Newsletter  7, 2008   

Photogallery here...                                  

NEWS

 Golden Pen: Tony Kelly and Jaroslav Skalicky win Grand Prix

Two out of 35 international journalists from across the world who presented the Croatian tourist offer to their readers, listeners and viewers in the most professional and efficient manner, deserved the Grand Prix:  Tony Kelly of UK for written media and Jaroslav Skalický of Czech Republic for electronic media.

Mr. Tony Kelly of UK, a travel journalism veteran and  a great friend and connoisseur of Croatian tourism, wrote a story entitled “Croatia behind the Façade” about its people, customs and offer for all tastes and ages, and published it in the exclusive eco-tourism magazine Wanderlust. Mr. Jaroslav Skalický of Czech Republic, a journalist with Czech Radio, created a 13-episode series entitled “Observations from Other Places – Croatia in the Eyes of Jaroslav Skalický” within a joint project of Czech Television/Studio Ostrava and Czech Radio. Damir Bajs, Minister of Tourism and President of the Croatian National Tourist Board, and Niko Bulić, Director of the Head Office of the Croatian National Tourist Board, presented them with the awards at a formal dinner in the Crystal Hall of Hotel Kvarner.

Before the presentation of the awards, the journalists were received by the Mayor of Opatija, Amir Muzur, in Villa Angiolina. Out of the 35 nominated travel journalists, 23 stayed in Croatia and visited, in addition to Opatija and Rijeka, the islands of Krk and Rab where a special program was arranged for them.

 Croatian National Tourist Board
www.croatia.hr

 Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr

 Blue Flag: Present in 146 beaches and marinas

As of this year, the International Blue Flag for beaches and marinas flies in 146 places in Croatia – 125 beaches and 21 marinas deserved it for environmental protection and equipment. There are ten new beaches and one marina among its holders this year. In addition to sea beaches, seven of them are in the continental part of the country - Aquacity Beach near Varaždin and six beaches within the Jarun Sport & Recreation Center in Zagreb.

The International Blue Flag for beaches and marinas is a program for protection of the environment and coastal areas that has been successfully implemented in Europe for 17 years, as well as some countries outside Europe since two years ago. The leader and international manager is the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), while the Lijepa Naša Friends of Nature Movement coordinates the campaigns in Croatia. 

Environmental education and public informing, water quality, environmental management, safety and services are the factors rated for the Blue Flag. Blue Flags for marinas are awarded for environmental education and informing, environmental management, safety, services and water quality.     

Croatian National Tourist Board
www.croatia.hr  
www.lijepa-nasa.hr

Hotel Splendid Dubrovnik:  Celebrating the seventieth anniversary of operation

Hotel Splendid in Dubrovnik, operating within Hoteli Maestral d.d. Group, has recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of its existence and operation. Over the years, the hotel has undergone several transformations: in the 1960s, another wing was added, and it was last thoroughly reconstructed in 1997.

Thanks to its intimate atmosphere, Dubrovnik cuisine, the Mediterranean Garden where it is situated, and the popular beach with a view of the Elaphite Islands, Hotel Splendid has numerous guests who have been loyal to it for years and keep coming back at the same time, even to the same rooms.
Hotel Splendid has around 60 rooms and catering and sport & recreation facilities.   

Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr 
Dubrovnik Tourist Board
www.tzdubrovnik.hr  
Hoteli Maestral
www.hotelimaestral.com
 

Rovinj: Hotel Lone in the Design Hotels collection

Scheduled to be opened in the summer of 2009, Rovinj's Hotel Lone has been included in the prestigious international Design Hotels AG collection, and has thus become the first Croatian hotel within this globally renowned brand. This opens up a whole new market for both this hotel and Rovinj's and Croatian tourism, focused on sophiticated clientele seeking a contemporary and distinctive ambience. 
Hotel Lone will be situated in the exclusive Monte Mulini Zone in Rovinj, in which hotel company Maistra invested around 290 million HRK. The hotel was designed by 3HLD architectural studio of Zagreb.

The Design Hotels chain, established in the USA 15 years ago, comprises 170 hotels in 41 countries. Most of the hotels are in Europe – 118 of them. The Design Hotels organization requires a special and authentic product, providing a high level of service and being different than hotel chains for its avoidance of standardization of design, service, etc. Member hotels/hotel companies are required to persist on uniqueness of their hotels, modern design and harmony with the environment and natural heritage.

Hotel Lone will be situated in Zlatni Rt Park Forest. It will have 240 rooms, nine suites and a presidential suite. The hotel will contain a wellness and spa center, a fitness area and numerous catering facilities. It will also have a congress hall seating 600 people, and a few smaller conference halls.  

Istrian County Tourist Board
www.istra.hr 

Rovinj Tourist Board
www.tzgrovinj.hr 

Maistra
www.maistra.hr  

Marketing communication: Penetrating the market in a new way

The fact that more and more attention has been paid to marketing communication is confirmed by the experience of two major hotel companies – Maistra, which has its facilities in the Istrian towns of Rovinj and Vrsar, and Valamar with its facilities in Poreč, Dubrovnik, Krk and Rabac.

Maistra hired Mirko Ilić to be its graphic design consultant – he is our most famous graphic designer whose works include conceptual designs for Time Hotel and Le Cirque in New York, Charlie Palmer and The Joule Hotel in Dallas, and many others.

Maistra d.d. hired the internationally recognized designer and illustrator Mirko Ilić to be its graphic design consultant. The purpose of the cooperation is additional enhancement of the quality of Maistra’s marketing communication. Maistra will use the consultancy services provided by Mirko Ilić, who has operated his own graphic design, 3D computer graphics and animation studio in New York since 1995, for graphic design primarily relating to corporate visual standards, advertisements and brochures, which is intended to raise Maistra’s marketing communication to a higher level.

Valamar, a tourist management company that has published promotional films about 38 facilities it operates in Poreč, Krk, Rabac and Dubrovnik on its website, made a great contribution to the promotion of marketing communication. Valamar’s website contains films about the natural beauties, cultural and historical heritage and gastronomic, entertainment and sport & recreation facilities in the towns where its facilities are located. The films were recorded by HD technology and resemble feature films, and the facilities were shot from the ground, sea, underwater and from the air. In line with the global trends, online booking increases in Valamar’s facilities – it now accounts for 11 percent of the overall booking.      

Istrian County Tourist Board
www.istra.hr 

Maistra
www.maistra.hr 

Valamar
www.valamar.hr  

 Crikvenica: Tourist are offered around 30 autochthonous Crikvenica dishes

This season, restaurants and hotels in the tourist centers of Crikvenica, Selce, Dramalj and Jadranovo will offer tourists some thirty autochthonous Crikvenica dishes. Their originality is confirmed by a certificate issued by the Gastronomy Committee comprising experienced chefs and restaurant operators.   

The project is entitled Autochthonous Cuisine of Crikvenica – Our Intangible Heritage, and it certified the autochthonous cuisine and restaurants in the town of Crikvenica. The project was organized by the Town of Crikvenica, the Town Tourist Board, and the Gastronomy Committee that decided to refresh the gastronomic offer of Crikvenica by food from the past.  Unique in Croatia, this project is a contribution to the celebration of 120 years of tourism in Crikvenica. 

It is important to say that the chefs who wanted the certificate were required to pass a gastronomic course. 25 chefs, eight hotels and ten restaurants they work in were awarded the certificate. To maintain the quality of the facilities and offerings, the certificate is issued for only a year, and the course for preparation of certified Crikvenica dishes will be held every year for new interested chefs and restaurant operators. 

The presentation of the project dealing with the autochthonous cuisine of Crikvenica is number twenty in a series of quality cultural tourism projects organized by the Cultural Tourism Business Club, established in 2004 by the Association for Cultural Tourism attached to the Croatian Chamber of Economy.   

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr

Crikvenica Tourist Board
www.tzg-crikvenice.hr

 Flights: New flights between Spain and Croatia
In early June, the first airplane of the Spanish company Iberia of Madrid landed in Dubrovnik Airport. This was the beginning of regular flights between Madrid and Dubrovnik, available every Saturday and Sunday until 12 October plus every Tuesday from 24 June to 12 October. Iberia owns 172 airplanes and this is the first time in history that regular flights are available between Spain and Croatia.
 
