July 7, 2022 - The second prize at the FIJET Slovakia international exhibition called 'Travel and Emotions' went to Slobodan Kadić, photojournalist of Total Croatia News and Glas Slavonia, for the photo "The wall is our witness," taken at the beginning of the year in Jerusalem (Israel).

The Slovakian Travel Journalists and Writers Association organized the international exhibition 'Travels and Emotions', which this year received 213 works from 13 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Great Britain, and Ukraine).

This year's theme was "Life is not black and white," and the exhibition host was the Slovak town of Piešťany. The international jury, led by the exhibition curator, photographer, journalist, and writer Marián Pauer, evaluated the photographs in two categories: a set of photographs and a separate photograph, selecting 54 photographs for the exhibition. Voljen Grbac from Croatia represented FIJET in the international jury and participated in the exhibition in Piešťany. The winner of the first prize is Juka Jurica Galić (Croatia) for the series of photos 'Fisherman'.

Slobodan Kadic

"As a representative of the Croatian FIJET, I am particularly proud of the success of my colleagues Jurica Galić-Juka and the versatile Slobodan Kadić, whose works deservedly won awards at this prestigious competition by unanimous decision of the jury. I hope that this will motivate them to dedicate themselves even more wholeheartedly to the great and beautiful art of photography, and I wish the exhibition a long life and as many visitors as possible on its way to Europe," says Voljen Grbac, emphasizing that this year's exhibition is the best in terms of quality.

The first prize for an individual photo went to Ivan Kenez from Slovakia (Tatra impressions). In previous years, FIJET Slovakia exhibited photos abroad, in Budapest and Kuwait. This year's exhibitions are planned to be held in October in Vienna and Slovak Poprad (High Tatras). Tina Eterović Čubrilo, the president of the Croatian FIJET, congratulated the Croatian photographers, who praised the exceptional work of her members.

"We are especially proud of the awards of Slobodan Kadić and Jurica Galić Juka. And this photo award proves the activity of our members who follow all the actions of the FIJET world association and their professionalism, which is recognized at the world level. In addition, our journalists and photographers have a special feeling for the attractiveness and beauty of details," concluded Čubrilo.

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December 14, 2021 - Slobodan Kadić, a longtime associate of Total Croatia News, journalist, and sports photojournalist, was awarded the prestigious Marco Polo prize of Croatian FIJET, the World Association of Travel Journalists and Tourism Writers.

The "Marco Polo - famous travel writer" - awards ceremony was held at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, in the presence of many guests from Croatia and abroad. Slobodan Kadić was awarded the plaque this year, displaying the image of Marco Polo for a lasting and quality contribution to tourist attractions and unknown gems of Croatian tourism through publications and reports.

"The most valuable and sweetest are the awards given to you by the experts. They remain forever written and are also a new incentive for further work. It is a great honor to stand alongside top travel writers, directors, writers, and journalists from the entire region, from Ante Gavranović to Goran Milić, Šime Strikoman, Željko Žutelija, Tina Eterović Čubrilo, Željko Marušić, Darijo Novalić, and Đorđe Mihajlović," said Kadić, who is diligently working on his book Putničke Svaštarije which will contain most of the columns he has published in Glas Slavonije over the years.

The grand prize, the Marco Polo statue, was received by Željko Žutelija for the book My Zagreb, the most beautiful city in the world, and a personal contribution to the high standards of tourism journalism. The FIJET Tolerance Award was given to Hasan Haidar Diab, a journalist from Večernji list, who, through his long-standing publications, contributes to understanding diversity and breaking down prejudices about other peoples and cultures.

Plaques were also awarded to Petra Somek and the magazine Meridijani for educational reports and travelogues from all over Croatia, top authorial publications and photographs, but also Paula and Đelo Jusić for the series Fairytale Croatia, Željko Marušić for the long-lived show Željko Marušić and guests, Denis Mahmutović for a series of reports published in 24 Sata and Vladimir Kumbrija for his contribution to shows on tourism on the first program of Croatian Radio.

Special awards for reports and new trends were presented to Radio Sljeme, Mario Pušić (KA portal), and the Radio Student Association. Letters of thanks from FIJET Croatia were awarded to Vojko Pleština (Split), director of the International Tourist Film Festival in Solin, for the partnership in implementing the "Marco Polo" project, and Ivica Krizmanić Max, director of the Esplanade Hotel. Special thanks went to President Tina Eterović Čubrila, Vice President of the FIJET World Association - on the 15th anniversary of FIJET Croatia. The FIJET grant was presented to the City of Korčula, and it is an original statue of Marco Polo, the work of sculptor Luja Lozica, which will be placed in the City Museum. The members of the Jury of this year's FIJET awards were President Ante Gavranović and members Jadranka Rilović (Croatian Radio, 2nd program) and Hrvoje Zovko, President of the Croatian Journalists' Association.

