February 8, 2022 - The Zagreb and Zagreb County Gault & Millau guide has been released for the first time at the initiative of the Zagreb Tourist Board and in cooperation with the Zagreb County Tourist Board.

At the initiative of the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ) and in cooperation with the Zagreb County Tourist Board (TZZŽ), Zagreb and its surroundings received their own edition of one of the most relevant gastronomic guides in the world - Gault & Millau (GM). Thus, for the first time in history, a bilingual (Croatian / English) edition of the guide was published, containing reviews and photos of 100 restaurants, taverns, snack bars, POP bars, and patisseries in Zagreb and the surrounding area, reports Novi List.

The guide was promoted with an awards ceremony for the chefs of the best restaurants in Zagreb. As a result, the Atrium by Filho, Le Bistro, Baltazar, Balon, Tač, Dubravkin put, Bistro Apetit by Marin Rendić, Noel, ManO2, and ManO can be proud of three characteristic chef's hats which suggest they run a high-quality kitchen.

Four caps, or a very high-quality kitchen, was awarded to Zinfandel’s at Esplanade, receiving a 17 out of a possible 20, while at the very top with a respectable 17.5 points is NAV and chef Tvrtko Šakota.

This is the assessment of GM inspectors who visit restaurants undercover, pay for their meals properly and evaluate everything according to GM rules. Šokota of NAV also thanked everyone, primarily colleagues, because, as he said, this is a job that must be loved to do, even at a high level.

"Congratulations to all our caterers who are deservedly included in the first edition of Zagreb, which further valorizes the gastronomic offer of our city. Special congratulations to the 11 award-winning Zagreb chefs, and I believe that their GM ratings and awards will incentivize them to continue striving for excellence in creating the overall gastronomic experience.

Namely, this type of experience is one of the most important motives for the arrival of our guests in Zagreb and its surroundings and the reason for choosing an individual restaurant," said Martina Bienenfeld, director of the Tourist Board.

The Deputy Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Luka Korleat, pointed out that this small but large book shows the Zagreb gastronomic scene in all its diversity.

GM's director for Croatia, Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, pointed out that there are certainly more restaurants that deserve a place in the guide. Still, due to the limited number, they could not be included in this year's selection of the print edition.

"However, they will be presented on the GM website, where the content of the guide for the whole of Croatia is available, and annually records as many as 2.5 million users and six million views," said Badurina Danielsson, noting that the print edition of Gault & Millau Croatia 2022 for the whole Croatia will be published on April 5, 2022.

Gault & Millau was launched in 1965 in France, and today the guide is published in about twenty countries. The yellow labels guarantee quality as GM's motto is "luxury is in quality, not price".

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

September 15, 2021 - The Zagreb Tourist Board sports website has been created in cooperation with the Croatian Olympic Committee to show the capital as a modern sports center.

In cooperation with the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Zagreb Tourist Board has published a new website dedicated to sports in Zagreb. You can check it out HERE.

Given the growing importance of Zagreb as a modern sports center and the need to further position Zagreb in the segment of sports tourism, the site includes an overview of current sporting events, a list of sports and recreational facilities and halls, proposed activities, and a historical overview of rich Zagreb and Croatian sports history, reports HRTurizam.

"TZGZ develops sports tourism as a special form of the tourist offer that contributes to creating a new, quality, and competitive position in the tourism market," says the director of TZGZ, Martina Bienenfeld, and adds that Zagreb has repeatedly proven itself as a top host of numerous domestic and international sporting events, including various world championships and world cups.

“Also, our city offers great outdoor and indoor spaces for professional, amateur, and recreational sports, as well as for sports preparations of foreign and domestic competitors. Our pages unite in one place the entire Zagreb sports offer, thus providing the necessary information in a clear, efficient, and effective way. In addition, the new pages represent a platform for concrete promotional activities that we will intensify with a new promotional film dedicated to sports in Zagreb.

Congratulations to all our Olympians and Paralympians on the great successes achieved at the Olympic Games, where we once again showed that, although we are a small country, we can achieve great sporting as well as tourist successes," said Bienenfeld.

The President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, said that in addition to the impressive results of Zagreb athletes who promote the City, the tourist effects achieved through sports events are very much part of this success story.

