Tuesday, 5 July 2022

32nd Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag Brings Best of Tennis to Istria in July

July 5, 2022 - The 32nd Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag tournament will be held from July 22 to 31!

Top tennis, an attractive music program, excellent culinary delights, and the great promotion of Umag, Istria, and Croatian tourism - all this will mark the 32nd edition of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag tournament, which will be held this season from July 22 to 31, reports HTS. This is guaranteed by some of the best tennis players in the world, such as Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Italian Jannik Sinner, Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, Dane Holger Rune, and Croatian representative Borna Ćorić, whose arrival was announced at a press conference held in Zagreb.

"With such a stellar line-up of players on the list of registered participants, we can say that a top tennis event awaits us in Umag. Carlos Alcaraz is the biggest tennis story of today when talking about young players who should have a great career ahead of them, and Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune go with him in the same sentence. So we will have three of today's biggest young stars at the tournament but at the same time players who are already doing great things in professional tennis. There is also Georgian tennis player Basilashvili, last year's Indian Wells finalist, the ever-improving Argentinian Sebastian Baez, the winner of Umag in 2016, Italian Fabio Fognini, and of course, Croatia's Davis Cup representative Borna Ćorić. Borna will receive an invitation to the main tournament, and Umag is very important to him after returning from injury. He recently won the ATP Challenger in Parma, which shows that he is returning to his old form, so we believe he will be among the main candidates for a top result in Stella Maris. Together, we can announce a fantastic tournament," said tournament director Tomislav Poljak.

The Umag ATP tournament will be a great link between sports and tourism again this year, with a live broadcast in more than 140 countries worldwide. This makes it an excellent tennis event and an important promotional one.

"The Umag ATP tournament is one of the longest-running major events in Croatia that combines tourism and sport. Being part of the ATP tournament is no small thing, and we are proud to have such a tournament in Croatia. On the other hand, large sporting events are also the reason for visiting the destination, and we believe that Umag and this tournament bring Istria and Croatia additional promotion worldwide. That's why the Ministry of Tourism and Sports stands by this tournament, and we will continue to nurture cooperation for such a big event," said Josip Pavić, special advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Sports.

Dubravko Šimenc, a specialist for the Croatian Tourist Board's marketing projects, agreed.

"This is precisely the backbone of our cooperation with the organizers of the tournament because basic tourist products, such as the sun and the sea, are no longer a sufficient motive for coming to a destination, but we must all work together continuously to create and market competitive tourist experiences, and Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, as the oldest tennis tournament in Croatia, is certainly one of them."

This year, Umag will also be the center of tennis where, in addition to the players in the main tournament, 600 recreational players will compete in side tournaments such as the traditional VIP tournament, the HEPi tournament, the Umag Stars Open, and the third ITF wheelchair tennis tournament. It continues with the Road to Umag, a series of tournaments around Croatia that has its final at the Umag tournament. Furthermore, this year's ATP Umag edition will, for the first time, provide all tournament enthusiasts with a fully digital experience through the official WhatsApp chatbot provided by Vodnja's Infobip, the leading IT company in the region and the tournament's technology partner. Through the WhatsApp chatbot, visitors will receive the necessary information about the tournament and the players and a variety of video content. In addition, they will have the opportunity to buy tickets, participate in prize quizzes, and more.

You can follow the news about the tournament at www.croatiaopen.hr

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

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag Awarded Best Sporting Event in Istria

December 18, 2019 - The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag was awarded the Golden Goat (Zlatna koza) - Capra d'oro, the annual award of the Istria County Tourist Board as the most successful sporting event.

HRTurizam writes that these are awards given to an individual or group for their outstanding contribution in the field of marketing activities in tourism in Istria, especially in the field of product promotion and tourism promotion for activities, products and projects in the area of Istria County.

"The ATP Croatia Open is an event that has made Croatia, Istria and Umag recognized worldwide. It is a strong brand that symbolizes the values promoted by the Istria County Tourist Board, namely lifestyle, dynamism, innovation, gastronomy and quality. This award is more than deserved, because everyone cannot survive in all circumstances and maintain such a level of organization for thirty years in a row, therefore, sincere congratulations to all who contributed to it,” said Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria County Tourist Board, at the award ceremony.

The award was received on behalf of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag by Arlen Brozić, director of the Executive Board of the tournament, along with Vili Bassanese, Mayor of the City of Umag and Milovan Popović, Director of the Umag Tourist Board.

"We are extremely honored to have been awarded this recognition. ATP Umag has contributed to the development of Croatian tennis and the promotion of Croatian tourism from the very beginning, and in 30 years has confirmed its strong position as a promoter of sports, as well as of Umag, Istria and Croatia. With ten days of tennis, music, and gourmet programs, ATP Umag is a successful tourist story that is broadcast through TV matches in 100 countries around the world,” said Arlen Brozić, Executive Director of Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag Executive Board.

The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag is one of the most important international events in Croatia, which greatly enhances the tourist offer of Umag, Istria and Croatia.

For 30 years, Umag has been transformed into a center of top-class tennis, great exhibitions, exciting entertainment and exceptional gourmet offerings, providing visitors with an unforgettable experience. Continuous investment in the quality and diversity of the program results in attracting an increasing number of guests from around the world, as well as a growing number of international and domestic media.

“The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag is an icon of Umag, promoting quality sport, top quality entertainment and a world-renowned gourmet offer - the ‘ingredients’ that define the town. This year is significant for Umag. The city, which was named the European City of Sport last year, was the proud host of the 30th edition of this renowned tennis spectacle this year. It is a great honor for me as Mayor of Umag, that for 30 years, the ATP Croatia Open has been promoting our city and homeland as a tourist and sporting destination around the world, and this laudable award, the Golden Goat presented to us today, is proof that we are on the right path to persevere and will be better every year,” said Vili Bassanese, Mayor of the City of Umag.

Milovan Popović, Director of the Umag Tourist Board, added that the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag has been bringing top tennis players to Umag for 30 years, contributing to the promotion of the destination all over the world, and therefore can be considered as their ambassadors. 

“In addition, during the tournament, which spans more than ten days in Umag, there are almost 500 journalists from Croatia, the region and the world who broadcast news from Umag daily. It is indisputable, therefore, that the influence of our tournament has ranked Umag, and thus Istria, as a recognizable destination ideal for sports, vacations and fun over the last 30 years,” Popović concluded.

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

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