"Meet the Apsyrtides" – educational excursions of the Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj

With the aim of getting to know the archipelago better, the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj is organizing one-day educational trips for renters and tourism stakeholders this year in March under the title "Meet Apsyrtides".

Through four Saturday excursions, participants will have the opportunity to discover the richness of local culture, history and natural beauty, along with professional guidance by local guide and history expert, Irene Dlake and inspiring experiences. The program is specifically designed to provide landlords and other tourism stakeholders with a deeper understanding of the destination and enrich their knowledge and offerings.

The first weekend in March (March 8), participants visit Veli Lošinj, "the place where it all began". On the occasion of the celebration "140 years of tourism on Lošinj" They will get to know all the important points that in some way marked the very beginning of tourism, such as the Veli Lošinj health resort, the Podjavori forest park, the first guesthouse, etc.

///Lošinj celebrates 140 years of tourism

Next Saturday (March 15) is reserved for touring Gorski Kotar, as an example of good practice outside the island; Risnjak National Park and the Leska educational trail, one of the first facilities of its kind in Croatia. A series of 23 information boards, gathered on just 4,2 kilometers of the trail, are a real opportunity to learn about the natural and cultural heritage of this national park.

The beauty of the karst underground of the Dinarides will be experienced in the tourist-friendly Lokvarki cave. The trip continues in Fužine, a famous tourist destination with a very long tourist tradition. The place is characterized by its abundance of water, and a walk around one of the three reservoir lakes, Lake Bajer, will certainly be enchanting. The walk is followed by a tasting of Gorski Kotar specialties.

Visitors will learn about the operation and capacity of the pumping station and the importance of drinking water on the islands of Cres and Lošinj during a tour of Vrana Lake on Cres on the third Saturday. (March 22). The journey continues towards the Meraška Cave, an unusual geomorphological structure and one of the rare but very impressive examples of a collapsed sinkhole on the island of Cres, followed by a tour of the town of Cres and a visit to the Cres Agricultural Cooperative. After a lecture on important topics; olive growing and sheep farming, as well as a tasting, another important point awaits all present on the return journey – the old Torać olive mill in Ćunsko.

Last Saturday in March (March 29) is reserved for the climb to the highest peak of the archipelago - Osoršćica "On the Path of Prince Rudolf". On this occasion, a staged presentation of the arrival of Emperor Franz Joseph and the ascent of Prince Rudolf will be held, right in the Radiboj Bay. The Tourist Association in Mali Lošinj began its activities the day before, on March 28, 1887, when its members welcomed and accompanied the Austrian heir to the throne, Prince Rudolf, on his ascent to Osoršćica.

In addition to organized excursions, the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj has also announced a Public Call for Applications for the Marketing Activities Financing Program this year. Also, on April 5, the traditional "Lošinj Flower" sapling distribution will be organized as part of the support program for local rental properties.

Otherwise, with more than one thousand (1.124) registered renters and 6.375 beds, private accommodation makes up a significant part of the total tourist infrastructure on the island, accounting for 18,6% of all overnight stays last year.

"Educating tourism stakeholders, especially landlords, is a key step in raising the quality of the tourist offer and promoting local attractions. The "Meet Apsyrtides" program allows participants to experience first-hand the wealth of cultural heritage, natural beauty and historical sites of the island, thus creating the foundations for more authentic and high-quality recommendations to guests. In addition to education, the program contributes to strengthening the identity of the destination, highlighting the stories, sites and natural beauty that make Lošinj and the surrounding islands unique. With this project, the Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj shows that investing in knowledge and experience is the key to long-term tourism development, all in the year when Lošinj celebrates 140 years of organized tourism.", he pointed out Dalibor Cvitković, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj.