December 18, 2020 – The popular French travel show "Echappées Belles", or "Beautiful Escapades", dedicated one episode entirely to Croatian beauties.

The Croatian National Tourist Board reported that the show "Echappées Belles" dedicated to Croatia was broadcast in primetime on the French state television station France 5.

Danijela Mihalić Đurica, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in France, said that the popular show "Echappées Belles" will significantly help maintain Croatia's visibility in the French market, given that more than 1.5 million viewers watch the show. Positive promotional effects are expected at the time of the resumption of sales and reservations.

"Namely, due to the epidemiological situation this year, many French people spent holidays at home, which is why it is expected that next tourist season they will travel mostly to close, accessible, and safe destinations. Therefore, we believe that Croatia will take one of the leading positions in the French market," said the director.

This travel episode about Croatia was created due to a collaboration between the French television station France 5 and the Croatian Tourist Board, with the support of the tourist board system. The show shows famous tourist destinations, revealing to viewers unknown facts about the local population's lives and customs.

This time, the show presented Istria and the islands of Pag and Cres as locations of incredible natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, emphasizing gastronomic potential and exceptional hospitality.

An article about Mljet, Hvar, and Korčula, published by one of the most influential French women magazines "Femme Actuelle" confirmed that Croatia is positioned on the French market as a fascinating and attractive tourist destination. The magazine, which has a circulation of half a million copies, is followed by more than three million readers. The author of the article is the renowned French journalist Thierry Lacour, who emphasized that he is fascinated by Mljet's natural beauties, the urbanism of Korčula, the scents of Hvar's lavender, and the impressive vineyards.

"In a country with more than a thousand islands, diversity is constant, and Mljet, Hvar, and Korčula are a concentration of the best that Croatia has to offer, preserved nature, as well as an abundance of historical heritage," said Lacour.

However, the French media have previously highlighted Croatia as a top destination. "Echappées Belles" presented Croatian tourist offer back in June 2017, as well as Istria last summer, when the popular French show "Cuisine Impossible" on French TV channel TF1 also promoted Slavonia and Croatian islands. Other French media also wrote about Croatia, including the prestigious French weekly magazine Le Figaro, which dedicated many pages to Sinj Alka.

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August 13, 2020 - In a primetime slot on French TV channel TF1, the popular show 'Cuisine Impossible' aired, in which the gastronomic charms of Slavonia were presented. But that's only part of the French promotion of Croatia.

The TV series shows destinations through the discovery of local products and producers, and a special feature about Croatia was organized by the Croatian National Tourist Board, the CNTB Representation in France and the Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board.

"The exceptionally viewed show, which is watched by over a million viewers, presented the Croatian region that French travel enthusiasts are just discovering. This show contributed not only to the promotion of the tourist offer of Slavonia but also to the diversity of the entire Croatian tourist offer. In addition, I believe that the broadcast will encourage a larger number of reservations for next year, when many French tourists will take their trips planned for this year," said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic, emphasizing that there is currently an average of around 14,000 French guests in Croatia daily.

In the show dedicated to Slavonia, French culinary chef Julien Duboue accepted the challenge according to which, after tasting fish stew hosted by local family farm Zoltan Jovic, he had to prepare an identical dish in less than 48 hours, i.e., identify the ingredients of this authentic Slavonian dish, catch fish in the Danube and procure the remaining groceries. After successfully fulfilling the challenge, he emphasized the exceptional hospitality of Slavonians. The show features Ilok landscapes and cellars, vineyards, quality wine, and Slavonia is presented as a region with a rich tourist offer.

"We are satisfied with the successful realization of this project, through which Croatia once again placed itself on the list of favorite European destinations of the French, who from year to year discover new Croatian regions. We are sure that in the coming period, the richness of Slavonia's tourist offer will attract more and more French people," said the director of the CNTB France, Daniela Mihalic Djurica, adding that many other French media have been reporting on Croatia as a hit destination.

For example, in the most-watched term of the French national television M6, the show 'Zone interdite' was broadcast, entirely dedicated to Croatian tourism and Croatia, which was presented as an Adriatic gem and a hit destination for French guests in recent years. The show called "The French have found their place under the Croatian sun" has been watched by several million people so far, and shows destinations such as Split, Pakostane, Pag, Krka National Park, Brac, Hvar and Pag, with a number of useful tips for creating the ideal vacation in Croatia. Days after the broadcast, numerous French media broadcast a summary of the show that reveals why tourists from all over the world adore Croatia.

Also, the prestigious French weekly Le Figaro ranked the Croatian island of Lopud in first among three Mediterranean paradise islands, along with the Greek Santorini and Corsican Brando, while the French edition of lifestyle magazine Grazia, in its article entitled, "The most beautiful European island: A selection of the most beautiful which we dream of visiting", published a list that also includes Croatia, more precisely the island of Hvar, which is in the high fifth place of the most beautiful European islands.

Moteaur Boat, both the leader among the French motor-nautical media and its monthly with a 25-year tradition, has presented Croatia as a nautical paradise in its issue since August, with special emphasis on Vis, which delighted the journalist and camera crew with its beauty and indigenous experience.

The popular 90-minute travel show 'Echappées Belles' is currently being filmed in Istria and on the islands of Cres and Pag. The show is watched by almost two million viewers, and the episode about Croatia will be shown in May 2021 in primetime on the national TV channel France 5.

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