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