Adriano Palman, Chef: Camping can be the backbone of sustainable tourism

Croatian camping tourism accounts for almost a quarter (23%) of the accommodation capacity of Croatian tourism, and even over 50% are high-quality accommodation units, i.e. four- and five-star campsites.

This season, as of November 3, 825 of our camps have been completed almost 3,4 million arrivals and 21,2 million overnight stays. 

Thanks to continuous investments and an innovative approach, Croatian campsites are at the very top in terms of quality in the Mediterranean, and looking at the period of the last 10 years, we note an increase in overnight stays of 28,5 percent and a significant extension of the main season on the coast and an increase in interest for  by camping on the continent.

These results are presented at 18th Croatian Camping Congress which gathered over 400 representatives of the camping sector in the Well Hotel, Terme Tuhelj, organized by the Croatian Camping Association, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Tourist Board.

"Continuous investment in the camps in recent years has resulted in an increase in the number of guests, but there is still room for growth. In the future, we will strongly advocate for the improvement of working conditions and the competitiveness of the camping sector and strongly invest in the development of camping, convinced that with investments in infrastructure and attractive content that our guests are looking for, camping can be the backbone of sustainable tourism. This has been recognized by the profession, namely some of the leading institutions, authorities in European camping, they rate our camps very highly - we are at the very top in terms of quality in Europe, right behind the Netherlands", said the director of the Camping Association of Croatia Adriano Palman.

This year's Congress is focused on technological innovations and the potential of artificial intelligence as support for the development of camping services, with a special emphasis on additional investment in the quality of the offer. The latest trends in sustainable tourism and green initiatives were also presented, with the aim of achieving year-round attractiveness of camping destinations.

"A good tourist year is behind us, which confirmed that the facilities in which continuous investment is taking place are recording high occupancy. This is also the case in the camping sector, where we are at the very top thanks to high-category accommodation, and in order to continue growth, a strong continuation of investments and a further innovative approach are necessary. Another challenging year awaits us, mostly due to the economic crises in some of our most important broadcasting markets. Our competition in the Mediterranean also continues to invest in promotion to attract guests, so it will be crucial to offer guests adequate value for their money," said Veljko Ostojić, director of the Croatian Tourism Association and president of the Executive Board of the Croatian Tourism Association.

During the Congress, awards for the best Croatian large camp will be given to the camp Lopari Camping Resort on the island of Lošinj and for the best Croatian small camp, Camp Dionis Camping Zaton in Zaton.

In addition to the above, awards for the most innovative camps in Croatia will go to: Aminess Style Camping Avalon Resort for an innovative concept of a luxury camp, Camp Mon Perin for an innovative concept of congress and wellness offers , Polidor Camping Resortt for an innovative concept in the field of energy efficiency, Solaris Camping (Valamar dd) for an innovative concept of sustainability and ecology, Valamar Camping Istria for the innovative concept of presentation of autochthonous culture and customs and Camp Veštar for the innovative concept of encouraging e-mobility

The Croatian camping congress is accompanied by a rich offer of domestic and foreign manufacturers of mobile homes and glamping, as well as accompanying equipment for the camping industry, which enables participants to gain insight into the latest market trends and exchange experience.