As many as 6 Croatian destinations on the prestigious list of the best practices of sustainable tourism

As many as six Croatian destinations were included in the prestigious Green Destinations Top 100 Stories list for 2024, confirming their commitment to sustainable tourism. This year's laureates include Cres, Dugi otok, Ivanić-Grad, Lika Destination Cluster, Mali Lošinj and Plitvice Lakes National Park. 

This is a great recognition for Croatian destinations which, for the first time in this number, were among the best examples of sustainable tourism practices from around the world. In terms of the number of destinations on the list, Croatia is next to countries such as Estonia, Portugal, Slovenia and Thailand.

Cres, Dugi otok, Ivanić-Grad, Lika Destination Cluster, Mali Lošinj and Plitvice Lakes National Park stood out with their innovative projects and sustainable tourism practices. WITH a record six destinations on the list, Croatia confirmed its efforts in sustainable tourism management.

"This is confirmation that Croatian destinations recognize the importance of sustainability and are actively working on competitive tourism management. At the same time, this is proof that Croatian destinations follow trends on the international tourism market and meet the demands of tourists who prefer sustainable travel and destinations. representative on this prestigious list to further strengthen the strategic management of our destinationssaid dr. Katarina Miličević, director of Tourism Lab, the official representative of Green Destinations in Croatia.

lošinj was again recognized for the Sustainable - Good Practice Story. In the selection for 2024, he was included with the story 'A new view of the Lošinj undersea'.

The Blue World Institute's project 'A New View of the Lošinj Subsea' was created with the aim of educating islanders and visitors about the importance of preserving the marine environment, promoting sustainable tourism. By renovating the Lošinj educational center about the sea and introducing innovative content, the project sensitizes the local population and tourists to the protection of marine life.

"We are extremely proud that Lošinj has once again been recognized as one of the sustainable destinations. Through the project 'A new view of the Lošinj area', our goal is not only to educate the local community and visitors about the importance of the marine ecosystem, but also to actively involve them in the preservation of natural resources. Our marine environment is home to many protected species, including dolphins and other endangered marine organisms, and through innovative tools such as augmented reality and VR technology, we want to enable everyone to better understand the sensitivity of that environment. This award confirms our long-standing commitment to the protection of marine life and motivates us to continue investing in projects that will preserve the biodiversity of our unique climate for future generations.", said the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj, Dalibor Cvitkovic.

/ / / Mali Lošinj is again included in the TOP 100 sustainable destinations in the world as an example of good practice

Otok Cres with this award, for the first time, it was included in the prestigious society of the 100 best-ranked stories of sustainable destinations in the world, and the Cres story of good practiceTime flies, will I too?' has been selected as one of the Top 100 stories of green destinations to inspire other destinations to follow the path of sustainable and responsible development.

Today, Cres is one of the last habitats of griffon vultures in Croatia. Aware of the importance of preserving this strictly protected and endangered bird species, a number of activities have been undertaken to protect this species. 

"The island of Cres is ecologically completely unique, unique and very different from other Croatian islands and is one of the islands with the richest flora and fauna. It is a great wealth, but also a responsibility, in order to protect it. Through this year's story, we showed how thanks to many years of work the population of griffon vultures was saved, but we have much more to show, because in addition to the protection of nature, our many plant and animal species, our greatest asset is the local people and their customs. The islanders are our strongest link in development, and they create a special experience and feeling for visitors, which is increasingly recognized by today's guests as a strong motive for coming to the destination. Trends in tourism are changing and guests, especially younger ones, are paying more and more attention to sustainable tourism, and we believe that this designation will further position us as a green and sustainable destination, which the island of Cres certainly is.", she emphasized Željka Stašić, director of the TZ of the City of Cres.

"The long-term work of all stakeholders in the development of the island of Cres has made it possible for the island of Cres to retain its 'tamed wilderness' and for years to develop sustainable tourism, which serves the purpose of developing the island and improving the quality of life of the inhabitants, and the basic determinants on which it is based are green, natural, indigenous and local", he pointed out Marin Gregorović, mayor of the city of Cres.

Destination Lika is also part of the TOP 100 this year, with the story 'Together for a better future: Uniting people for the progress of the destination'. Petra Kovačević, the president of the Lika Destination Cluster, emphasizes that this is the success of all stakeholders in the destination who, through dedicated work on their individual offers, and at the same time joint mutual promotion, improve the positioning of the Lika destination.

"The impact of our activities on changing awareness and changing established business patterns is the reason why this year in the application for TOP 100 we decided to focus on the joint results of all stakeholders that come as a result of joint work aimed at common welfare and success comes as a result of it. We are witnessing an increasing presence of Lika in the media, intensified cooperation between different sectors, and this is only possible through joint, dedicated work with a higher goal of the joint progress of all stakeholders in the local community", said Kovačević.

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Ivanić-Grad has attracted attention with his story Corn maze 'Hrvatica' - Find your way back to the heritage. In the past 20 years, most of the tourist events in the administrative boundaries of Ivanić City took place in the center of the city, while the surrounding rural area was neglected. 

In the desire to create a sustainable tourist attraction in the rural area, in 2022 and 2023, the Corn Labyrinth 'Hrvatica' was developed in the village of Dubrovčak Lijevi. The labyrinth is seasonal (summer-autumn), based on agricultural crops and is completely ecologically safe.

This free attraction, open 24/7 during the season, also offers every visitor a digital experience, and has so far attracted thousands of individual and group visitors.

The project is applicable to many rural maize growing destinations around the world. Its main advantages are low price, low impact on the environment, multifunctionality and educational character for different groups of visitors, high return on the engagement of the local community and its contribution to sustainable development.

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'Dugi otok quality' is the story with which the Tourist Board of the municipality of Sali included the destination in the category of destination management Long Island among the 100 best Green destinations stories in the world. 

Dugi otok is adorned with a synergy of unique nature and traditional and cultural customs. It is precisely for this reason that the Tourist Board of the municipality of Sali decided to brand high-quality products and services as Quality - Dugi otok. So far, 15 local producers and 17 products have received this label, and three restaurants use local products in their menus. 

The growing interest of local producers is noticeable because of the benefits that this label provides. In addition to presenting and promoting 'Good quality - Dugi otok', the satisfaction of tourists who appreciate local, high-quality and environmentally friendly products is guaranteed. The project also encourages entrepreneurship in the local community and initiates mutual cooperation through the use of local products in local gastronomy.

National Park Plitvice Lakes entered the competition with the story 'The ticket that opens the door to the Lika destination - a branding initiative for the development of sustainable tourism'.

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While Plitvice Lakes National Park is visited annually by more than a million tourists, with an increased number of visitors in the peak season, the Lika destination has many other unexplored and lesser-known natural specialties.

In cooperation with the Lika Destination Cluster and nine attractive locations within the Lika destination, a joint ticket for the Lika destination has been created since 2018, organized and with the marketing support of the Plitvice Lakes National Park. The visibility of the tourist offer of lesser-known locations is gradually increasing, which presents numerous opportunities for guests to extend their stay in the destination.

Green Destinations Top 100 Stories is a program that recognizes and rewards destinations that demonstrate excellent results in terms of responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Destinations from all over the world can participate - towns, municipalities, cities, regions, counties or protected areas. Only the most successful examples of sustainable tourism practices enter the Top 100 Stories list. The list of destinations that were on the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories list for 2024 can be found at connectors.

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Cover photo: Tourism Lab