PR TEXT - June 10, 2022 - After visiting the best of the Mediterranean, including the heavenly Biokovo Skywalk and the WTA tournament in Makarska, tasting wine on Brač and Hvar, and enjoying the view of Zlatni Rat, the Hvar Historical Theater, and the Pakleni Islands, the digital creators got to peek into Inland Dalmatia during the International Meeting of Travel Influencers.

Recall, this is a unique project of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and the editor of the Croatian Hotspots magazine, Maja Zlokić, which thus entered its spectacular finale.

Inland Dalmatia is great for active holidays and sightseeing, and was there a better city to start this adventure than the heroic Sinj? Nothing speaks of Sinj as eloquently as the Sinjska Alka Museum. The guests enjoyed a museum tour with many uniforms, equipment, weapons used by the Sinj Alkars, Alkar statutes, and digital displays. Of particular delight were the life-size display of the Alkar procession and the replay of the 1715 Battle of Sinj, where the influencer group could experience the glorious battle in a multimedia environment.

However, the real euphoria arose during the visit to the Sinj Hippodrome, when the cameras of the digital creators did not stop clicking during the encounter with beautiful horses, which many wanted to pet and feed. The beauties of Sinj have taken over Instagram stories and posts, and the group gained a great insight into the Sinj tradition, from ancient times related to horse breeding and training, as indicated by three centuries of the Alka and many domestic and international horse tournaments.

The real hit on Wednesday was the mystical blue-green eye - the source of the Cetina. It is a photogenic location that Instagram has adored for a long time because of its stunning turquoise colors, but also incredibly picturesque ambiance, which contributes to the proximity of nearby sacral buildings, which seem to obscure this unusual natural phenomenon - the Church of the Holy Salvation.

There was also content for culture lovers, and the favorite photo of the source is from a bird's eye view. Many of the influencers, such as Goran Jović - one of the ambassadors of this project, and his wife, photo & travel blogger Diana Loos, already have an affinity for beautiful photography and were delighted by this ambiance, just like the beauties of Imotski - the Blue and Red Lake. Stories have been told about them since ancient times, and one of the most impressive moments related to these top Imotski attractions is when the Blue Lake dries up and becomes a football field! Playing football at the bottom of the lake is a real treat, and photos of this event will travel worldwide!

Slightly sad about the last day of the meeting, but at the same time overjoyed about the great experience, quality content, and unparalleled inspiration, the influencers promised Central Dalmatia one thing - this parting is only for a short time.

All photos by Goran Jovic

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PR TEXT - June 8, 2022 - The International Meeting of Travel Influencers, organized by the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and editor of Croatian Hotspots magazine Maja Zlokić, entered its third and fourth day. After Split and Makarska, the content team moved to the islands of Brač and Hvar.

The visit to Brač began with the emblematic Bol and Zlatni Rat beach, whose views under the slogan 'Symbol of the Adriatic' have long represented domestic tourism in the world. Elevated to the next level with a magnificent bird's eye view, the influencers formed a heart with their bodies to be photographed on the recognizable horn of Zlatni Rat, which changes shape and position depending on the wind. 

Wine tasting and bites at the famous Bol winery "Stina, where wooden barrels hold the finest varieties of award-winning Stina wine.

After tasting plavac, opolo, and prošek, the influencers left for Hvar. The mayor of Hvar, Rikardo Novak, and the head of the Department of Culture, Katija Vučetić, welcomed them on Croatia's sunniest island, showing them some of the most precious gems of their culture, such as the famous Arsenal and the Hvar Historical Theater. They used their expert eye to convey the beauty of the interiors. Complemented by a musical background, they managed to peek inside, dominated by red velvet and gold. The influencers pointed out that wherever they are photographed, they must indicate the location to inform their followers of where they are, which facilities to visit, where to drink the best coffee, and eat well, which is the driving force of this project. 

At sunset, they went to the Hvar Fortress Fortica. Apart from the magical ambiance, the group was delighted by Tommy catering and Plančić winery. In addition to the famous Plavac mali, everyone enjoyed their rosé, which every wine lover noticed for its intoxicating notes of peach, plum, watermelon, and wild strawberries!

After overnighting in Hvar town, the next destination was the Pakleni Islands. While sailing, Instagram stories lit up with beautiful sea views. The influencer couple from Poland, known as Crolovepl, published a beautiful shot of sea foam on the surface, and their compatriot Anna Wizental enthusiastically posted a photo of the enchanting turquoise sea, which shows a white sandy bottom. The group sailed, partied, and feasted, and when "Makeba" came on the playlist, the digital divas gave up sunbathing and danced to irresistible African and French rhythms. This exciting musical melange, a favorite background on Instagram Reels for months, could easily be the official soundtrack of this gathering where the essence is getting to know different cultures, dynamism, creativity, and positivity.