"Almost every year, we have sporting events that significantly affect the occupancy of tourist facilities in Zagreb, and those already established and world-famous, such as the Snow Queen or Hanžek, have been doing so for many years. As a perennial European capital of tourism at the time of Advent events, the Sljeme Snow Queen gives Zagreb an additional icing on the tourist attractions at this time of year. The renovated RŠC Jarun also offers an opportunity for major sporting events of the European and world level, so we will soon talk more about it in the context of sports offer and sports tourism. Numerous smaller sporting events with a long tradition also significantly enrich Zagreb's sports offer, which is truly diverse and has it united in one place - it is to be commended," said Mateša.

The website is available in six languages ​​- English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and, of course, Croatian, and the navigation is designed by categories that can be searched quickly and easily.

The Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, stated that Croatia has proven to be an excellent host in the organization of numerous sports events. The management of such events contributes to a more complete and diverse tourist offer.

"By developing sports tourism, we also contribute to the development of year-round tourism, so I welcome this cooperation between the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Croatian Olympic Committee, whereby tourists, especially sports fans, will have the opportunity to learn all the information about current sports events in one place and get to know Zagreb and Croatian sports history better. Therefore, I hereby call on all organizers of sports and other events to once again take responsibility and respect for epidemiological measures, and tourists to responsibly enjoy the rich tourist offer of Zagreb and Croatia."

For the needs of promoting Zagreb as an ideal sports destination, a promotional film was made and available on the official YouTube channel as well as on the website: https://sport.infozagreb.hr/

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

June 26, 2021 - A look at the 5th day of Zagreb Digital Nomad Week and the first digital nomad ambassador!

The announcement of Veronica Mulhall as the ambassador of 'Zagreb Digital Nomads' concluded the fifth day of 'Digital Nomad Week' on Friday, where the organizers Saltwater Nomads, Total Croatia News, and the Zagreb Tourist Board presented the advantages, opportunities, and possibilities of the Croatian capital for remote digital nomad work, reports Jutarnji List. 

In July, Veronica Mulhall will be the first ambassador - a digital nomad who will work and live in Zagreb for a month. 

"Congratulations to Veronica on this election, Zagreb welcomes her, and I think she will have a wonderful time in our city; that is, she will have great opportunities to find her new job office here. We will introduce her to everything that Zagreb has to offer digital nomads," said Petra Maršić Buljan from the Zagreb Tourist Board.

The 'Zagreb Digital Nomads' ambassador was preceded by three 'Digital Nomad Week' panels which analyzed future trends in the labor market, digital nomads as a solution to changes in the labor market, and Croatian policies in accepting and deepening global trends in teleworking.

Jose Alfonso Kusijanović

Before the panels, the participants were given a lecture by blogger and labor market researcher Albert Canigueral on the future of work.

"The future of work has three dimensions, the future of the job itself, the job and the fulfillment of business tasks or goals. Nomads are one of the solutions for the future of the workplace, and how far we have come in applying this way of working is evidenced, among other things, by the example of employers in the Swedish transport business who are committed to regulating the work of truck drivers from home," said Canigueral. He recalled the thesis of the famous sociologist Peter Drucker that the basic question of the labor market is not to find answers to the demands that arise but to ask a key question of the labor market.

After Canigueral’s presentation, the first three panels of the ‘Digital Nomad Week’ closing day entitled ‘Sustainable and Self-Renewing Destinations’ followed. In addition to moderations by Ron Tardiff, the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board Martina Bienenfeld, the director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board Ana Hrnić, the author of numerous travelogues Anja Mutić, and the entrepreneur in tourism Daniel Lacko spoke about sustainable and self-renewing tourist destinations.

Ron Tardiff, one of the winners of the last Dubrovnik Digital Nomads in Residence competition, discussed Sustainable and Regenerative Destinations with a panel that included Martina Bienenfeld, CEO of the Zagreb Tourist Board. (Jose Alfonso Kusijanović)

Ana Hrnić pointed out that the tourist season in the pearl of Croatian tourism in Dubrovnik is currently under the strong influence of last year's consequences of the coronavirus and large restrictions in air traffic on Dubrovnik tourism, which, she warned, is an air destination. On the other hand, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board director pointed out that 2019 was a record year in terms of visiting guests for Dubrovnik tourism.

"In 2019, we took the first steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of Dubrovnik tourism, limiting the number of cruiser arrivals in the city port," said Ana Hrnić. Martina Bienenfeld reminded that the Zagreb tourist offer in 2020, in addition to COVID-19 and lockdown, also faced a devastating earthquake.

"I must emphasize that we have not given up our efforts to prove that we are still 'alive' as a tourist destination, and we have done many great projects and campaigns since the beginning of the pandemic. I want to remind you that Zagreb changed, and we do not give up with new stories, new projects, highlighting some of the projects such as Pimp my Pump, Mali Zagreb and Triptych. When it comes to the sustainability of the city's tourist offer, we try to prove that Zagreb is not only the capital of a beautiful tourist country but a great place to live and work," said Martina Bienenfeld.

Tanja Polegubić, organizer of Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, moderated a panel consisting of Petra Maršić Buljan from the Zagreb Tourist Board, Paul Bradbury from Total Croatia News, Dalibor Kovačević from Raiffeisen Bank Hrvatska, and Matthew Parsons from Skift. The theme was Future of Work Trends and Croatia's Global Standing. (Jose Alfonso Kusijanović)

The first panel was followed by a conversation between the moderator of ‘Digital Nomad Week’ Michael Freer, and Mandy Fransz, the founder of the company ‘Digital Leap’ for Digital Transformation.

"I heard about Croatia as a digital nomad destination, came here, and was convinced that Croatia provides a lot of events, but also opportunities for community development, which I consider the most important part of my job," said Mandy Fransz.

In the second panel, moderated by Tanja Polegubić from Saltwater Nomads, Petra Maršić Buljan from the Zagreb Tourist Board, Paul Bradbury, CEO of Total Croatia News, editor of the Skift portal Matthew Parsons and Dalibor Kovačević from Raiffeisenbank. This was followed by a presentation by Dean Kuchel, who introduced himself to the participants as a nomadic lifestyle ambassador.

Jan de Jong (Digital Nomads Association), Nikolina Pejović (Hrvatski Telekom) and Tanja Polegubić (Saltwater Nomads). (Jose Alfonso Kusijanović)

The last panel of the fifth day featured Jan de Jong, an entrepreneur who initiated the digital nomad visa in Croatia, Kristina Grbavac from the auditing company KPMG, Branka Bajt Hrvatski Telekom, and Hermes Arriaga Sierra from Impact Hub.

Asked by panel moderator Michael Freer how he came up with the idea to initiate the introduction of digital nomad visas in our country, Jan de Jong said that at his first participation in a conference on Croatian tourism, he faced the question of how to make Croatia a year-round tourist destination. The answer to the latter question, Jan de Jong, as he said, was given in the texts of Paul Bradbury on the portal Total Croatia News.

In the third and final panel, moderated by Michael Greer, Branka Bajt from Hrvatski Telekom, Kristina Grbavac from KPMG, Jan de Jong from DNA Croatia, and Hermes Arriaga Sierra from Impact Hub discussed about DNA Croatia, Policy, and Connecting a Global Community. (Jose Alfonso Kusijanović)

"In Paul’s texts, three words shone on me, digital nomad tourism. Then I started to promote this concept in my public speeches, finding great support from the followers of my speeches, but, very soon after, almost all major media in the country," said de Jong, revealing that after they received support for the development of digital nomad tourism from the Croatian Government, i.e., the Office of the Prime Minister. We managed, de Jong, concluded that Croatia becomes one of the top ten countries in the world with a visa for digital nomads. De Jong continues to implement his idea through the DNA Croatia association.

Paul Bradbury, Total Croatia News CEO, talks to Dean Kuchel, who spoke about Community Building, and Israel's Ambassador to Croatia, Ilan Mor. (Jose Alfonso Kusijanović)

"One of the DNA Croatia association goals is to extend the visa from the current six-month residence permit for digital nomads. We also want to simplify the procedures regarding the taxation of digital nomads," announced Jan de Jong.

Meet one of Friday's keynote speakers, Albert Cañigueral, one of the Dubrovnik nomads-in-residence and recently appointed to lead the Catalan Government's Transparency and Open Data, division. Albert will be focusing on the topic of the day, the future of work.  

Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld on Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, Ryanair, Tourism in Pandemic

Want to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador and live in the city for a month between July and December? 

For the latest news and features on digital nomads in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

November 25, 2020 - Following the recommendations and decisions of the authorities, Zagreb Advent 2020, under the slogan "Advent in Zagreb, feel the light" will be held in a slightly different capacity, from November 28, when the first Advent candle will be lit, until January 1, 2021. 

HRTurizam reports that special emphasis this year has been placed on cultural events, and during Advent, there will be nine different music festivals with a total of 95 concerts.

There are three novelties this year: Zagreb nativity scene, Light of Advent, and an interactive augmented reality exhibition Virtual Christmas Windows.

"Every year we try to enrich our Advent with novelties and we have decided that this year, which is extraordinary by all parameters, will not be an exception. So we prepared the Light of Advent project where we, with 10 institutions in the Upper Town, will decorate their windows in the holiday spirit, and we invite tenants and everyone else to become part of this initiative. Namely, with this project we want to begin a warm story, bring positive emotions, create a sense of community and, ultimately, encourage our fellow citizens to get involved and thus give their contribution to Advent.

Another novelty is the Zagreb Nativity Scene, more precisely the online exhibition of photographs of Christmas nativity scenes taken from 2007 to 2020, and there is also an interactive augmented reality exhibition Virtual Christmas Windows. This exhibition will bring a touch of Christmas atmosphere using animated motifs of this year's Advent in Zagreb, and will be set in 20 locations in the city in parks, squares, and large open spaces," said Martina Bienenfeld, Zagreb Tourist Board Director. 

Virtual Christmas windows

The traditional story of Advent will be connected with modern technologies, and Advent visitors will be directed to about 20 locations in the wider area of the city (squares and parks). Following the recommendations of the CNIPH, visitors will be able to see the animated content by using the Equinox XR application through their mobile phones.

Light of Advent

Light of Advent is a project by which the Zagreb Tourist Board wants to encourage certain cultural institutions in the Upper Town to decorate their windows in the holiday spirit.

"Because of the pandemic, as well as the earthquake, 2020 was and still is challenging, and with this project, we want to begin a warm story, encourage positive emotions, create a sense of community and, ultimately, encourage local people to get involved and contribute to Advent," said the Zagreb Tourist Board and added that they invited cultural institutions to join and decorate windows with Christmas decorations and positive messages from November 28 to December 31, 2020, as an incentive to others.

The Zagreb Tourist Board and its partners will arrange three locations in the Lower Town (King Tomislav Square, Zrinjevac Park, Trg Republike Hrvatske), four in the Upper Town (Gradec plateau, Bele IV Park and Strossmayer promenade east and west), and they will decorate, with the Zrinjevac branch, an Advent wreath around Manduševac and Christmas pines on St. Mark's Square and Ban Jelačić Square.

"We invite everyone to responsibly enjoy Advent this year, following all measures and recommendations of the authorities, and for those who cannot be with us, we have provided online broadcasts on our social networks," concluded the Tourist Board.

As previously announced, this year, due to the epidemiological situation, there will be no Ice Park on Tomislavac.

News, service information, as well as details of individual programs, are available on the Advent website in Zagreb: www.adventzagreb.hr, and there is also an Advent offer of Zagreb hotels that offer special holiday benefits to all guests and visitors.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

September 29, 2020 - Index.hr has learned from the City of Zagreb on Tuesday that Advent in Zagreb will be held this winter! A look at what the City said about this year's plans.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, numerous events around the world have been postponed, and it remains to be seen what the situation will be around the world, Europe and Croatia during the winter.

However, one event is crucially important for the tourism of Croatia and the City of Zagreb - and that is Advent in Zagreb. Recall, Advent in Zagreb has previously been held from the end of November or the beginning of December until the beginning of January.

Given the current circumstances with the coronavirus pandemic, many have wondered whether the award-winning event will take place this year at all, and if so, whether there will be any special measures taken. Therefore, Index.hr sent an inquiry to the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb Tourist Board, which otherwise organized this event, to find out if plans are in preparation. 

It has been confirmed to Index.hr that Advent in Zagreb will go on.

"We would like to inform you that the Advent event in Zagreb is planned to be held this year as well," they replied.

