March 5, 2020 - Based on the implementation of the "Sport Croatia" project for 2020, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has supported a total of 24 sports projects, totaling 8.1 million kuna.

This is a cooperation of HTZ with the organizers of top sporting events in Croatia, as well as with top Croatian athletes in order to promote Croatian tourism further, reports the Ministry of Tourism.

"Croatia is internationally recognized for sports and tourism, which is why promoting tourism through sports is a very effective tool in further positioning our country as an attractive tourist destination," said HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic, adding that among 24 selected projects, 14 relate to cooperation with Croatian athletes and sports collectives, while ten projects relate to sporting events.

Among the sports events that have cooperated through the "Sport Croatia" program for 2020 are the CRO Race, Downhill Mali Losinj and Mitas 4 Islands cycling races, WTA Croatia Bol Open tennis tournament, extreme sports competition Pannonian Challenge, gymnastics world cup Good World Cup, European Club Taekwondo Championship, Lipik 3x3 Challenger Basketball Tournament, Judo Grand Prix Zagreb Tournament and Davis Cup Qualifications.

Cooperation was also made with athletes and sports collectives, including Croatian Basketball Federation, Croatian Water Polo Federation, Croatian Judo National Team, Croatian Volleyball Federation, Croatian Swimming Association, rowers Valent and Martin Sinkovic, Ivica Kostelic for sailing, long-distance swimmer Dina Levacic, world surfing champion Enrico Marotti, tennis player Donna Vekic, athlete Sandra Perkovic and sailors Elena Vorobeva, Tonci Stipanovic and Sime and Mihovil Fantela.

Let's add that the organizers of the multi-day top sports international competitions who, with their international recognition and reputation, can contribute to the promotion of tourism, as well as top Croatian athletes, winners of awards at European, world and Olympic competitions, or competitors at significant international sports competitions.

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

March 1, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) and its representative offices around the world are actively monitoring the coronavirus situation and adjusting promotional activities in German and other markets, said HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic after the world's largest tourism conference ITB Berlin was canceled.

T.portal ITB Berlin was supposed to take place from March 4-8, 2020, but was canceled on Friday night for the first time in 54 years due to the spread of coronavirus.

This canceled the appearance of around 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries, including Croatia.

The stock exchange also expected more than 160,000 business visitors from the world, more than 5,000 journalists, as well as negotiations of concrete deals for the whole world worth over 5 billion euro.

"We are sorry that ITB was canceled, which is the largest and most important trade fair for tourism in the world, at which the Croatian National Tourist Board had to present its entire Croatian tourism offer with about 30 co-exhibitors. The plan was also intended to be used for meetings with key German and international partners, tour operators, agencies, tourism organizations, airlines, etc. However, it is quite clear that with the new coronavirus situation, preventive actions, health, and safety of many participants and visitors is the primary goal,” said Stanicic.

He points out that the Croatian National Tourist Board continues its activities in the German and other markets, in cooperation with numerous partners, also following the possibilities and outcome of this situation, which is equally challenging for tourism in other countries and destinations.

The World Tourism Organization-UNWTO assessed that the continuation of tourism and its unique transformative potential depends on stability and international solidarity.

"The tourism sector must always put people and their well-being first, as evidenced by the decision to cancel ITB Berlin for public health reasons," UNWTO pointed out, recalling that tourism is one of the world's leading economic sectors with millions of resources across the globe.

This weekend, the organization also called on everyone in tourism for close cooperation and responsibility, stressing that the UNWTO stands ready to support its members in plans and harnessing the power of tourism to drive economic and social recovery.

Despite these messages and the realization that the lives and health of people are paramount, the global tourism sector is also worried about the results this year, as travel reservations are increasingly canceled and individual reservations in hotels and air travel are reducing.

With the cancellation of several major world congresses, stock exchanges, fairs, exhibitions and other business meetings across Europe and the world in February and March this year, the business tourism segment in the world will remain without nearly $30 billion in revenue, and similarly estimated damages in aviation transport and total tourist traffic.

Hotel owners across Europe and around the world are also registering cancellations, which, according to analysts, has no impact or reduced prices, given the current fear and uncertainty of travel.

