A good night for Central Dalmatia at the annual Days of Croatian Tourism Awards in Porec.
After a highly successful tourist season which has already yielded more than 8 billion euro in revenue so far this year according to Minister of Tourism Darko Lorencin, the movers and shakers in Croatian tourism industry congregated in Porec for the annual Days of Croatian Tourism awards, which concluded on October 14, 2015, with the region of Central Dalmatia the clear winner, picking up four of the six main awards, reports HRT.
The Istrian town of Rovinj was named Best Summer Destination and Opatija the Best Health Tourism Destination, with the other main awards centred in and around the Dalmatian capital of Split.
The Best Authentic Coastal Destination went to the town of Bol on the southern shores of the island of Brac, famed for its iconic Zlatni Rat beach. While the beach may be the headline attraction, Bol has worked hard in recent years to diversify from its image as the top party destination on the Adriatic a decade ago to a family and activity destination, and its visitor make up last year included 40% of young families.
Another destination on the rise is Split itself, which picked up an award as the Most Successful City Break. Once known simply as the Gateway to the Islands, tourism has exploded in Split is recent years, as tourists discover a city beyond the UNESCO Roman Diocletian's Palace. Aided by a surge in new flights connecting the city to more than 80 destinations in Europe, Split has been the catalyst for an impressive year on year rise in tourism in the Central Dalmatian region.
A part of Split's success was also recognised in Porec last night, as electronic music festival Ultra Europe was named Tourist Event of the Year. The popular music festival, now in its third year, is held every July in Split with an after beach party on the island of Hvar.
The Split Riviera was also among the awards, named as the best destination in the national tourist board's Croatia 365 initiative, an attempt to prolong the season beyond the stereotypical beach and sun holiday.
Last night's awards are the latest recognition for tourism in Central Dalmatia, and its promotional material has also been among the medals, with its flagship video, The Heart of Adriatic, winning gold at the Baku Film Festival.
