December 21, 2021 - As part of this year's International Award for Sustainable Tourism (Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards), the project Camino Krk was awarded the International Prize for Sustainable Tourism.

The Camino Krk project, in competition with ten other initiatives from different parts of the world, in the category of Rural / Rural Areas and Biodiversity (Countryside and Biodiversity), as one of the nine set categories, is positioned in third place, reports HrTurizam.hr.

This year, the evaluation of projects received in the public call was conducted by three independent judges, giving them grades that are then added up, so the initiative with the highest score wins in its category. Although Camino Krk did not win, it was highly rated, which is a great success, according to the Tourist Board of the City of Krk, adding that they will be reminded of the certificate received in recognition of commitment to sustainable practices and implementation of environmentally friendly business model.

"First of all, I must point out that all island tourist boards have made a significant contribution to the development of the Camino Krk project in terms of a new and innovative tourist product. In uncertain pandemic circumstances, after we defined the project in cooperation with the Brotherhood of St. Jacob, we decided to invest significantly in its further development. Therefore, this year Camino Krk was the focus of all tourist boards, which means that significant funds were invested in marking the entire route, involving stakeholders, creating promotional materials, and strong digital promotion," said Ivana Kovačić, director of the Tourist Board of Krk.

Photo: www.experiencekrk.com

The explanation of the evaluation states, among other things, that the activities related to Camino Krk have little impact on the environment and that the project itself encourages the dispersion of tourists to rural areas and the interior of the island, thus spreading economic benefits and moving away from established sun-sea concepts.

If the activities of tourists, as is the case with this project, do not adversely affect the environment, as a next step and a kind of upgrade, it is proposed that all its stakeholders, at all levels, accept the principles of sustainability in both environmental and economic terms.

"This year there was a significant interest of our guests for active holidays, staying in nature and getting to know the natural, cultural and historical heritage, and Camino Krk met their expectations by adding warmth and spiritual component to this potential-filled tourist story. In further efforts, we will certainly pay significant attention to the comments and suggestions of tourism experts received based on the application to the public call of Skål International and try to further strengthen the cooperation of all project partners," adds Kovačić.

Recall, the Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. Jacob's pilgrimage route is about 800 kilometers long and is walked by more than three hundred thousand pilgrims a year. In 1987, the Council of Europe awarded it the title of Main Street of Europe, and in 1993, UNESCO included the Spanish and French parts of the route to the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela, on the World Heritage List. Road network of St. Jacob leading to one of the world's three leading pilgrimage centers that inherit the relics of St. James the Apostle is spread all over Europe and is most often marked with a stylized shell - James' cap, as the (primary) saint's attribute.

Photo: www.experiencekrk.com

The celebration of the Krk part of the Croatian Camino route took place between 2019 and 2021. Camino Krk is defined as an (all) island circular route, with a total length of more than 150 kilometers, which follows the infrastructure of existing hiking trails. Its starting point is in the island center - the town of Krk, ie the Krk Cathedral, and the final one in the village of Kornić, in the parish church dedicated to the Apostle St. James.

The tour of the Krk route is divided into seven pilgrimage chapters, more precisely seven days needed to truly experience the island's historical, cultural, and especially sacred heritage immersed in impressive natural environments and unique urban units. For easier navigation on the island of Camino, Krk is marked with recognizable, blue-yellow signs, and in addition to signalization, there is also an interactive digital map that allows tracking the route using a smartphone.

Photo: www.otok-krk.org

This project, since its launch, has attracted significant interest from both domestic and foreign pilgrims, walkers, and other recreationists, mostly Slovenes, Italians, and Austrians, which has intensified in periods affected by strict epidemiological measures.

The Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards are presented each year to companies, institutions, agencies, and other private and public associations related to tourism.

It is a recognition that, evaluating the effects of sustainable and responsible tourism, contributes to the global visibility of applicants and registered initiatives. By entering the competition, the applicant presents its products and services to globally known experts in the tourism industry, while ensuring significant media visibility.

Skål International unites all branches of the tourism industry and operates through more than 340 clubs with almost 14,000 members in more than 100 countries, while its mission is to promote the development of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

April 18, 2020 - From April 21-26, experience the Camino Krk route through your computers, mobile phones, or tablets thanks to a virtual tour provided by the Krk Tourist Board.

HRTurizam writes that Camino Krk is a great new tourist product as well as a motive for arrivals in the pre and post-season. It is an event commemorating the Croatian Camino Route following the medieval pilgrimage routes on the island of Krk. The Camino Krk themed route also joined the European network of St. James pilgrimage routes, and created the preconditions for the development of pilgrimage and religious tourism on the island.

However, since we are all in isolation at the moment and as tourism has literally stopped, the Tourist Board decided to organize a virtual Camino Krk that brings the experience of the Way of St. James directly to everyone's homes.