But from the sector, both globally and domestically, according to information from associations, groups, and company representatives, many believe that the situation will stabilize in a month or two, with the awareness that it is tough to predict what will happen next and how to develop the situation, especially if the spread of the virus continues.

For example, Italian hoteliers have already warned that the coronavirus has hit the national tourism industry, especially after US authorities urged their citizens to reconsider traveling to Italy, while other major countries issued warnings only in northern Italy.

Because of this situation, the tourism industry is demanding urgent measures from all levels of government in Italy to guarantee cash flow to tourism operators to protect jobs and avoid the 'collapse' of an industry of 300,000 businesses and 1.5 million people.

In other countries, hotel and professional associations of agencies, airlines (such as IATA), and other segments have already warned that they are expecting weaker business results due to the epidemic, which has caused a fall in bookings and frequent cancellation of travel.

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

February 27, 2020 - Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli comments on the coronavirus and its effects on Croatian tourism so far.

HRTurizam reports that the panic and spread of mass hysteria around the coronavirus is of no use to anyone, and many experts and scientists are calling for the voice of reason.

Today, Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli was the voice of reason at a session of the Croatian Government, stating that 24,500 tourists are currently staying in Croatia, or about 3% more guests than at the same time last year.

"There is still no major decline, except of course from the eastern markets, such as China and South Korea, as expected. In the first month, we had an increase of about 70% from the Chinese market, and now in February, a decrease of 60% was achieved, so we got closer to zero.”

As for the impact of the current situation on tourism revenue, Capelli noted that the first three months affect somewhere around 5%, while the first six months affect 27% of total tourism revenue.

“So the first three months will not have a significant impact on total tourism revenue. The biggest eventual cancellations that occur are in business and congress tourism, which is about reservations for March. Easter is earlier this year, so it won't even be a true picture of what's going to happen in the rest of the tourist season. The real picture will be shown by the situation in May, when the biggest arrivals are achieved because tourists connect holidays."

Cappelli added that in the last two years we have a new tendency in tourism through last minute bookings, i.e., our guests only book their arrival in May and June for the peak tourist season.

"So far, we do not have any cancellations for the main part of the tourist year; our markets are still stable. Positive data shows that we have a 3% increase in interest from the German market as well as from 7% to 8% in the UK this year. So for now, we do not feel any disadvantages, except for a slight halt to bookings, which was to be expected in this situation. There is no room to panic, the government headquarters manages the situation in real-time and all services are fully prepared,” Cappelli concluded.

"We need to stop any panic and big shopping trips for supplies, because we are not in this situation or at this stage at all," said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, adding that the Government will remain 100% transparent and prompt about all relevant information to the public.

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

February 22, 2020 -  The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) is presenting its tourist offer at the f.re.e fair in Munich, one of the most important fairs in the German market, from February 19 to 23. This year, Croatia expects a 3% increase from German tourists.

HRTurizam reports that before the fair, a large tourist delegation from Central Dalmatia, namely 70 Alkars, Alka boys, and members of Sinj City Music, paraded in the very center of Marienplatz and delighted many passers-by in the Bavarian capital.

HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic is currently in Munich, meeting with Michael Hinterdobler, Bavarian Government envoy and Assistant Minister for International and European Affairs, with Prince Leopold Von Bayern, Konig Ludwig Kaltenberg, who owns the Kaltenberg brand, but also with Evelyne Menges, Member of the Munich City Hall. State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Tonci Glavina and President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Luka Burilovic also visited the fair on Friday.

HTZ

“Presenting at the Munich fair is of utmost importance to us because Germans, especially residents of southern provinces such as Bavaria, have, for the most part, made up the total tourist traffic in Croatia for years. This year we have enriched our appearance at the fair with a great presentation of the Alkars and our 300-year unique event Sinjska Alka, and we met with key strategic partners such as FTI Touristik, the third-largest tour operator in Europe and IDRiva Tours, a tour operator specializing in bringing German guests to Croatia which forecasts market growth for Croatian destinations,” said Croatian National Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic, adding that up to now, the German market saw an increase of 25 percent in arrivals and 18 percent in overnights compared to the same period last year, while overall traffic growth from the German market is expected to be up to 3 percent in 2020.