Index.hr also asked about special measures, to which they replied that they could not give any information on the matter at the moment.

"We are not able to inform you about the specific details at the moment, but the epidemiological situation and the recommendations of the competent institutions will certainly be taken into account," they concluded.

More on this soon! 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

September 10, 2020 - Zagreb and Zagreb County are developing tourism with a new destination campaign and promotional video titled "Around Zagreb."

Two months ago, the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Zagreb County Tourist Board launched an excellent partnership, jointly promoting the capital and Zagreb's 'Green Ring' through a unique destination campaign under the slogan "Around Zagreb".

HRTurizam writes that as part of the destination campaign "Around Zagreb", a special promotional film was released that emphasizes greenery, staying in nature, recreation, and the rich cultural and gastronomic offer of the capital and Zagreb's green ring.

The producer of the film is Martina Milicevic, whose video "Zagreb Wine Story" / "Winetasting Path Home" won third place in the international video competition of the highest-circulation wine magazine Wine Spectator. It is a great step forward that the film was made in English with subtitles in Croatian, as well as that in the completed segments, the film's actors are foreign nationals, which cleverly and indirectly emphasizes that it is a modern and urban European city with more than interesting surroundings - and it wants to attract tourists from around the world. 

In the film, the narrator is again American Rob Reider, a five-time Emmy Award winner for his shows and music compositions, with whom TZGZ has already had a great collaboration in the film "Zagreb Loves You." 

"In the summer period of the campaign, notable results were achieved, so most visits to www.aroundzagreb.hr came from Croatia (40%), but also from the market where the campaign was conducted - from Slovenia (35%) and Austria, Germany, and BIH (25%). It is interesting to note that we are also recording the interest of Americans, although no special promotion has been done in this market. This certainly shows that the topics of nature and outdoor activities and active tourism are obviously of interest to the US market and represent a kind of guideline for future activities," says the Zagreb Tourist Board.

The joint campaign "Close to the city, Close to the heart" was created to create a year-round platform to promote the rich offer of the capital and its surroundings. In this sense, it is planned to address important markets throughout the year, and now represents an attractive autumn offer of Zagreb and its ring.

Explore the entire tourist story of Zagreb and Zagreb County at www.aroundzagreb.hr.

This is an interesting web presentation of the tourist offer, which consists of a simple and modern web solution, with ideas for excursions, calendar of events, gastronomy, ideas for excursions, and stories about what to do for three days… and all, of course, in several languages. There is also the Around Zagreb video series, which brings various stories about tourist facilities in Zagreb and Zagreb County and gives a personal note and extra motive for experiencing Zagreb County. 

This is a win-win, both for Zagreb and for Zagreb County. After all, tourists, like tourism, do not know our invisible borders of municipalities, cities, and counties.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

November 27, 2019 - The Zagreb 80s Museum, in cooperation with the Zagreb Tourist Board, officially opened its doors on the Chinese market as the Shangai 80s - Zagreb 80s museum.

HRTurizam reports that in the center of Shanghai, at the Cool Docks location near Bund, one of the most attractive pedestrian zones in the city, the exhibition will run until February 29, 2020, and will then tour all major Chinese cities over ten years.

“After a very dynamic Year of Culture and Tourism, in which Croatian and Chinese citizens learned a lot about each other through cultural projects and tourism promotion, its official closure in China is marked by an exhibition of the 80s that will show us how much both societies have changed in the last thirty years. Croatia and China are, and I will quote the President of the National Council of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang, in a diamond period, in relations that are moving forward and which, thanks to such intensity, bring us closer together, not only politically and economically, but in the general social and cultural sense,” said Dario Mihelin, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the People's Republic of China.

Proof of this is the number of Chinese tourists visiting Croatia, which is expected to reach half a million tourists by the end of this year. In 2018, guests from China achieved 37% more arrivals (57,861) and 43% more overnight stays (81,027), placing 5th overall and 7th overall in Zagreb for overnights. Good results have been achieved this year as well, and in the first ten months, Chinese guests climbed to 4th place in arrivals and 5th place in registered nights.