Although it is difficult to connect the island of Krk with the famous 'Camino' pilgrimage at first, it is further proof that there are hundreds of phenomenal and authentic stories in Croatia that we need to put together, brand and tell. It is this content that we are chronically missing.

So, how does the island connect with the Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James?

The Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James is a network of pilgrimage routes leading to the Spanish Sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela - the last resting place of St. James the Apostle, patron saint of pilgrims and travelers. From northern Norway and the Baltic countries, signposts lead to Santiago de Compostela, with over 320,000 people traversing the Franco-Spanish section of the route as long as 800 kilometers each year. In 1987, the Council of Europe awarded Camino the longest street in Europe, while in 1993, UNESCO declared its Spanish and French parts a World Heritage Site. Although the network of Camino routes stretches across Europe, Croatia was almost the only European country that, despite its rich pilgrimage tradition, until recently had no route to Santiago.

In Croatia since 1203, the Fraternity of St. James organized pilgrims who then walked from Croatia to Santiago de Compostela and back. The present-day Brotherhood of St. James, based in Samobor, inherits this tradition. They are a member of the St. James in Santiago de Compostela, the central institution that brings together the associations and fraternities of St. James from all over the world. They publish the Croatian pilgrimage passport - Credentil, officially accepted as a pilgrimage certificate with which in Santiago de Compostela, a diploma of completed pilgrimage is obtained.

Last October, at the initiative of the Krk Tourist Board and the Brotherhood of St. James, medieval Krk pilgrim routes were marked as a Croatian contribution to the European network of pilgrim routes of St. James.

Camino Week on Krk is a project that lays the foundations for the development of pilgrimage and religious tourism in order to extend the season and develop tourism following the principles of sustainability and preservation of tradition.

As the first in a series of Croatian Camino routes, Krk proved to be an ideal choice. The island, which, due to its natural and material treasure, rightly prides itself on the epitome of Croatian history and culture, is an ideal backdrop for a spiritual journey, thanks to its old castles and churches, abandoned villages, small medieval towns and beautiful beaches. It is not disingenuous to say that the interior of the island gives the impression of an outdoor cathedral.

"The situation that has spread around the entire world has made it impossible for much of the planned activities, including the holding of the second Camino Week. We have therefore decided to provide the interested audience with a part of the experience with the help of digital tools and hold a Virtual Camino Krk Week, which will be available on our Facebook pages. At the moment, most everyone is spending time in isolation and quarantine, and digital media in the true sense has become their only window into the world. Perhaps this particular story from the island of Krk will embellish our days," said Natasa Jurina, director of the Krk Tourist Board.

Camino Krk is a circular route Krk - Porat - Omisalj - Dobrinj - Vrbnik - Baska - Kornic which covers the whole island. It is about 107 kilometers long and is advised to walk through using the six-day program. Trails are marked between the cities listed, and one is passed each day. Camino Krk also has its own special sign, which with the recognizable symbol Camino bears the Glagolitic script - the oldest Slavic script specific to Croatia and Krk.

The first Camino Week in Krk was held in October 2019, and at the end of April, the second guided tour of the Camino Krk route was to take place.

As this is not possible now, the Krk Tourist Board decided to approach part of this experience virtually. Over the course of six days, you can experience part of the Camino experience virtually through:

- multimedia story for every single day through pictures, video, voice-over, music
- an online photo exhibition with Camino de Santiago with different subjects
- interactive description of daily routes
- attractions and descriptions of individual places, natural and cultural sights along the route
- testimonies of pilgrims who passed Camino Krk
- the messages and thoughts of the day about what can be learned on the Camino

The tour will also include e-stamps, or an e-passport for pilgrims, and at the end of the six-day virtual tour, all "travelers" will receive an e-Composel, while the original Compostela will be able to be picked up at the Krk Tourist Board live when possible.

"This is a new experience for all of us, we are doing it for the first time, and we apologize in advance if the production is not flawless due to the short preparation time. However, we have a strong desire to provide you with some of the experience you have been deprived of because of the current situation and we want to do the best we can. Join us and be part of the first virtual Camino Krk adventure. Thank you to everyone who will join and contribute," concludes Natasa Jurina.

The project was designed by the Krk Tourist Board and the digital marketing agency Smartingo.com, and the great news is that all tourist boards on the island of Krk have joined the project: Tourist Board of Omišalj and Njivice, Tourist Board of Malinska, Tourist Board of Baška, Tourist Board of Dobrinj, Tourist Board of Punat, and the Krk Island Tourist Board.

From April 21-26, experience Camino Krk through your computers, mobile phones or tablets on the City of History and Culture's Facebook page.

Find out more about the whole project HERE

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