Last year, 154 thousand Spaniards visited Croatia, which is one third more than 2006. Further growth is expected this year. 

Croatian National Tourist Board
www.croatia.hr

 PRESENTING  

Krapina-Zagorje County: Natural wealth of continental Croatia

If you wish to get to know the interior of the country on your way to the seaside or on your way back, we recommend you visit Krapina-Zagorje County, a region in the northwestern part of the country. The area has amazing natural beauties, castles, cultural and historical landmarks, as well as excellent gastronomy and wines.

This county is a separate geographic whole in the north, surrounded by the peaks of Macelj and Ivančica in the north, and Medvednica in the southeast. It shares borders with the Republic of Slovenia, Varaždin County and the capital city of Zagreb and Zagreb County.  Its area makes it one of the smallest Croatian counties, but it has an above-average population density.

Although primarily known as a Mediterranean destination, Croatia also has numerous tourist attractions in its continental part, interesting to an increasing number of guests. In addition to the thermal sources used in the spas in Krapinske Toplice, Stubičke Toplice and Tuhelj, equally attractive for health and recreational tourism, the popular hilly area attracts more and more guests with its beauty and playfulness – its roads and pathways are suitable for hiking, biking, visiting vineyards or country estates offering original food and homemade wine, and acquainting the guests with the traditional customs of the region.

Krapina-Zagorje County also has numerous castles associated with many historical customs, important events and persons significant for Croatian history, as well as the history of the broader region.

Many guests also come to the shrine in Krapina-Zagorje County – the most popular one is the national shrine of Marija Bistrica, but the churches of Mary of the Mountain in Lobor, Mary of the Snow in Belce and Mary of Jerusalem on Trški Vrh are also interesting.          

This area offers plenty of events throughout the year. For example, the Tabor Film Festival held 11 – 19 July in Veliki Tabor castle in Desinić. This event is among the most significant short film festivals in the region. Every Sunday in August, an event called The Summer with Krapina Neanderthal is held in the town of Krapina, the center of the county. As it happens, one of the richest paleoanthropological finding sites in the world is located right here, and there is a reconstructed Krapina Neanderthal and his family and some animals from the era on Hušnjakovo brdo. On 30 August, a presentation of a traditional Zagorje wedding, including the traditional music, dancing, food and beverage, is held in the Staro Selo Museum in Kumrovec, known as the birthplace of the president of former Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.

Art buffs will surely be interested in the Gallery of Antun Augustinčić (1900-1979), one of the most significant Croatian sculptors who donated his works to his native Klanjec – its interior layout is still available today, as well as the sculpture park around the Gallery. There are many other attractions and interesting events in this region, situated in immediate vicinity of the Croatian capital Zagreb, so its offer is supplemented and they make an interesting tourist destination together. 

Krapina-Zagorje County Tourist Board
www.tz-zagorje.hr

 Krapinske toplice
www.krapinsketoplice.com 

Stubičke toplice
www.stubičketoplice.net 

Tuheljske toplice
www.tuheljsketoplice.com 

Holy Virgin of Bistrica Shrine
www.svetiste-mbb.hr


A network of European cultural and tourist routes: The experience starts with a journey

Like elsewhere in Europe, a network of modern roads in Croatia has provided its citizens and tourists with speed of travel, but also deprived them of the pleasure of observing the environment, an interesting and eventful pause and a kind of an insight to the local lifestyle while approaching the destination. 

Since the Zagreb-Rijeka motorway has been built, the former main road that passed through areas of exceptional natural beauty has been neglected until someone came up with the idea for a project to include it in the network of European cultural and tourist routes, which was supported by the Ministry of Tourism. The project concerns two roads of great historical significance. The Carolina Road was built in the first half of the 18th century and was named after Emperor Carl. However, due to the small capacity and great inclines, it was replaced in the early 19th century by the Louisiana Road, one of the most modern roads in the former monarchy. Now that the motorway has been built, both roads have lost their original function, but they are faced with an interesting tourist future, preceded by the Summer on Louisiana and Carolina event. The project was launched by the Louisiana Association of Delnice, and its members’ effort is focused on revitalization of undeveloped and abandoned rural parts within the broader area surrounding the roads and inclusion of traditional and natural heritage in the tourist offer.

