out all over providing many opportunities for both exhibitors and attendees to ensure that they were abiding by the COVID guidelines.

Some of the new vessels that were introduced to the Croatian market included:

• Seamaster 45 Fortuna - Presented by Angelina Yachting, this is the largest motorboat from the Seamaster range, with a 13.5m flybridge. contemporary design and luxe interior. Available for charter with Angelina Yachting.

• Flammifer FFB 640 F-RPA compact firefighting boat - Made domestically in Croatia, this powerful machine is designed to emit jets of up to 45 meters, useful for its’ purpose of fighting fires in marina’s, on ships and in coastal areas where access is only by sea.

• Bali Catamaran in sizes 4.2 and4.6 - Bali is known for its’ unique catamaran designs maximising on lounging space and open living areas. Their 4.2 and 4.6 models are already popular in the charter industry here in Croatia. 

• Agena Marin solar ferry boat - With it’s clean lines and retro design, this lightweight 8.5m long vessel has a maximum of 12 passengers. Equipped with a solar panel with a capacity of 1800 W that constantly charges the batteries, the boat can sail constantly from 5 to 8 hours, depending on the load.

• See below for a quick walk-through of the Bali 4.6 with 45D in their Biograd Boat Show vlog. Charter a Bali catamaran with Croatia Yachting Charter HERE  

A few other noteworthy exhibitors were: 

• EcoFlow - A compact and highly attractive portable solar power system, boasting the worlds fastest portable power stations.

• Big Green Egg - A bbq with a distinctive name and appearance, it comes in three different sizes and is made in Croatia!

• Lampuga - Premium, electric, emission-free surfboards.

A Biograd Boat Show favourite returned this year as well. Christian Buchair, also known as “Rocket Man” took to the air with his Flyboard Water Jet Pack. Christian is also associated with Efun Waterways, who were also at the Boat Show showcasing their luxury water toys! Efun maximized on being at the Biograd Boat Show and premiered the Messestand, their new German-made carbon electric surfboard from WaterRebels. 

Every evening of the event was closed with live entertainment from local artists, such as Three Little Birds, Mate Skračić band, The Dreamers and a special performance on Saturday night from Freeway “Unplugged”, a band consisting of local nautical workers! 

For more detailed information and some great articles relevant to both the Biograd Boat Show and nautical tourism within Croatia, check out the Biograd Boat Show Croatia Yachting magazine here.

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/BiogradBoatShow

If you have questions on anything sailing in Croatia, feel free to ask below in the comments or check out Total Croatia, Sailing in Croatia: Your One-Stop-Shop for Everything Sailing.

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October the 19th, 2021 - The 23rd Biograd Boat Show is set to begin on Wednesday morning, more precisely at 10:00. The much loved Zadar County spectacle will bring together lovers of all things nautical and once again place Croatia firmly on the nautical map.

As Morski writes, this year's Biograd Boat Show will confirm the status of Biograd na moru as a leading international nautical fair and Croatia as a fantastic nautical tourism destination. The entire exhibition space was sold out with more than 300 exhibitors and participating companies.

The nautical industry has had a successful year in Croatia, and this year's exhibitors have generally improved the quality of their exhibits. Visitora can expect to see hundreds of boats ranging from 2 to 20 metres in length, with numerous international and Croatian premieres present, as well as an impressive range of products offered for direct sale.

The Biograd Boat Show is the best opportunity to see the largest selection of boats in the wider region and to ensure the best delivery terms and prices. There will be many demonstrations and maritime tests and challenges, as well as the opportunity to cruise on one of the most luxurious event vessels in all of Croatia, the multifunctional event boat "Nada", owned by Ilirija.

The event is also known for its gastronomic and entertainment offer with good food offered in many places, as well as with selected suppliers of local products and food at the Festival of Originality, on top of that, there will be a very rich entertainment programme every night after sunset.

This year's Biograd Boat Show will prove to the maritime world that the Republic of Croatia continues to be the leading force in the challenging nautical world, and that Biograd na moru near Zadar is at its very centre. This nautical manifestation is otherwise one of the leaders in the development of business to business relations, through Biograd B2B, which includes the Croatian Charter Expo, one of the world's leading yacht charter events, as well as the 5th Nautical Days of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce with an impressive nautical congress programme boasting leading companies from the nautical industry.

Although all the exhibition space is now sold out, nautical companies can still participate by registering on the Biograd B2B business to business platform and have full access to the fair and the online Biograd B2B Directory, where they can present their products and services to other participants and schedule meetings in advance.

For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/PD VL native tim writes on the 14th of October, 2020, the 22nd Biograd Boat Show, organised and hosted by Ilirija dd, is ready to open its doors to exhibitors and visitors on Wednesday, October the 21st, 2020, and despite these new circumstances, with all of the epidemiological measures ensured, it will maintain the tradition of the largest Central European nautical fair.

Due to the current coronavirus-dominated circumstances, the largest Central European nautical fair has been extended and will take place over five days, until October the 25th, and the open space of the third largest marina in the country, categorised with four anchors and surrounded by fresh sea air guarantees a safe environment.

The Biograd na Moru-based boat show has kept firm hold of the tradition of being largest Central European nautical fair this year with 240 exhibitors and almost last year's record number of boats. The German and Slovenian lifting of travel restrictions for areas of Croatia, such as Zadar County, has significantly increased the response of larger vessels up to 20 metres, and at the same time strengthened the international presence at the fair, the organisers hope.

The Biograd Boat Show is known for its hospitable and quaint atmosphere, and the coastal town lives uniquely alongside this particular event with exhibitors and guests. That's why it is recognised among the members of IFBSO, the International Association of Organisers of Nautical Fairs, of which they are a golden member.

Thanks to the continued cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Tourist Board among others, with the teamwork and efforts of professional services of Ilirija dd, despite the ongoing global pandemic, it is possible to maintain the continuity of this event which is represenative of this strong segment of Croatian tourism.

The Biograd "B2B", which is a platform for business networking within the nautical sector has a prominent significance this year more than ever before, especially in the sense of the segment of video contacts and meetings.

We're proud because within the "B2B", the Croatian Chamber of Commerce is set to organise the 4th Croatian Chamber of Commerce Nautical Days, and this congress programme has been extended to three days (from the 21st to the 23rd of October) and it will bring together various associations and actors within the field of Croatian nautical tourism.

''With the presentation of both novelties and premieres, we believe that the BBS programme, with its attractiveness to visitors, will speed up networking, information exchange and connecting business carriers, and thus facilitate the preparation of a complex business in 2021,'' the hosts stated.

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As Morski writes on the 25th of September, 2020, more than 140 exhibitors have registered their participation in this year's Biograd Boat Show. This fact showcases the resilience of the nautical industry and instils optimism in these challenging business times. As we get closer to the opening, we can expect that many applications will be confirmed.

The Biograd Boat Show, organised and hosted by Ilirija d.d., a tourist company from Biograd na Moru near Zadar, will adapt its edition this year to these new and unprecedented circumstances. In order to respect the epidemiological measures of maintaining social distance, the largest fair of vessels in Central Europe will be held one day longer, over a total of five days in the period from the 21st to the 25th of October in Marina Kornati, Biograd na Moru. Since the fair is open and at sea, the fresh air and open spaces provide a safer environment.

The three largest exhibitors will exhibit at the Biograd Boat Show with a total of 28 vessels with an average length of more than 11 metres. So far, the largest reported vessel to be exhibited is the Elling E6, which is 20 metres long. Ilirija d.d. has received the full support of the Zadar County Civil Civil Protection Headquarters for the Biograd Boat Show and continues to plan events in accordance with the prescribed measures to ensure the safety of exhibitors and visitors alike.

In order to meet the international and national health and safety criteriam Ilirija d.d. will monitor the current situation very carefully and prepares for the introduction of measures intended for public safety, ie the safety of exhibitors and visitors against the spread of the new coronavirus. As a golden member of IFBSO, the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers, Ilirija d.d. will cooperate with its colleagues in the adoption of new safety measures and similar standards in the organisation of the fair.

