April 12, 2019 - There is a new energy to strengthen links between the Homeland and the Croatian diaspora - a letter of invitation.
One of the more interesting relationships I have been covering in recent times is the increasingly interlinked relationship between Croatia and its diaspora. With now less than 4 million people living in Croatia and almost as many Croats dispersed all over the world, Croatia needs to engage more with its diaspora and encourage investments. The situation at the moment is that the diaspora sent back some 2 billion euro last year, more than foreign investment in Croatia, and the potential to build on this has got entrepreneurs both inside Croatia and in the diaspora working hard to strengthen links.
The 2nd International Conference on Diaspora Tourism will take place next month, as previously announced on TCN. The organisers have a letter of invitation, which is printed in full below.
Dear Croatian Diaspora,
In this day of age, with technology shrinking our world and making it possible for people to make an impact from anywhere, the Croatian diaspora has never been more important than now. The Contributions the Croatian diaspora have made to the Homeland are the bedrock of Croatian social, political and economic life. Keeping our culture, customs, language and history alive outside of the homeland helped to spearhead our independence and later, with the same patriotism and love for the homeland in mind, the diaspora helped to bolster Croatian tourism, making Croatia one of the most visited countries in 2018.
Croatians feel a special bond to our homeland, and many do not understand the love of their homeland until they have left her to live in another country. With patriotism, love for their country, their hard work ethic and knowledge, the Croatian diaspora is the key to Croatia’s success.
From the diaspora to the diaspora! On May 17-19th, join us as people from the diaspora discuss the next steps in developing tourism. We will discuss some of the opportunities that exist for diaspora as well as those that are in the making. The Overarching Goal of the Diaspora Conference is to find ways to Integrate all Croatians as one and to forge the future of the Croatian identity both in Croatia and abroad through social, economic and political solutions. Hear the stories of successful returnees who are making a difference in Croatia. Some of the topics that will be discussed at the Conference are:
Croatia as a brand
Diaspora Tourism & Investments
The Croatian Dream Health and Wellness
Tourism Croatian diaspora startups Pitch Session – new innovative Croatian companies
The Conference will be held in Split on Friday and Saturday while on Sunday we will be taking a ferry to Brač. If you are not able to come to the conference, panel discussions will be uploaded immediately and archived on our youtube channel.
Come to Split, Watch Online, Engage in the national conversation surrounding tourism, business but most importantly the diaspora and the integral role they play in the future of Croatia. The scope of this conference is to share experiences and knowledge from diaspora to the diaspora. The solutions that we advocate for today will determine the discourse and direction for the future of our Homeland.
To find out more and to Register for the Conference please visit our website at: cro-diasporacongress.com
Vidimo se/See you!
For those that are interested in participating at the Second International Conference of Diaspora Tourism, Which will take place on the 17th and 18th of May in the Milesi Palace in Split (Trg Braće Radića 3.) are asked to sign up and for the panellists to send a summary of what they are going to talk about before the 30th of April 2019. The Summary must include: the title of work, name and last name of the panellist, formal title of the panellist, the institution they are representing, and a small 200 word summary of what they will be talking about at the Conference. The panels will be in Croatian or, if requested by panellists, in English.
The registration fee is 1.500 Kunas which will go towards paying:
A welcome bag, information about the panels and other promotional materials, access to networking with Croatians from around the world who have an affinity for Croatia’s progress. It also includes other events such as the following:
17th of May- Lunch, at the Milesi Palace, and catering in between panels
17th of May- Dinner at Restaurant “Adriatic Grašo”
18th of May- Lunch at the Milesi Palace and Catering between panels
18th of May- Dinner at “Frapa” Marina in Rogoznica and the organized bus ride to the restaurant (Host: Franjo Pašalić)
19th of May- Lunch at the Waterman Svpetrvs Resorts, in Supetar on the Island of BračFerries leave from the harbour in Split hourly. (Host: Marion Duzich)
TCN will be at the event and bringing a full report. In the meantime, you can follow the latest from the Croatian diaspora in our dedicated diaspora section.