This year’s Summer on Louisiana and Carolina event was held in late June and featured folklore and ethno troupes, presentations of old crafts and customs, etc. This was an opportunity for promotion of an occasional stamp marking the bicentennial of the construction of the Louisiana Road. The promotion was accompanied with the staging of a postal carriage and its crew dressed in historical uniforms. This event in June marks the beginning of the project that will restore the former importance of Carolina and Louisiana and enable the tourists to enjoy themselves while traveling.    

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr
www.gorskikotar.hr


INVESTMENTS

Daruvar: Opening of Aquae Balissae thermal water park

Thermal water park Aquae Balissae has recently been opened in Daruvar, a town in West Slavonia having a population of ten thousand. The value of the investment is nearly 40 million HRK. The water park stretches over 60 thousand square meters. The thermal water park includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools and additional facilities such as baths and the like. The next phase of the investment should include a wellness area, a hotel and a golf course.

This investment is a substantial contribution to the offerings of continental tourism and Daruvar, well known for the Daruvar Spa and the Special Medical Rehabilitation Hospital. Ancient Romans began the tradition of using the healing properties of thermal water and healing mud, and Daruvar Spa has a two-millennia-long tradition in treatments, prevention and preservation of health.  

Today, Daruvar Spa is a modernly equipped facility with a highly educated staff for wellness treatments and therapies.

In addition to recreational facilities, Daruvar Spa offers complete medical diagnostics and rehabilitation, as well as relaxation in the wellness area, team building programs, etc.

Bjelovar-Bilogora County Tourist Board
www.tzbbz.hr  

Daruvarske toplice
www.daruvarske-toplice.hr  

Dubrovnik: Hotel Excelsior reopens

After seven months of reconstruction and an investment of over 22 million euros, the 5-star Hotel Excelsior reopened in early June.

The renovation works began in early November. After a complete reconstruction, the hotel has 12 rooms less than before, so it now has 158 luxury accommodation units, including two presidential suites and 15 deluxe suites. Six multipurpose halls seat a total of 650 people. There are still three restaurants within the hotel, and the rich gastronomic offer now includes Japanese cuisine.

The reception and piano bar areas were redesigned, and the indoor swimming pool was supplemented with quality spa and wellness facilities.

The expected occupancy between June and August is 90 percent, and most of the interested guests come from the USA, UK and Japan. The luxury Villa Excelsior will open in July, offering a unique view of the Old Town and the Island of Lokrum.

Hotel Excelsior operates within Jadranski luksuzni hoteli group, which, in addition to Excelsior, operates Hotel Bellevue, Dubrovnik Palace Kompas in Dubrovnik, and Bonavia in Rijeka, Kvarner.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr
 
Dubrovnik Tourist Board                                                                         Jadranski luksuzni hoteli

www.tzdubrovnik.hr                                                                                                www.alh.hr

 Hvar: Hotel Amfora reconstructed

The reconstructed Hotel Amfora, located in the town of Hvar on the Island of Hvar and owned by Sunčani Hvar company, has recently been opened, offering a number of different amenities and services in addition to the accommodation part, so it is now called Amfora Grand Beach Resort. This is yet another investment undertaken by ORCO Group, which now operates the largest hotel facility in Hvar. All rooms are equipped to high international standards, and the hotel has the appropriate conference facilities and a swimming pool with cascades unique to this part of the Adriatic. In addition to two congress halls, each seating 350 people, the hotel offers several smaller conference halls for ten to forty participants.

The hotel is situated in a quiet bay with pinewood, only a ten minutes’ light walk from the historical core of the town of Hvar.

Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board
www.dalmatia.hr

Hvar Tourist Board
www.tzhvar.hr
www.suncanihvar.com  

Baška on the Island of Krk: Opening of Hotel Atrium Residence Baška

Baška, a popular tourist destination on the Island of Krk, now has yet another high-category hotel – Hotel Atrium Residence Baška, classified as four and five stars. The hotel was built in the place of the former hotels Baška and Velebit. The total value of the investment is 56 million HRK. The hotel has 64 accommodation units, and its luxury suites have a five-star standard.