"The level of sales from the German market so far is higher than last year, which makes us very happy. Air connectivity has a big impact on the growth of tourist traffic, so this year we expect to continue establishing additional airlines from Germany. The tourism market is increasingly changing, thus increasing numbers of German tourists are turning towards sustainability, that is, products and offers with a built-in nature conservation component. Therefore, it is in this segment that we see the great potential and opportunity to strengthen our position in the future in this extremely important market for us,” said State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Tonci Glavina.

The Alkars are a special attraction at the fair and the main city square in Munich. After the Alkars paraded in the center of Munich, the fair hosted a program of the Alkar Knights Society and the Sinj City Music, through which Split-Dalmatia County was presented. With this presentation, they wanted to popularize the UNESCO protected knight's competition, but also Central Dalmatia and the whole of Croatia as a tourist destination.

Head of the Croatian National Tourist Board branch in Munich, Nera Miličić, emphasized that it is her special honor to host the Sinj Alkars in Munich and to promote the Sinjska Alka at the largest Bavarian tourism fair.

HTZ

“The Alka is a symbol of patriotism and I am proud that we have presented the UNESCO list of intangible heritage to the Bavarians, who are our most numerous guests, part of the Croatian culture and tradition. The ceremonial procession of the Alkars and the Alkar boys, together with the Sinj City Music, between the three medieval Munich gates, was a special attraction for the residents and visitors of Munich, as well as the pride of many Croats living in Bavaria,” said Miličić, adding that the Sinj Alka and the Bavarian Kaltenberg knights are part of Europe's cultural heritage and have agreed on cooperation.

A special novelty at this year's fair is the refreshed visual appearance of the HTZ booth, which is enriched with red and white squares as an ode to the upcoming European Football Championship. Visitors to the fair can taste commemorative Alkar and the Heart of the Adriatic cocktails, while top-quality Croatian wines are served under the brand name “Vina Croatia - mosaic wines” organized by HGK and HTZ.

Within the Croatian National Tourist Board stand, a total of 24 co-exhibitors are represented at the fair, including the Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia and Vukovar-Srijem (Slavonia cluster) tourist boards, the Zagreb and Dubrovnik tourist boards, as well as numerous economic and tourism entities.

HTZ

Last year, a record 3 million tourist arrivals and more than 21 million overnight stays were recorded from the German market, representing a 3 percent growth in arrivals compared to 2018.

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

February 18, 2020 - The European Tourism Commission (ETC) has approved co-financing a joint project by the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board for the promotional campaign "Croatia and Slovenia: Full of Ways to Feel and Explore”, to be implemented in the Australian market by November 2020.

HRTurizam reports that the value and overall budget of the campaign is €200,000, half of which, ie, €100,000, is supported by the ETC.

"The joint promotion of Croatia and Slovenia in distant markets, and especially the one that will be realized in the large Australian market, is a unique example of successful cooperation in tourism promotion of the two countries. We know that guests from far markets usually realize their travels in the periods before and after the season when they visit several countries, which is why we cooperate very intensively with colleagues from the Slovenian Tourist Board,” said Croatian Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic, adding that more than 242,000 arrivals and more than 741,000 overnight stays have been made in Croatia from the Australian market over the past year.

After European funds were approved last year for the "Experience Croatia, Feel Slovenia" campaign launched on the Chinese market, this year, the funds were approved for an Australian market campaign aimed at promoting and positioning Croatia and Slovenia as more attractive year-round destinations. A particular focus of the campaign will be on topics of active and adventure tourism, natural beauty and lesser-known tourist destinations for higher-spending guests. The campaign will also promote the rich cultural and historical heritage, eno-gastronomy, as well as other attractive tourist attributes of both countries.

"I am pleased that we have been successful this year in jointly applying for a European Tourism Commission tender, which confirms our excellent cooperation in promotion in distant markets. I am convinced that through a joint promotion campaign in the Australian market, we will present Slovenia and Croatia as destinations of unique experiences and sustainable tourism,” said the director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, Maja Pak.

As part of the campaign, workshops for agents and tour operators in Sydney and Melbourne will be organized, digital media advertising activities will be implemented, and cooperation will be established with selected Australian influencers who will visit Croatia and Slovenia next spring. Also, in cooperation with one of the leading online travel agencies in the Australian market, an online campaign will be devised and implemented through two waves, where Croatia and Slovenia will be presented to guests who want to enjoy unique and authentic experiences beyond the peak tourist season.

The Croatian National Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board have successfully withdrawn funding through the ETC Call for Co-financing of Transnational Promotional Campaigns in Distant Markets, and under the Destination Europe project and the new Horizon 2022 strategy, a total of 18 applications were received, while 11 received support.

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

February 11, 2020 - Earlybird tickets are on sale for the One Day or Day One tourism conference in Zagreb this April. And we promise you won't want to miss out. 

Tickets are now on sale for the conference of the year in the B2B tourism sector, which will be held on April 2 at the Forum Congress Center in Zagreb with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Croatian Chamber of Economy, organized by the leading B2B tourism portal HrTurizam.hr.

Namely, One Day or Day One, which is held just before the start of the tourist season, will bring together everyone who means anything in the tourism sector.

"We all say that we have an incredible amount of potential wherever we turn, and that we need a change in the context of market development, in order to turn that potential into resources. But in order to turn these potentials into resources, we need to be more proactive in addressing market development and growth, there must be dialogue and common communication and consensus around common themes and challenges. The question we all have to ask ourselves is: How do we move faster and better? What can we do to make tomorrow better? Where do we see Croatian tourism in 2030?,” said the conference director and founder of the HrTurizam portal, Goran Rihelj.

HrTurizam.hr wants to be at the center of this story as a kind of mediator, a channel that connects through dialogue and communication, and provides concrete solutions. In the tourism vocabulary, it is necessary to define a complete tourism product, or to remove market barriers for the development of the entire tourism sector.

"And that's why there is a need to launch the #DayOne platform, which focuses on connecting the 'incompatible' or initiating communication. The main focus is not on problems and the past, but on constructive, open dialogue and solutions. The focus is on the positives, not the negatives. The focus is on synergy and collaboration. As I pointed out, #DayOne is not another conference but a platform. Because we can talk about the future of our tourism not only one day during the conference, but every day,” adds Rihelj.

An excellent story about cooperation with big brands and a positive example of synergy between public and private will be told by Denis Ivošević from the Tourist Board of Istria. The challenges and opportunities of cooperation between OPGs and destinations in the 1 VS 1 format will be discussed with Petra Butković from the Lika Destination Cluster.

The One Day or Day One conference should showcase all niches and all development opportunities in Croatia. Thus, Berislav Sokač from Run Croatia will bring an interesting vision of Croatia as a racing destination.

We continuously talk about continental tourism and emphasize the importance of developing the continent that has the greatest opportunities for year-round tourism. The best campaign of the East was the great HeadOnEast campaign as part of Croatian Tourism Days in Slavonia. Ivana Juric from the Osijek-Baranja Tourist Board will also be at the conference. 

How tourism is developed in Austria, which is one of the best examples of year-round continental tourism, will be told by Michael Fend, LAG manager at Steirischen Vulkanlandes.

Paul Bradbury, owner of Total Croatia News, One Day or Day One conference partner, and an ambassador of Croatian tourism, is someone who sees the whole story from the outside as a foreigner with a Croatian passport. His lecture, “5 tourism gifts that Croatia is ignoring, and how to fix them,” will certainly arouse great interest.

Branding in Croatia is a unique story that is talked about often, and the importance of branding does not need to be over-emphasized, because it is imperative today. The conference will also be thoughtfully themed with branding, a complex process in which we cannot go wrong. Bozo Skoko will discuss this topic at the conference, too.

The private sector in tourism has a lot to say. What are the challenges and biggest problems, what they expect from the public sector, and what solutions they propose will be shared in a large panel where there will be representatives of hoteliers, travel agencies, family accommodation, and caterers. 

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, who has supported the conference and expects a lot from it, will present a tourism development plan and a vision of where we see each other in 2030. The fact that the Minister of Tourism and his associates will accompany the entire conference already gives hope for the detection of genuine problems and the concept of concrete solutions. The same panel should also feature the Croatian National Tourist Board, which should be represented by Director Kristjan Stanicic. This panel will give clear guidance to the private sector, where Croatia is going, and where Croatia wants to be. The moderator of this panel is acclaimed communications expert Kresimir Macan.

How private and public sector dialogue and cooperation can look will be revealed by the example of Ognjen Bagatin and Bagatin Clinic’s health tourism development.

