Croatia is a favourite holiday destination for many, and numerous tourists discover the beauty of Croatia again and again. While foreign media often writes about Croatia as a dream destination, praises for environmental protection are somewhat less common. However, the renowned Forbes magazine has published a story about the Adriatic Hotel in Rovinj, part of the Maistra Collection brand, which recently decided to replace all disposable plastic items with available alternatives, which means it will become the first hotel in Croatia that is actively committed to a cleaner environment and the no-plastic-waste vacation principle. The campaign was launched on April 22, the Earth Day.

“Every human should take responsibility to protect the environment where we live, work and travel. Here in Rovinj, we have hotels right above a beautiful bay, next to a protected forest of centenary trees and on the main town square,” says Lovorka Struna, Maistra’s hotel director, as quoted by Forbes. “With this long-term initiative, we want to preserve this uniqueness and beauty, since it is ultimately about our shared future.”

As the first hotel in Croatia without disposable plastic, the Adriatic Hotel strives to be a leader in innovation and sustainability. Last year, it started using substitute paper straw instead of plastic ones, and by June the hotel will cease using 80 per cent of disposable plastic products. By the end of the year, it will have completely eliminated them from all accommodation units, bars and restaurants.

“We want to create a mindset where people will naturally refuse disposable plastics that are used for a few minutes but can last in the environment for centuries,” explains marine biologist Chiara Fumagalli, a project partner involved in the Adriatic for Adriatic campaign, as quoted by Forbes. “The idea is to inspire businesses, individuals and governments to follow suit, start a dialogue and raise awareness about the plastic pollution problem.”

The similar drive has been launched on the small island of Zlarin, which aims to become the first island in Croatia that will not use single-use plastics.

In March, the small Dalmatian island signed a charter that regulates that entrepreneurs on the island will not use disposable plastic such as bags, plates, cutlery, straws and cups. Plastic is an increasing threat to Zlarin, as a small number of inhabitants of the island face a large-scale increase in the number of tourists and guests during the summer months. About 15,000 plastic bags end up in the garbage, and plastic also pollutes the sea.

“As proof of its dedication to the cause, Croatia is hosting the very first edition of the Plastic Ocean Summit in March 2020 on the island of Mali Lošinj. It’s organised by the Ocean Alliance Conservation Member (OACM) group, a conglomerate of countries that have united to protect, preserve and clean the oceans, lakes and rivers. These are impressive major steps for a small country taking a stance against one of the world’s biggest problems,” writes Forbes.

More environmental news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, the largest single Croatian tourist project worth 600 million kunas, owned by and invested in by Maistra, is getting finalized these days. Over 500 people are working on the interior decoration and the final touches, and as those works are being finished, the landscaping of the entire Monte Mulini tourist area is being completed.

The hotel's grand opening is expected in April, and tportal visited the site. The new hotel should have 209 rooms, all with a view of the Rovinj old town, accepting 500 guests at a time and bringing over a hundred new jobs to Rovinj.

The hotel will also have six restaurants, wellness and spa centre will be on 3800 square meters, thee will be a congress hall and other luxury zones - such as the shopping promenade, which will host well-known global and local brands. It should be yet another exciting addition to one of already most high-end tourist zones in Croatia, as the opening of the this hotel will be the final chapter in the completion of the already existing tourist zone called Monte Mulini.

And some of the world's (and local) architects and designers worked on the project for the hotel, including Lissoni Architecture, a Milan-based studio owned by Piero Lissoni, who is often said to be one of the most famous Italian designers in the world, whose art is displayed in many museums around the world.

Tportal also visited the construction site for the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj in May last year, and one of the things they made note of even back then was the attention to detail by the investor, as the 50-meter high construction cranes were decoratively illuminated, to make sure that the view of the construction site from the town and the surroundings was as pleasant as possible - while the construction itself was taking place.

The investment is worth 539 million kunas, and the hotel will be opened next year.

In the municipality of Vrsar in Istria, Maistra plans to build a golf course named ‘Stancija Grande' on an area of 100 hectares.

The Ministry of Tourism for the 2016/2017 school year, and under the programme for encouraging staff education in catering and tourism, will co-finance 245 students to be educated in hospitality and tourism professions and occupations related to the development of special forms of tourism. The Ministry, since first implementing this program in 2008, has thus far co-financed 703 scholarship holders.

Istria Tourist Board, in cooperation with hotel company Maistra, has organized the first Istria Gourmet Festival with an aim to introduce new global trends and design perspective for the future development of Istrian gastronomy. The one-day event will be held on Monday, October 10 in the old tobacco factory on Obala Vladimira Nazora in Rovinj.

Outgoing government decides to expand the portfolio of strategically important projects.

The hotel is the largest investment in Istrian tourism this year.

This year's Rovinj Summer Festival is held July 17th-September 27th.