Over the past few years, Hoteli Baška invested almost 100 million HRK in construction and renovation of its facilities, including the annex to Hotel Zvonimir transformed into Hotel Zvonimir, Adria annex transformed into Villa Adria with 12 apartments, reconstruction of Camp Zablaće and the naturist camp Bunculuka. The investment also provided for reconstruction of Hotel Baška-Corinthia and the most recent reconstruction of the said Hotel Atrium Residence Baška. The hotel complex was enriched with modern wellness facilities, a multipurpose congress area, and other facilities providing the guests with a pleasant stay.

Baška happens to be a tourist center with a long-standing tradition. The beginnings of organized tourism date back to 1904, and the bathing area was developed and formally opened exactly one hundred years ago. The strong tourist orientation is confirmed by the fact that six hotels operated in Baška in 1914, and three more opened before 1930.

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr 

Baška Tourist Board                                                                              Hoteli Baška
www.tz-baska.hr                                                                                www.hotelibaska.hr

 EVENTS

Cultural events: The whole country is one big stage

Although it is difficult to list all the cultural events and other events held on the islands, in the coastal area and in the continental part of the country throughout the year and especially in summertime, it is safe to say that the whole country is one big stage. In addition to the biggest ones – Dubrovnik Summer Games, Split Summer, Rijeka Summer Nights, Pula Film Festival, International Histria Summer Festival, Music Evenings in St. Donat, International Children’s Festival in Šibenik and many others in the coastal area – there are many others in the continental part of the country as well. Osijek Summer of Culture, Zagreb Histrion Summer, Đakovo Embroidery, etc. also stand out for tradition and quality. In short, the list is extremely long, providing an abundance of fun and pleasure for all guests, regardless of proclivities and age.

The hosts also ensured gastronomic delights and fine Croatian wines, learning about the tradition, and entertainment with popular Croatian and international performers, so the summer in Croatia will be an opportunity for all lovers of art to rest, but also to spend some eventful and interesting time. Of course, museum and gallery goers were not forgotten.

There are also numerous programs for young people who will rest and have fun as they please.

Croatian National Tourist Board                                               Split Summer
www.croatia.hr                                                                       www.splitsko-ljeto.hr 

Dubrovnik Summer Games                                                       Rijeka Summer Nights
www.dubrovnik-festival.hr                                                      www.rijeckeljetnenoci.com 

Pula Film festival                                                                      International Histria Summer Festival
www.pulafilmfestival.hr                                                          www.histriafestival.com 

Music Evenings in St. Donat                                                    International Children’s Festival in Šibenik
www.donat-festival.com                                                        www.mdf-si.org 

Osijek Summer of Culture                                                      Zagreb Histrion Summer
http://ljetokulture.osijek.hr                                                    www.histrioni.hr 

Đakovo Embroidery
www.e-vezovi.net

 59th Dubrovnik Summer Games: Theater program marked by Marin Držić’s 500th birth anniversary

The stage program of the 59th Dubrovnik Summer Games, held in Dubrovnik from 10 July to 25 August, will be marked by Marin Držić’s 500th birth anniversary. This season’s first premiere will be Darsa – farsa, written by Dubrovnik’s own Matko Sršen who dedicated the play to the famous comedy writer Marin Držić. Like every year before, the residents of Dubrovnik and their guests will be able to see many theater, musical and dancing events, featuring both Croatian artists and international ones from across the world. Additional charm to all performances is provided by the fact that they are held in the authentic ambience of this city, which many pronounce one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Tickets to Dubrovnik Summer Games are always difficult to come by, so it is good to know they can be reserved online on the Games website or at www.ulaznice.hr 

 Dubrovnik Summer Games                                                                 
www.dubrovnik-festival.hr

Dubrovnik-Neretva Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr

 54th Split Summer: A rich opera, drama and dance program

The premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlos to be shown on 14 July in Peristil will mark the beginning of the 54th Split Summer. During the month of this traditional festival of opera, drama and dance, numerous artists from Croatia and abroad will perform, and the shows will take place in other attractive locations in Split, in addition to the old town core. As the festival has stepped out of the city’s boundaries, the Ero s onoga svijeta opera will be performed in Vrlika, in the very ambient where composer Jakov Gotovac placed the plot of this comedic three-act opera. 