In the past twenty-one years, the Biograd Boat Show has established itself as a top nautical event, the largest boat fair in Central Europe and an unavoidable nautical tourism event in Croatia, where all its key segments gather in one place. Aware of the role and importance of the Biograd Boat Show for the nautical industry and tourism, the fair will showcase its novelties in October and will certainly speed up and facilitate B2B networking for the preparation of the business year 2021.

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The President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, attended the opening ceremony of the 21st Biograd Boat Show.

As Morski writes on the 17th of October, 2019, speaking at the grand opening of the largest exhibition of vessels in Central and Eastern Europe, President Grabar-Kitarović emphasised that the Biograd Boat Show is a manifestation that has grown into one of the leading nautical fairs in Europe over the last twenty years, and has thus become a recognisable nautical, tourist and economic event.

''Fair events like this promote a very important segment of our tourist offer - nautical tourism, they enrich the tourist offer and extend the tourist season, which is one of the main goals of our tourism policy,'' she added.

The president also assessed this indispensable segment of the overall Croatian tourist offer. She believes that we must support its development for a number of reasons. Along those same lines, she stated that nautical tourism attracts tourists who boast a higher paying power, who, through higher consumption, contribute more strongly to the economy, which enables the tourist season to be extended, and its development gives an additional impetus to the development of Croatian shipbuilding.

It also gives an image of prestige to Croatian tourism, which is why it is of interest to the most demanding tourists, putting Croatia side by side with some of the world's most impressive and developed tourist destinations.

The president said that the fair shows the importance we attach to the development of Croatian nautical tourism, but also to the small Croatian shipbuilding industry, which in addition to our overall tourism sector make an important contribution to the overall economic development of Croatia.

''Among the exhibitors, I'm particularly pleased with the numerous Croatian shipbuilders and manufacturers of marine equipment, and with my presence today I'd like to support this segment of Croatian industry,'' she said.

She added that it was important to more effectively connect and stimulate all supporting tourism industries and thereby strengthen the entire Croatian economy, President Grabar-Kitarović expressed her belief that the Biograd Boat Show is a manifestation that will result in such a synergistic effect.

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ZAGREB, October 17, 2019 - Nautical tourism is an important segment of Croatia's tourism because it enriches its offer and extends the season, which is the aim of the tourism policy, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said on Thursday while opening the 21st edition of the Biograd Boat Show which has attracted a record 400 exhibitors and is expected to attract about 20,000 visitors by October 20 when it closes.

"In two decades this nautical, economic and tourist event has developed into one of the leading nautical fairs in Europe and is visited by thousands of visitors. Fairs like this promote an exceptionally important segment of our tourism offer, nautical tourism, whose development we have to undoubtedly support," said Grabar-Kitarović.

She added that the success and importance of the Biograd Boat Show has been recognised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) which has organised the Nautical Days for the third year in a row.

The president underscored that it was important for the tourism industry to complement other industries in Croatia, particularly agriculture, "so that we can finally achieve what we are constantly talking about, for green Croatia to feed blue Croatia, for continental tourism to develop," said Grabar-Kitarović.

She said that nautical tourism was important because it attracted higher paying guests who, through higher consumption, contribute more strongly to the economy. Nautical tourism also extends the season as a lot of regattas are organised in the shoulder season and its development stimulates small shipyards in Croatia.

"Nautical tourism gives Croatia's tourism a prestigious image and that is why it is interesting to even the most demanding tourists and puts our country alongside the most developed tourist destinations," she said.

HGK vice president Dragan Kovačević said that Croatia is a nautical superpower and one of the most significant nautical destinations on the Mediterranean, and globally too.

"That is backed by numbers - Croatia has a fleet of 4,300 vessels and more than 140 tourism ports with more than 17,000 berths and one million passengers on cruise liners. Average spending by nautical tourists is €126 a day or €183 for charter passengers, with more than 30% of that money spent on other forms of tourism, from cultural events to wine and food," Kovacevic explained.

More yachting news can be found in the Travel section.

The Biograd Boat Show does it again!

Will you be paying a visit?

The Bio Grad Boat Show took place from the 19 – 22 October 2017, Nick and Mahina Hathaway from 45 Degrees Sailing give a great review of their experience.

Biograd Boat Show, Croatia’s largest boat show will include a comprehensive congress programme organised by the Croatian Chamber of Economy.