One of the current leading tourism experts, Doug Lansky, will speak for the first time in Croatia about positive global examples of how tourism destinations are positioned, developed and grown. Doug's lectures have always attracted a large number of listeners and attention, especially from the tourist public and the profession, and he has a large base of followers in Croatia as well.

It is crucial to emphasize that after the conference, meetings with the private sector in each area follow, in order to gather all concrete solutions into one strategic document, with a clear argument of the whole issue, and most importantly, with concrete solutions offered to accelerate market change. A document that will integrate the views of the private as well as the public sector, with the aim of consensus on the main challenges with a specific time interval on how to overcome them.

There will also be an after party in a location yet to be announced, with discounted drinks and a chance for attendees to network with like-minded progressive tourism professionals, as well as meet some of the conference speakers. 

Tickets can be purchased directly from HRTurizam.

For Earlybird entries, which run through March 20, tickets are 750 kuna, or 40% of the total ticket price. After March 20, the ticket price will be 1250 kuna. Seats are limited.

Don't miss out on the first-ever One Day or Day One tourism conference in Zagreb!

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

ZAGREB, February 6, 2020 - Croatia is seeing a noticeable decline in tourist arrivals from China in the first week of February as a result of comprehensive and strict measures by Chinese authorities to contain the coronavirus outbreak, and travel demand is expected to stabilise in the coming period, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) told Hina.

Some 4,400 Chinese tourists have visited Croatia since the start of the year and generated 7,600 overnight stays, which are respective increases of 49% and 19% compared with the same period in 2019, HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said.

"This growth is as planned and is the result of activities aimed at encouraging further arrivals from China. We have recorded a decline in tourist turnover from that market in February as a result of strict measures taken by the Chinese government and certain travel restrictions for the whole of February. Yet, Chinese tourists who were already in Europe during the emergency have continued their journeys," Staničić said, adding that the HTZ was in close contact with its office in Shanghai.

He expressed hope that the Chinese authorities would succeed in stabilising the situation as soon as possible so that demand from the Far East would recover. He said he did not expect any major consequences because Chinese tourists most often visited Croatia from mid-March onwards.

More news about relationship between Croatia and China can be found in the Politics section.

January 30, 2020 - Days of Croatian Tourism in Moscow is a business event organized by the Representative Office of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Moscow because of the great importance of the Russian market, the steady growth of Russian tourist arrivals in recent years, and the interest of the Croatian and Russian tourism industry.

HRTurizam reports that Days of Croatian Tourism is a significant b2b event where the leading people of Croatian and Russian tourism are expected. Russian and Croatian colleagues will lead the panels, while there will be business workshops (general, nautical and medical tourism), and the leading Russian tour operators and agencies present.

This event is an ideal opportunity for all representatives of Croatian tourism to start or expand cooperation with the Russian tourism sector, as well as to significantly increase tourist traffic from the Russian market, which has been recovering and growing for years.

“The growth of tourist traffic from the Russian market compared to last year will amount to almost 14 percent, and the interest of Russian tourists and the Russian tourism sector for Croatian destinations is constantly increasing. Considering that Russian tourists are at the top of the list in terms of consumption, it is really important to constantly work on promoting Croatia as a top destination for Russian tourists,” said the Director of the HTZ Representative Office in Russia, Rajko Ruzicka, adding that Croatia is again in the selection of the Russian edition of National Geographic magazine, listed among the top three destinations for family vacations.

“We are convinced that this event is an ideal opportunity for all representatives of Croatian tourism to start or expand cooperation with the Russian tourism sector and to significantly increase tourist traffic from the Russian market, which has been recovering and growing for years. January is the right time for business deals, since tour operators and travel agencies in Russia are intensively preparing trips to Croatia and finalizing their summer programs to market,” the Croatian National Tourist Board said.

At the event, a business workshop called "Sell Croatia" (B2B workshop) is held between Croatian tourist entities and foreign partners.

Namely, “Sell Croatia” connects representatives of the Croatian tourism industry (hotel-tourist companies, travel agencies and DMC, Tourist Board systems) with foreign partners, business meetings with partners and negotiate services and/or packages.

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

January 27, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board is conducting its first branding campaign this year, which will be implemented in different key periods, in 16 key markets, until the end of July.