The Pakleni Islands also played the host of a great lunch in an ambiance that reminded many of sumptuous Greek restaurants. Seeing the beautiful interior in natural materials, bright wood colors, and cute swings, the influencers were happy with their aperitifs - fine white wines and cocktails with decorative flower petals.

The final day took off to the intriguing Inland Dalmatia, a visit to Sinj and the Sinjska Alka Museum, the Kamičak fortress, and the enigmatic gems of the Imotski region - the Red and Blue Lakes! 

All photos by Goran Jovic

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PR TEXT - June 3, 2022 - The International Meeting of Travel Influencers which started on the first day of June is spreading across social networks and local news portals.

After exciting and delicious events that honored attractive cultural heritage and local gastronomy, it was time for a conference and roundtable on the "Impact of travel influencers on the tourism industry". 

Thus, the creative ideas and marketing tools of the digital divas and multimedia heroes from all over the world were shared at the Amphora hotel with a lecture by the professor of the Faculty of Political Science Zagreb, Domagoj Bebić.

Bebić compared the new media demand with food, which, under the influence of pandemic trends and earlier, put tourism influencers in a very important place. Bebić said that gathering so many influential social networking representatives in one place is an excellent step by the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, otherwise known for its innovation and tourism pioneering and a strong focus on innovations in the world tourism trends and marketing trends.

"What is interesting for me to study is how this media diet is developing and the future of these trends," said the professor.

"Getting closer to global influencers in this way and connecting them with local tourism stakeholders is a truly innovative move that certainly positions us even more on the tourist map of Europe," he concluded, emphasizing that the arrival of influencers in the County directly affects tourism and traffic.

Apart from Professor Bebić, the forces of the tourism profession were also represented by the Head of the Global PR Department of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Lucijana Jerković, who pointed out the quality of cooperation with influencers and bloggers in various markets even during the pandemic. It is believed that the communication with the surrounding countries contributed to the excellent tourist results of Central Dalmatia, even in uncertain pandemic times. Tonči Glavina, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, also commented on the challenging pandemic conditions, emphasizing the need for people to travel and spend some time outside their residence as an integral part of their quality of life.

"Accordingly, we have chosen the path to position ourselves as the first country in Europe to send a message of opening and security," said Glavina.

Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, spoke about the exceptional power of social networks, which today no one can deny.

"The roundtable served as an opportunity to present to influencers our tourism figures, events, projects we are working on, and our results. As a result, we can boast that we have the best results on social networks of all local tourist boards in Croatia," Stella proudly pointed out, adding specific figures. Thus, Central Dalmatia has over 690 thousand followers on Facebook, over 36 million views on YouTube, and over 50,000 followers on Instagram.

"We also mentioned the 'Maritime Routes' project, where we went through all the nautical routes of the county with Google Street View and 52 themed trails, or 327 kilometers, which is unique in Europe. Our last project with Metaverse and NFT is unique, and this generation is interested," said Stella, proud to have organized a destination campaign using the power of influencers, which he plans to engage and implement even more in this unique International Meeting, with carefully thought out and developed marketing strategies.

The ambassadors of this project - the most recognizable local Instagrammer, Ella Dvornik Pearce, and the famous Croatian travel writer and adventurer Goran Jovic, also spoke at the roundtable.

"I don't know how long I have been an influencer, but if you influence someone publicly in any way, you are also a kind of influencer," said Goran.

"We shared the tools and tricks we use in business. The richness of social networks is that about thirty influential people, each different in their way, will share their impressions of our county to their followers."

"I came to promote Dalmatia - with a purger accent!" joked Ella.

"I explained to the audience how I promote a tourist destination. I gave them some advice if they want to hire influencers, look for them, and communicate the desired content of publications," she added. 

It should be noted that before the roundtable, other experts in the field were also in attendance - Lucijana Natalija Jerkovic, head of global PR in the Croatian Tourist Board, and director of the Istrian Tourist Board Denis Ivosevic, and the County deputy prefect Stipe Čogelja. Although he modestly admitted that he uses only Facebook, he is well aware that people in Dalmatia should fall in love. This will be helped by influencers, who have succeeded so far with their highly aesthetic posts and fantastic photos of natural or gourmet beauties. Central Dalmatia, without exception, makes us want to walk into the screen. However, he emphasized that there is still room for improvement in cooperation with influencers and that he nurtures the strategy of visiting a different Croatian island every year. Furthermore, at the county level, called "Hidden Dalmatia," he announced raising the potential for tourism in rural Dalmatia, calling it a nicer and better version of French Provence.

The day continued at the magnificent Skywalk and WTA tournament in Makarska. We can't wait to see how photo & travel blogger Diana Loos from Brazil, Karlovac's Marjeta Kessler, and Anne Wizental and her Polish compatriots Agnieszka and Woytek Tyuls, better known as Crolovepl present this content on social networks!

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