After Zagreb, Split, Pula, Opatija, Šibenik, Rovinj, Omiš, Hvar, Munich and Graz, Poreč joined the running cities included in the SightRun mobile application.

The Tourist Board of Poreč presented the new tourist product SightRun - a mobile application of audio running tours aimed at active guests in the city. Visitors in Poreč who enjoy running can now follow five audio running tours, which are all 9 to 9.6 kilometers long, reports HRTurizam on July 15, 2019.

The Poreč City Tour - North and Porec City Tour - South begin in front of the City Hall, while other tours start in front of the Valamar and Plava Laguna hotels. Thus, the Valamar Borik Tour starts in front of the Valamar Zagreb Hotel and the Valamar Diamant Tour in front of the Valamar Diamant Hotel. The Plava Laguna Run begins in front of Hotel Molindrio Plava Laguna. All tours are available in Croatian and English and are free for users.

“We are proud of the results achieved so far, but are also aware of the fact that we cannot leave the development of tourism to chance, so we are seriously planning to establish five-year development initiatives to realize our vision of becoming the leading Croatian destination for family and active holidays, which will offer a wide range of sports and recreational activities alongside the sun and the sea. By introducing the SightRun application, we invest in infrastructure that will raise the ambiance of the cluster and enhance guest experiences and brand our destination as runner-friendly. The slogan of our visual identity "You Complete Us" speaks in favor of the great enthusiasm of all those involved in the tourist offer to provide our guests with unforgettable moments in Poreč,” said director of the Poreč Tourist Board, Nenad Velenik.

Toni Hrvatin, head of destination and product development in Valamar, added that Valamar actively invests in the development of sports infrastructure, programs and a wide range of outdoor events in the destinations in which it operates. 

“We consider that it is necessary to invest in the development of a running segment, which is followed by a rapidly growing trend globally. The SightRun application is a great example of an innovative tourism product and an additional offer for guests and locals. The application paths cover and present all the beauties of Poreč, so we are delighted that we, together with our destination partners in Poreč, supported the development of this project."

Goran Vrus, assistant director of sports operations at Plava Laguna, said that Plava Laguna was aware of the growing popularity of running as a sport and a choice for recreation. 

"For several years we have been the host of the successful Plava Laguna half marathon, and this year we brought the Plava Laguna Triathlon 5150, IRONKIDS and Iron Girl races for the first time to Poreč. It is on that threshold that Plava Laguna complements the offer with the announced running tours for all guests who do not want to give up running on their vacation. Travelers rely on their mobile devices to collect information and many other activities before, during and after a trip, so it's important to recognize their needs and provide them with innovative content and unforgettable experiences - and through their favorite media, available at any time.”

SightRun is a free mobile application that connects running and tours and uses a GPS navigation system for mobile navigation and audio tracking that gives the user interesting information about the city. For this very reason, it does not matter how fast or slow the user is moving. To use the app, the user only needs headphones and doesn't need to look at their mobile device during the run, allowing complete freedom of movement while sightseeing of the city.

"We are extremely pleased that Poreč is joining the Runner Friendly destinations supported through the SightRun application. This cooperation not only contributes to the development of the destination but together, we are building the image that we can be innovative in tourism with our domestic technological solutions as well. I believe that the Croatian startup scene can offer even more interesting solutions, from which all actors in tourism can benefit,” said Sandra Bortek, the marketing director of SightRun.

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