May 3, 2020 - Tourism is on hold, but most of us have plenty of time. So let's look at the virtual resources available to explore Croatia virtually. We continue our new Virtual Croatia series with the tools to discover Omis.
A few weeks ago I wrote that being a tourism blogger in the corona era was about as useful as being a cocktail barman in Saudi Arabia. I feel less useless now, a few weeks later, and I am encouraged by the number of Croatian tourism businesses who are contacting us wanting to start thinking of promoting post-corona tourism.
One of the challenges of writing about tourism at the moment is that there is nothing positive to write about. With people confined to their homes and tourism in Croatia currently not possible, many have decided to go into hibernation until it is all over.
I think that this is a mistake, and I have greatly enjoyed the TCN series by Zoran Pejovic of Paradox Hospitality on thinking ahead to tourism in a post-corona world. You can find Zoran's articles here.
Way back on March 14 - several lifetimes ago - I published an article called Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Ways to Discover Zagreb. The way I saw things, now was an OUTSTANDING opportunity for tourism promotion. People have time, they yearn for their freedom and former lives, so give them the tools to thoroughly research and enjoy your destinations, and you will have then longing to be there. And when they do come, they will have a deeper understanding of the destination due to their research.
South Africa and Portugal were the first to do their post-corona tourism promotion videos several weeks ago (Post-Corona Tourism Planning: Lessons from South Africa and Portugal), a trick which has been followed by other tourism countries, the latest being Croatia with the national tourist board campaign, #CroatiaLongDistanceLove, going live yesterday.
But while these campaigns create longing and market presence, they don't really educate. People now have time to really get into destinations. And dreams of escape to somewhere more exotic are high on the list of priorities of many.
So TCN has decided to help with that education with a new series called Virtual Croatia, where we will be helping you discover many of Croatia's destinations with all the best virtual tools available on your self-isolating sofa at home.
We started last week with Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Tools to Discover Hvar.
After this, we put our a press release (which you can read here in English and Croatian) offering a free article to any local tourist board in Croatia who would like the free promotion in our Virtual Croatia series.
The Sinj Tourist Board was the first to respond, and now you can see just how rich the tourism offer is in this proud Alka town - your virtual tools to Discover Sinj. This was followed by DIscover Opatija and Discover Brela.
Next up, Petra Bartulovic, Director of the Omis Tourist Board, who sent me some virtual tools to help us discover Omis, one of the most fascinating destinations on the Adriatic.
Let's begin!
Discover Omis: Small Town, Big Adventure
Omis is a small town, but one which will offer you a very big adventure.
Love Omis!
The very best of Omis. In 90 seconds!
Omis by drone.
Timelapse Omis.
Omis as It Once Was
Timeline 1990.
Timeline 1986.
The capital of UNESCO Dalmatian klapa
Omis is well known as the hometown of a capella singing and is famous for Klapa Festival that was established in 1967.
Some say that the first and the oldest konoba in Dalmatia opened in Omis in 1969 and is placed in a 400-year-old stone house. This is also the cradle of the famous Festival of Dalmatian Klapa Omis. Konoba „U naseg Marina“ was the inspiration for the very well known song in Croatia: Konobo moja (My konoba) written by Tedi Spalato and performed by Meri Cetinic.
The capital of pirates!
What to say that hasn't been already said about Omis pirates? Some approve this part of Omiš history, some don't. I like it! They were brave, cunning and bold, great sailors and shipbuilders who were taking right to their land and their sea, annoying powers ruling the Dalmatian coast at the time. People from Omis, led by the Kacic dukes, controlled the Adriatic Sea all the way from Split to Dubrovnik during the 12th and 13th century, charging a fee for safe sailing. It was actually a very good business, for the part of the sea they controlled was the route for merchant ships and Crusaders sailing to the East (Constantinople, Palestine...). Merchant powers of those times like Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Split, whose ships were sailing on this route didn't like the idea of paying and I guess Omiš people weren't being very polite and civilized as most in the Middle Ages. One thing led to another and the Omis people became pirates!
The Omis Pirate Battle, which has been taking place for 13 years in a row in the Omis City Port, has grown to one of the traditional and most important cultural events of the summer season in the area of Omis, the Split-Dalmatia County as well as entire Croatia.This unique event is a re-enactment of the battle between the Omis pirates and Venetians which took place in the 13th century. Being based on historical events, the Pirate Battle contributes to the branding and promotion of Omis as the pirate town. A couple of hundred armed „pirates“ and „Venetians“, as well as members of historical honor guards „Kumpanija“ from the town of Blato on the island of Korčula, „Trombunjeri“ from the town of Dubrovnik and „Uskok“ from the town of Klis.
The capital of freedom: the Poljicka Republic.
Poljica is a historical region that covers most of the Inland Omis today, once known as the Principality of Poljica. The story of Poljica is so extensive that it asks for its own article. So, in short, the process of forming Poljica as an autonomous region began at the latest in the 13th century and lasted until the beginning of the 19th century. Poljica covers 250 km2 and consists of Upper, Middle and Lower Poljica. The statute of Poljica is one of the oldest and most significant Croatian legal documents. I have to admit, I love Poljica very much. It is hard not to love it due to its history, legends, tradition, stone houses and churches, karst and mountain landscape.
Soparnik is a yummy traditional dish from Poljica made of dough, swiss chard, onion, olive oil and garlic baked on Dalmatian open-hearth fireplace - komin, directly under hot embers and ashes and served on huge wooden board – sinija. Soparnik is protected and issued by the EU geographical origin label and declared as intangible cultural heritage of Croatia.
The statue of Mila Gojsacic was made by famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Mila was the heroine of Poljica, who sacrificed her own life for the freedom of Poljica in 1530. Thanks to our world-famous sculptor Ivan Meštrović, Mila is standing on the cliff above the canyon, making sure her Poljica stays safe.
An unforgettable adventure tourism destination
Zipline.
Paragliding.
Rafting.
Free climbing.
Dalmatia Ultra Trail.
Omis Half Marathon
Windsurfing.
Aqua aerobics.
Mountain biking.
Moto.
Beaches, beaches, beaches
Omis lies at the heart of the Central Dalmatian coast. Which means beaches!
A walking tour of Omis
Take a tour of the streets of Omis.
St Leopold Mandic theme trail
The St Leopold Mandic theme trail is the first theme trail open in the Omi region. It starts next to the sanctuary of St. Leopold Mandic in Zakucac. It circles on the 2.6 km long part of the canyon and thanks to the 9 educational boards visitors can get to know more about the nature and culture of this area. There are also 11 rest stops and 5 magnificent viewpoints.
Virtual tour of Omis
Get to know Omis, the 360 way.
Official Omis Tourist Board & 25 Things to Know and Dalmatian Klapa and Pirate Heaven
Discover Omis via the official Omis Tourist Board website.
To learn more about Omis, check out the TCN article Omis: 25 things to know about Dalmatian Klapa and pirate heaven.
THIS. IS. OMIS. When can we expect your visit?
To discover more of virtual Croatia, you can follow this series in our dedicated section, Virtual Croatia.
If you are a local tourist board in Croatia and would like your destination featured in this series for free, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Virtual Croatia (and destination name)