The opera repertoire of this year’s Split Summer is arranged in the honor of the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, so the guests will be able to see a repeat performance of his Nabucco, while the Gripe Fort will be the venue for Mirela Ivčević’s Za tri lipe. The final concert Opera Stars in Split will be organized on 18 August in Prokurative and will feature famous soloists Svetla Vasileva, Clifton Forbis and Georgio Surjan. This year’s Split Summer will also include a number concerts featuring, among others, the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Varaždin Chamber Orchestra, National Academic Folklore Choir Veriovka, Rucner Quartet, Vlatko Stefanovski and guests, and many other musicians from the country and abroad.     

The drama program will include ten plays, two of which will be premieres. They are Euripides’s Bahke directed by Oliver Frljić, and Summerfolk, directed by Jaunusz Kica and based on a piece written by Maxim Gorky, which will be performed in Villa Dalmacija. The 54th Split Summer is also expecting the arrival of the famous French director Peter Brook who will be presenting himself by Samuel Becket’s Fragments, and the play will be performed by Theatre des Bouffes du Nord of Paris. The highlights in this part are the repeat performance of Fedra, directed by Marc Sciaccaluga, which will be shown in the cellars of Diocletian Palace, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Dubrovnik Summer Games troupe, and the performance of Croatia’s theater legend Pero Kvrgić. He will perform in two plays and will present his Stilske vježbe, directed by Tomislav Radić forty years ago and based on a play written by Raymond Queneau, in Bol on Brač.

The dance program will feature a premiere of Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn, choreographed by Youri Vamos. The play will be given in Sustipan, which will also be the venue for Leonid Jacobson’s ballet school from St. Petersburg.

The 54th Split Summer program will be accompanied with various other cultural events. 

Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board
www.dalmatia.hr

 Split Tourist Board
www.visitsplit.com
www.splitsko-ljeto.hr 

Rijeka Summer Nights: A festival for all generations and musical tastes

Rijeka Summer Nights, a music and scenic festival, will go on until 25 July and, like in the past three years, the music and scenic program will be held in the authentic ambience of the City of Rijeka and its halls. In addition to Croatian artists, a series of drama, music, dance literary and other performances will feature guest artists from Italy, France, Portugal, USA, Slovenia…

Among a number of interesting performances, we are highlighting the From Baroque to Bossa Nova concert at which Zoltán Hornyánszky will take the listeners for a musical walk by playing the oboe and English horn, while Pedro Abreu from Portugal will play the guitar. The Laibach band of Slovenia, which has eliminated all physical, ideological and mental borders for 27 years, will provide a music and scenic mega-spectacle in the abandoned hall of Torpedo Factory. The Ballet Section of Croatian National Theater Ivan pl. Zajec and the ballet troupe CeDeCe of Portugal have co-produced and will perform two plays on 8 and 9 July: “Penelopa” ballet by Luis Sous and the premiere “Pjesme nad pjesmama” by Staša Zurovac. On 10 and 11 July, Post Theater New York/ Berlin/Tokyo skinSITEs will have a video-performance at a special location, etc. The opera spectacle “Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini will be given at three cultural and historical locations in Rijeka – the first act will be performed in the Capuchin Church of the Lady of Lourdes, the second in the Maritime and Historical Museum of the Croatian Littoral Rijeka, and the third one on Trsatska gradina.
The formal closing ceremony of Rijeka Summer Nights will be held on 25 July and will include a presentation of the best event/the most complete performance award for Rijeka Summer Nights 2008, as well as audience awards.

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr

 Rijeka Tourist Board
www.tz-rijeka.hr
www.rijeckeljetnenoci.com 
 

US IN THE WORLD

AEA: Croatia Airlines top man leads the Association of European Airlines

The regular meeting of the Association of European Airlines announced that Ivan Mišetić, Croatia Airlines CEO, will chair the Association of European Airlines in 2009 and will immediately become assistant to Peter Hartman of KLM, Chairman of AEA in 2008.