"After the Museum of Broken Relationships, the Museum of Illusions and the Thematic Exhibition of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, this is another museum in Zagreb presented in Shanghai in collaboration with the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Zagreb Museum in the 1980s. We support this unique project and believe that the exhibition of the 1980s will present and promote the tourist offer of the city of Zagreb in China in an interesting way. Our city has seen a steady increase in the number of Chinese tourists, and as 2019 is the Croatian-Chinese Year of Culture and Tourism, we believe that the said project will contribute to the consolidation of tourism, cultural and friendly ties between the two cities, Zagreb and Shanghai, whose friendship will mark 40 years next year,” said Zagreb Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld.

To conclude, it is interesting to note that 2020 will be a significant year for improving mutual relations, as next year marks the 40th anniversary of friendship between Zagreb and Shanghai.

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

November 15, 2019 - ‘Let the magic begin!’ is the slogan of this year's Zagreb Advent, which will officially start on November 30 in the streets of the capital, with the traditional candle lighting in Mandusevac.

24 Sata reports that the central theme of this year’s Advent is the Nutcracker, which will be seen in several locations in the Upper and Lower Town - in the Gric Tunnel and the Oktogon. The director of the Zagreb City Tourist Board, Martina Bienenfeld, announced that there would also be Zagreb Tourist Board awards through the Zagreb Be There application. 

In addition to the Nutcracker, the emphasis this year is also on environmental awareness and reducing the use of plastics. There will also be easier access for people with disabilities at specific locations.

In addition to traditional locations such as Advent on Zrinjevac, the Ice Park, European Park, Gric Tunnel, Christmas Fairytale on Ban Jelacic Square, Fuliranje, and others, new locations were announced which will expand the event this year. 

The new locations include the Film Advent at Tuskanac, which will screen Christmas movies for all ages at 11 am and 5 pm at the Tuskanac Cinema, and at the Advent in front of HNK, guests can enjoy cultural events on the stage in front of the theater. A novelty this year is the Oktogon pass where concerts will be held.

Eleven festive music festivals have been announced around the city, like Advent postcards, Advent under Lanterna, Evenings with Brahms, Adventfest in the Cathedral, and Advent Classic Fest.

The Museum of Arts and Crafts, Croatian History Museum, and Museum of the City of Zagreb will organize special exhibitions and programs. They also announced a concert by the Swedish Professional Choir at Advent in Zrinjevac and Maksimir for the Feast of St. Lucy on December 10th.

Advent on Prekrizje will also return, where visitors will be able to find out all about Croatian customs, and it is open on weekends. In addition, ZET will introduce an exclusive line only for the specified location.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 17, 2019 - Winetastic Path Home, a story about Zagreb's wine country, wins 3rd place in Wine Spectator's 2019 Video Contest.

HRTurizam writes that Wine Spectator is the most circulated wine magazine in the world, and a feature in it is imperative of every wine destination and winemaker. 

Thus, Wine Spectator held a Video Contest for the 13th year in a row to promote wine destinations - and one Croatian destination’s wine story received the first international video production award for wine in Croatia.

Specifically, the video Winetastic Path Home, produced by Sekunde Digital, a specialized marketing agency in wine and tourism, won 3rd place for their Zagreb wine story, and more importantly, much attention in the US market. This is the first time in the 13 years of the Video Contest that Croatia was awarded.

The short video, which takes the viewer through the dynamic wine scene of Zagreb and the nearby vineyards, was shot in collaboration with the Zagreb Tourist Board. That this is a significant promotion is evidenced by the fact that the digital edition of this reputable magazine focusing on wines & lifestyle is visited by 1.1 million readers a month, and interestingly, just advertising in such a publication is much higher than investing in video production. 

The Zagreb-based agency says:

“We have encountered a number of difficulties in trying to convey to the winemakers the potential of video collaboration and the importance of consultation throughout the process. We decided to show them what they could do. No winemaker from Croatia has ever entered this international competition. There was no one to advise them, and we are working to help them and to change that together. It is very easy to record a promo video that you will only post once. It is very difficult to find a production partner who will suggest that you use video footage, use it for different purposes and think outside the box. We are very grateful for the cooperation with the Zagreb Tourist Board, which recognized the potential of such video collaborations,” points out Martina Milicevic of Sekunde Digital.

Otherwise, Zagreb is the hometown of this sommelier with a WSET L3 degree and the founder of Sekunde Digital agency, but also probably a lesser-known wine destination for wine lovers coming to Croatia.

