Southern Istrian Cluster of Tourist Boards Sign Association Agreement
February the 7th, 2021 - The Southern Istrian cluster of Tourist Boards are set to join forces as we head towards 2021's summer season, which will roll around more quickly than we currently imagine.
As Barbara Ban/Novac writes, the Southern Istrian cluster of Tourist Boards, so those of Pula, Vodnjan, Medulin, Fazana, Liznjan and Marcana, have all decided to further intensify their cooperation before what will hopefully be a good tourist season rolls around this summer and as such have signed an Association Agreement in order to jointly implement activities aimed at developing a tourist product and promoting the Southern Istrian region as a destination.
For 2020, two projects were prepared for which the desire, according to financial possibilities, was to be implemented in the entire destination: to brand it as pet friendly - and to properly arrange, mark out and promote trails and tracks across the wider Southern Istrian region.
''As 2020 was marked by the coronavirus virus, this plan failed to be realised. Back at the end of 2020, the Croatian National Tourist Board passed a decree distributing funds collected to the Association Fund in 2020 to all associations, and 178,335 kuna was paid to us. With regard to the funds received, the Southern Istrian cluster has decided to start with the implementation of the pet friendly project, for which a visual identity will be created, and interested accommodation and catering/hospitality facilities will be branded.
All available services and all available infrastructure across the destination for pets will also be properly recorded. After collecting all of the relevant information, it will be placed on the websites and social media platforms of all tourist boards which belong to the Southern Istrian cluster and promotion will be launched, initially, towards nearby markets, ie towards those who will be interesting as potential guests according to the whole situation related to coronavirus.
They also hope that a call for the allocation of funds for the United Fund for 2021 will be issued soon, and that they will be able to invest in the infrastructure for pets with the additional cash.
''We'd like to invite all interested accommodation facilities to contact their tourist boards in the Southern Istrian cluster and fill out a questionnaire that will define their orientation towards pets. We're also inviting all catering and hospitality facilities to contact us if they accept pets so that we can brand them and list them as pet friendly facilities, we're also reaching out to all other entities that provide services for pets so that we don't miss anyone,'' they stated from the Southern Istrian cluster of tourist boards.
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Six Istrian Tourist Boards Team Up in a New Association South Istria
December 19, 2020 – The Tourist Boards of Vodnjan, Medulin, Fažana, Ližnjan, Marčana, and Pula are joining a new association called South Istria to develop tourism in Southern Istria.
As HRturizam reports, the tourist boards mentioned above signed the agreement, and Pula Tourist Board will be the main coordinator. The newly-formed association's goal is the joint implementation of activities aimed at developing a tourist product and promoting the destination through the cluster program of Southern Istria.
Namely, the new Law on Tourist Boards and the Promotion of Croatian Tourism encourages their association and the establishment for the area of several units of local or regional self-government. In addition to the allocation of financial resources from the Fund for Associated Tourist Boards established for this purpose, into which funds from paid tourist taxes and membership fees are issued, tourist boards have at their disposal a project (agreement) or formal association.
By the end of the year, all proposed and validated programs for the association of tourist boards must be signed in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. According to unofficial estimates, there will be about twenty of them.
South Istria - Five Friendly destinations among the first joint projects
Among the first joint projects, the South Istria tourist boards prepare a project called South Istria – Pet Friendly.
"Given the trends and high demand for pet-friendly accommodation, we want to cover this service on a wider scale. We will highlight and promote information about places where pets are welcome, and thus make it easier for both guests and hosts," points out South Istria – Pet Friendly.
One of the conditions for inclusion in the Pet-Friendly project is that a pet's accommodation must be allowed in the accommodation unit with the owner. Also, the unit must not contain objects and substances harmful to pets (various poisons for disinfection, disinsection, poisonous plants, unprotected electrical installation, unprotected garden with free access to the road, etc.).
Besides, the accommodation owner must prominently display house rules for pet owners and, at the request of the guest, it is necessary to provide a container for food, water, a mat, and a towel for the pet. For facilities that meet the required criteria, the landlord will sign a contract with the local tourist board and be specially promoted.
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