Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Istria - the first Virtuoso Digital Destinations in Europe

Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Istria are once again presented as very attractive and sought-after destinations among American tourists with higher spending power

Author  HrTurizam.hr

25. June 2024.

Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Istria are once again presented as very attractive and sought-after destinations among American tourists with higher spending power, thanks to the cooperation of the Virtuoso consortium and three tourist boards that have been investing in promotion in the North American market for many years - the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb, the Tourist Board of Istria and Tourist boards of Dubrovnik.

Namely, the latest project Virtuous Digital Destination (VDD) provided a larger space and platform for a more comprehensive presentation of the offers of the mentioned destinations, education and interaction with the Virtuoso network of agencies and tourist advisors.

Thanks to the aforementioned tourist associations, Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Istria are the first European destinations to participate in the Digital Destination project, right after Australia, Canada and Los Cabos.

The VDD project was designed to improve the experience of using Virtuoso.com, the leading global network specialized in experiential and luxury travel, offering a comprehensive platform dedicated to attractive destinations.

By combining visually attractive design, experientially written and attractive video content and targeted marketing campaigns, VDD goes beyond traditional methods of destination visibility and promotion and effectively contributes to the growth of interest of potential visitors.

Employees of the aforementioned tourist boards, the Virtuoso team and three well-known journalists, very good connoisseurs of the beauty of Croatia - Kristin Vuković, David Farley and Alex Crevar participated in the creation of the content of Zagreb, Istria and Dubrovnik, and the content is available at links.

"The US market is a key distant market where we have been continuously promoting Zagreb over the past few years. The exceptional interest in Zagreb is confirmed by the results of the first part of this year, which indicate that guests from the USA are leading the number of arrivals and overnight stays among foreign visitors. In particular, with more than 30.000 arrivals and 67.000 overnight stays, Americans recorded an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. Virtuos' focus on luxury and customized travel experiences sets it apart as a top resource for those looking for unique and high-quality travel experiences, so participation in this project is a natural sequence of our promotional activities in the American market, especially since similar targeted marketing campaigns have successfully stimulated the growth of activities and engagement of travel agencies/consultants and their clients. Namely, according to the available data, this project has so far resulted in a several-fold increase in interest in the promoted destinations, which indicates the effectiveness of the campaign in attracting and retaining the attention of travelers for experiential travel", she stated Martina Bienenfeld, Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board.

Virtuoso Zagreb Dubrovnik Istria 2024 screenshot
Photo source: Zagreb Tourist Board

"Although the US market is not among the top 10 most important markets in the total share of the territory of Istria, it is a very important segment for Istria. This fact is especially true for the period in the winter months, before and after the season, as well as in the higher price class of better quality accommodation when not only Americans, but also other distant markets under the auspices of Virtuos visit Istria in greater numbers", He said Denis Ivošević, director of the Tourist Board of Istria County.

This trend is significantly larger and more noticeable since Istria became a Virtuoso preferred partner. Being part of the big Virtuoso family is especially important for Istria because we pay great attention to sustainable and responsible development on the one hand, while on the other hand innovative development projects related to well-being, health, rejuvenation and longevity are something that Virtuoso guests really appreciate. recognize and buy.

Considering that at the level of Istria, around 300 M Euros are invested annually in new development, raising the level of quality of accommodation and service, in raising the competitiveness of all destinations in Istria, the joint partnership with Virtuos is of inestimable importance."

"Considering the past successes in attracting American tourists, we believe that participation in the Virtuoso Digital Destination project will further improve our tourist offer and strengthen Dubrovnik's position as a prestigious destination on a global level. This collaboration will allow us to present ourselves in more detail and show all the charms of Dubrovnik through customized marketing campaigns and high-quality content, emphasizing the authenticity and uniqueness of our city. We boast a range of offers for the luxury traveller, including visits to historic sites, top-notch dining experiences and luxury accommodation. Direct flights between Dubrovnik and the United States not only make travel easier, but also allow more tourists to experience everything our city has to offer, from beautiful beaches and islands to world-class cultural events. The American market is growing every year, and compared to the record year 2019, in 2024 we are recording a growth of 13 percent in arrivals and 11 percent in overnight stays. These impressive statistics confirm the growing interest of American tourists in Dubrovnik, making our city an unmissable destination for luxury travel", said the director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miroslav Drasković.

"Virtuoso Digital Destination has achieved success and has proven to be very effective among travelers with high spending power. Namely, VDD and the accompanying digital campaigns for Canada, Australia and Los Cabos stimulated a significant increase in the interest and engagement of target users, surpassing the results of other destination sites. The success of the project is measured in the growth of bookings for travel to the mentioned destinations", he stated Javier Guillermo, director of Virtuoso strategic partnerships.

As a reminder, Virtuoso is the leading global luxury travel network that brings together agencies with more than 20.000 travel advisors and 2.200 partners (hotels, villas, tour operators, DMCs, cruise companies, tourist boards...), and in the travel industry Virtuoso is synonymous with expertise, security, trust and high-quality service.

Cover photo: Screenshot Virtuoso

Author  HrTurizam.hr

25. June 2024.