As Milicevic points out, the idea behind the project was to show how little we need to escape from the metropolis to a world of wine. Even if you aren’t a wine enthusiast, every wine road in Zagreb County offers many facilities and truly enchanting nature.

The idea to promote Zagreb at Wine Spectator is the result of a collaboration between the tourism board and Sekunde Digital, an agency that specializes in the two domains, tourism and wine-gastronomy. The competition for winemakers is demanding, many US wineries use video in their strategies, but few destinations use wine stories for this type of promotion.

If we add that the average American tourist in Croatia spends twice as much, almost 160 euros a day, this is a great way to communicate with the target market. And there is hardly any competition, as most of the stories are focused on the wineries and stories of their founders

“The highlight of this competition and many other promotions is always the story. Solo, nice shots are often lost in the sea of promotional videos we look at daily. The story remains. If we include a strong message in the video production that we want to send, find credible people who can convey it, and find a channel on which it can be transmitted, there is a great chance of success. And communication is the basis of any good promotion. If you start with people, then you're a good promoter,” concludes Milicevic.

You can see the award-winning video below. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

August 21, 2019 - A new tourism project hopes to bring life to the Zagreb County countryside. 

“Visit farms around Zagreb and enjoy fine wines, local produce, and culinary workshops. Book an overnight stay in the countryside and take a break from the bustle of the city,” reads the message of the Croatian Rural Tourism Association, which, in cooperation with the Zagreb County Tourist Board and other partners, organizes the Zagreb County Rural Tourism Week with the slogan“ Let's go to the Countryside", writes Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam.

The project aims to popularize rural tourism in Zagreb County, promote overnights in the countryside, and exhibit local products.

“Since the founding of the Association, we have been committed to promoting and popularizing rural tourism and going to the countryside as an excellent motive for spending free time. With a homemade gastronomic offer, healthy living, nature and fresh air and other active tourism offers throughout the destination, Zagreb County is a great break from the city bustle, just a few kilometers from Zagreb,” said Aleksandra Kuratko, Head of the Croatian Rural Tourism Association.

URTH

As part of the project, which runs from September 2 to 8, 2019, in Zagreb County, a 30% discount on products and services will be offered to members of the Association of Rural Tourism of Croatia, such as overnights, wine tastings, sales of local products and culinary workshops of traditional Žumberak cuisine. For a list of partners involved in this great project, check out the website here.

“Rural tourism is a synergy of agriculture and tourism, which, through its multiplier effect, directly promotes stable and lasting economic growth as farmers introduce tourists to the local gastronomy, culture, and customs through the placement of their products,” said Ivana Alilović, director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, adding: "Tourism trends are changing at a high speed. Experiences are more important than ever, and people are looking for experiences that will change them and enrich their lives. I see great potential precisely in the popularization of products in rural areas and the idea of ​​staying in the countryside. Therefore, I am very proud of the project "Rural Tourism Week of Zagreb County", because in the surroundings of Zagreb, away from the daily hustle and bustle, in the peace of the greenery, our hosts of rural estates await their guests. I am sure that with the familiar hospitality and a full table of delicious specialties of the indigenous, local cuisine of Zagreb County, the expectations of both young and old will be fulfilled. Not only during the "Rural Tourism Week of Zagreb County" but throughout the year,” said Alilović.

Rihelj writes that when it comes to continental and rural tourism, there is a chronic lack of promotions and tourist offers. In this segment, although it is only the first year of the project, this is an extremely important step forward, solely because of the positioning and promotion of rural tourism in Croatia. The primary prerequisite is precisely communication and focusing on the target group. Because if we do not invite tourists to visit Croatia through promotion, they will not come. Rihelj adds that the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian National Tourism Board should be more actively involved in the development of continental tourism, as well as its promotion, since it is a totally different type of tourism than the sea, and it requires a different approach.

Zagreb County is a great weekend destination for all Zagreb residents, especially since it is just a short drive away and offers the great outdoors. And as it is the largest domestic market, this campaign and project have hit the right motive - a move away from the bustle of the city, only a few kilometers from the Croatian capital.

A list of all partners in this action, which includes 30 percent discounts, is available at www.idemoneselo.hr.

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