Croatian FIJET was founded in 1964 in Makarska and renewed in 1990 when Croatia became independent. 

"There were ten of us, then seven with President Drago Ferenčić, who retired in 1996. I was the only one left, and I was persistent. Finally, I turned to Marijana Rebić, with whom I successfully collaborated as a journalist at the Atlas agency and later at Croatia Airlines. With the hope that she would agree to become a secretary, she said "yes." We have grown, been persistent, and encouraged other national associations with our activities, of which there are now about fifty, and there are more and more young people among us," said Tina Eterović Čubrilo, recalling the unforgettable moments of FIJET Croatia.

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June 24, 2020 - Tourist journalists never rest. And when shocking coronavirus headlines shake the world, they try to appeal to responsible tourism by promoting high standards of professionalism without borders. Members of the Croatian branch of the world's largest and most famous association of tourism journalists and writers, FIJET - re-elected Tina Eterović Čubrilo for a new four-year term at the election assembly, who immediately announced new projects.

"In addition to Marco Polo, the award given every December to the best tourist journalist or travel writer of the year that promotes Croatia, we have established a new award - FIJET Tolerance for those who contribute to international understanding and tolerance, which is actually the mission of tourism," says Eterović Čubrilo, vice president and member of the Executive Board of the international FIJET, emphasizing that given the events in the world, now is the best time to appeal to tourism journalists for more tolerance in all spheres of life.

Slobodan Kadic

The vice president was unanimously elected by Mislav Togonal, HRT journalist, secretary and liquidator Marijana Rebić, and members of the Executive Board Mario Plenković, Tomislav Radić, Paulina Peko Šalja, Ivan Dodig, Anita Žuvela Hitrec, Marija Dejanović, Mislav Veselica, and Slobodan Kadić, journalist of TCN and Glas Slavonije. Karin Mimica is the coordinator for Fijet Croatia FB, HND, Marko Polo project and Gastronaut, Amelia Tomašević is an advisor to the president, and the new face in the association is Slavica Šipicki, external associate for PR and marketing. The Supervisory Board consists of Nikola Serdar as president, Abi Shalabi and Siniša Križanec, and the jury honors President Vlasta Kučić and members Edo Kišić and Meri Šilović.

FIJET is the oldest association of tourist journalists formed as a response of journalists to the then ideological and physical walls and wires of East-West, specifically the wall in Berlin. It was a message in 1954 by tourist journalists from France, Italy and Belgium that travel without borders and walls would bring peace, tolerance and economic recovery. It was this association that encouraged the development of tourism in Mediterranean countries impoverished by the war. Tourism has opened the door to economic prosperity. Yugoslav journalists were among the first to recognize this, so in 1964 they joined FIJET and, with tourism professionals and the Government, launched the May Meetings on the Makarska Riviera (1965-1990). In addition to travel promotion, specialist journalism was also encouraged, so many tourism journalists were well-known names respected and quoted by the profession. In 2006, FIJET Croatia launched the Marco Polo Award for travelogues of domestic journalists about Croatian destinations, especially less commercialized ones.

Slobodan Kadic

Like any gathering of the people of FIJET, the most recent was held in Sveti Ivan Zelina to promote the area in which they gathered. The host city was revealed by the Tourist Board of Sveti Ivan Zelina and the director Marija Zubčić. The journalists were guests of the Equestrian Club Zelingrad and the local mini brewery Angeluš from the heart of Prigorje, which was founded in 2016 by Filip Devčić. The small brewery creates large beers using only premium raw materials.

"Angels are beings of light and purity, just like our beers that are not pasteurized, filtered and chemically treated. We pay great attention to natural processes in production, creating craft beers with a character that contains a nutritious precipitate, which gives them a strong character," said Devčić. The socializing continued at the Hrupec picnic area with local specialties prepared especially for the select palates of tourist journalists.

Slobodan Kadic

The president of the World Association of Tourism Journalists and Writers in Tourism (FIJET), Tijana Hadad, presented Vukovar with the "Golden Apple" award in 2011, which awarded the Vukovar Association for researching Vučedol culture and its promotion in Croatia and the world. On that occasion, Hadad pointed out that Vukovar, after Dubrovnik in 1996 and Split in 2002, was the third Croatian city to receive this prestigious award, which is a kind of tourist Oscar.

Slobodan Kadic

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Split journalists came together for the third edition of this year’s Gastroadvent at the Hotel Vestibul Palace.

The annual FIJET Marco Polo 2017 awards at the Croatian Society of Journalists took place in Zagreb on December 14, 2017.

Tourism journalism excellence celebrated in Zagreb at the annual FIJET Marco Polo Awards.