The public announcement published by AEA states that Ivan Mišetić has led Croatia Airlines since April of 1997 and that Croatia Airlines’ turnover has grown several times during the period, despite the disorders caused by the crisis in Kosovo and the consequences of 9/11/2001. The announcement further says that the Croatia Airlines fleet has grown to eight Airbus A319/320 planes and that Ivan Mišetić has transformed the national airline into an important part of Croatia’s infrastructure, a key factor in creation of independent Croatia’s identity, a quality airline, a regional member of Star Alliance, and a leader in promotion of South Eastern Europe’s integration into the larger European airline market. Croatia Airlines connects the country with air-traffic centers in Europe and, via them, the rest of the world, at the same time brining in business and tourist traffic as drivers of the Croatian economy.

The Association of European Airlines comprises 33 renowned European carriers. All of them combined transport 346 million passenger and 6 million tons of cargo every year, flying 2540 planes to 605 destinations in 161 countries with 11,115 flights a day. They directly provide around 375,600 jobs and have a turnover of 75,000,000,000 euros.  

Croatia Airlines
www.croatiaairlines.com

Farm and village tourism: Village Association a member of EuroGites      

The Village Members Club association, committed to creating the legal framework and developing farm and village tourism, has recently become a member of the European Federation for Farm and Village Tourism (EuroGites). This is an international association comprising around 30 professional associations for farm and village tourism from over 25 European countries.
At the General Meeting of EuroGites held in Slovenia, the representative of Village Members Club formally signed the admission form for the European organization.

Having become a member of this professional international association, Croatia was given the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience about rural tourism with other members, most of which come from European Union countries.
The development of rural tourism in Croatia, which is the main activity and purpose of the Village Members Club, provides the opportunity to achieve a better position on the world map of the most desirable tourist destinations.  

Croatian National Tourist Board

www.croatia.hr
www.hrvatski-farmer.hr

 Zlatni rat: Among the most beautiful Mediterranean beaches

British Telegraph Magazine pronounced Zlatni rat in Bol the most spectacular beach in Croatia and one of the most impressive ones in the Mediterranean, and published its photograph on the cover page. Although this is an unofficial selection of the best 17 beaches in European countries, the British magazine placed Zlatni rat among the most impressive Mediterranean beaches, stating that its magnificence is in the fact that it changes the shape and position depending on the wind. This is why the beach in Bol is ideal for windsurfing and and many other water sports. At the time the issue of Telegraph Magazine with the list of the most beautiful European beaches was published, Bol was hosting the world kiteboard competition called Red Bull Golden Jump. This multi-day competition, the first one of the kind organized in Croatia, featured 14 professionals in this extreme sport. Athletes competing in kicker-wakestyle–freestyle disciplines also fought for the world title, jumping over platforms set up at the far end of the beach to its other side. As this sport has become increasingly popular in Croatia over the past few years and the world kiteboard championship in Bol attracted numerous spectators, Zlatni rat is expected to be the venue for competitions in this adrenaline sport in the future.   

Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board
www.dalmatia.hr

Bol Tourist Board                                                                                  Telegraph Magazine
www.bol.hr                                                                                          www.telegraph.co.uk

 Pag: Pag cheese bears the international Superior Taste mark

The famous Pag cheese produced in the cheese plant Sirena-Mala sirana in Kolan owned by Ivan Gligora, has recently been awarded two golden stars and the right to label this cheese with the Superior Taste mark at the international Superior Taste event in Brussels. This is the greatest award so far for this cheese that has thus been included in the circle of seventy top food products in the world.

Ivan Gligora’s Pag cheese bears the marks of Original Croatian, Protected Geographic Origin and Croatian Island Product, and HACCP system principles are applied in its production.

Pag cheese is made from sheep milk produced by the domestic autochthonous breed of Pag sheep. Mature cheese is 6 to 12 months old and has a distinctive piquant taste and a characteristic smell. It is served alone and may also be grated and added to meat and seafood delicacies.    

Zadar County Tourist Board
www.zadar.hr

 Pag Tourist Board
www.pag-tourism.hr
 www.sirena.hr

 
 

Kroatiska Turistbyrĺn|Kungsgatan 24|tel:+46 8 53 48 20 80|fax:+46 8 20 24 60|
e-mail:croinfo@telia.com|web:www.visitcroatia.nu|www.croatia.hr