HRTurizam reports that the main goal of the brand campaign is to further increase Croatia's recognition as an attractive tourist destination with a rich offer, which is why the focus of this campaign is on the most recognizable Croatian tourism products such as sun and sea, wine and gastronomy, active tourism, nautical tourism, and culture.

The tourist board’s first brand campaign is being conducted in the markets of Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Hungary, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia and Spain.

Campaign activities will be conducted through online and offline channels, that is, television programs, print media, outdoor and display advertising channels, social networks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and YouTube channels, the Croatian Tourist Board points out.

“The strength of the Croatian tourism brand has been continuously growing for several years, making our country increasingly recognized as a diverse and quality tourist destination. In order to keep up with positive trends, we have created a brand campaign that is carefully planned as it follows the preferences of each of the 16 selected markets. Our goal is to offer our guests what they are looking for, and that we are successful in showing the preliminary results of the latest TOMAS research, according to which their satisfaction with most elements of the offer grows, especially with the hospitality of the hosts, hiking and biking trails, the presentation of cultural heritage, the quality of information in the destination, but also the variety of events and the gastronomic offer,” said Croatian National Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic.

Otherwise, as previously announced, the Croatian Tourist Board will carry out four major promotional campaigns in 2020, that is, two pre- and postseason promotional campaigns and two brand campaigns.

In addition to the main campaigns of the Croatian National Tourist Board, in 2020, there will also be campaigns for the promotion of business and nautical tourism, advent and a campaign aimed at the domestic market, which will stimulate domestic tourist traffic in the periods before and after the season.

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

January 25, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), which is at the New York Times Travel Show from January 24 to 26, said that Croatia is among the most sought-after tourist destinations, based on the results of market research and the booking announcements by major tourist associations. 

Glas Istre reports that HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic also visited the fair, along with the tourist boards from Zagreb, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia, Zadar and Lika-Senj counties, who are also presenting their offer in New York, HTZ announced.

“Presenting the Croatian tourism offer at the New York Fair is of strategic importance, especially if we know that the US market is one of the most important distant markets for Croatia, from which we generate the largest tourist traffic.

The continuation of American Airlines flights between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik will further stimulate US tourist traffic this year, and the ultimate goal we are intensively working on is stronger air connections between the US and Croatia,” said Stanicic.

He noted that 655,000 arrivals and more than 1.8 million overnight stays were recorded in Croatia last year by American tourists, which represents an annual increase of 12 percent.

During his stay in New York, Stanicic met with representatives of Travel Show Marketing Group, a company that specializes in independent events and brings together tourist entities, buyers and sellers in forums they organize around the world. The topic of the meeting was related to the possibility of Croatia hosting the Travel Agent Forum in 2021, when it is estimated that the forum would bring together 90 European suppliers and travel partners and about 150 US travel agencies.

"This year's appearance at the New York Times Travel Show reaffirmed Croatia's popularity as a leading growing destination for Americans and announced another successful year with double-digit arrivals and overnight stays from the US. Croatia is truly one of the most desirable tourist destinations, supported by the market research results and booking announcements by major travel associations such as USTOA, Virtuoso, Signature Travel Network and Travel Leaders Group, and numerous articles in leading US media such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Financial Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, USA Today,” said Ina Rodin, director of the HTZ New York office.

A meeting was also held with representatives of the platform and mobile application TravPRO MOBILE, the first of its kind in the market to connect mobile learning and sales. It is an agent training and sales consulting program designed to help agents sell destinations more effectively. Currently, they provide services to more than 60,000 professional travel advisors from the United States and are also collaborating with China's leading B2B travel agency, Dragon Trail Interactive.

Otherwise, major trends in Americans' travel last year include multi-generational travel, discovering new destinations and authentic experiences - or “Live Like A Local" experiences, "transformational" travel, responsible tourism, active tourism, and cruises. Americans in Croatia especially love visits to natural and cultural attractions with a focus on UNESCO sites, nautical tourism, active holidays, and especially visits to locations where the famous HBO series Game of Thrones was filmed, as well as one-of-a-kind gastronomic experiences. Americans visit Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb most. 

The New York Times Travel Show is visited by more than 35,000 visitors who view the offer of more than 700 exhibitors from 175 countries around the world, making this fair the largest tourism fair in North America.

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