ILF in Dubrovnik gathered more than 80 partners specialized in luxury travel

International Luxury Forum in the organization of the consortium Travel Leaders Network, which brings together a network of agents specialized in luxury travel in North America - Luxury Leaders Alliance, was successfully held in Dubrovnik where special study trips organized for all participants are ongoing. The main partner of the event is Croatian tourist agency, the hosts of the meeting TZ Dubrovnik-Neretva County i Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and the support was given by Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, as well as the tourist boards of Hvar, Korčula, Šolta and other destinations.

"This is the most significant B2B event on the topic of luxury travel ever held in our country. Considering the quality of the destination and the excellently executed program, the American partners expressed interest in Croatia becoming the permanent host of this new gathering, following the example of other world-famous events such as ILTM Cannes, Virtuoso Las Vegas or PURE Marrakesh. Domestic entities have already announced new partnerships and involvement in new sales channels, and all of the above will significantly contribute to the positioning of Croatia on the global map of luxury travel, i.e. attracting an even greater number of travelers looking for exceptional quality, different experiences and who have high travel budgets", she stressed Leila Krešić Jurić, director of the HTZ Representative Office in New York, which participated in the organization of this important event in Croatia.

It gathered in Dubrovnik more than 80 representatives specialized agencies, tour operators, cruise companies and hotels, and among the participants are also representatives of Croatian companies for whom this is an excellent opportunity for additional networking with American partners. That it was an excellently organized event that was of great benefit to all involved parties was confirmed by Perry Lungmus, senior vice president of the Travel Leaders Network.

"The very landing in Dubrovnik was enchanting, while our stay here convinced us that we are in the ideal destination for organizing such a high-profile gathering. However, what makes the whole event special is the hospitality of the Croatian people and the level of service provided by tourism professionals. Gastronomic offer of Croatia is extraordinary and authentic, and the tradition and culture are simply fascinating. I learned something about the history of Croatia and Dubrovnik, in the next few days I will visit Korčula, Hvar, Split and Zagreb, and I look forward to the further affirmation of Croatia's tourist offer through the Luxury Leaders Alliance, which today gathers over 500 carefully selected agents highly specialized in luxury travel", he said Lungmus, emphasizing that each of the agents present contracts travel worth more than 1,4 million dollars during the year. 

Travel Leaders Network (TLN) has over 55.000 agents and almost 7.000 travel agencies, which is a third of all agencies in the USA. With more than 17 billion dollars in annual sales volume, it is the largest consortium and intermediary in the sale of luxury travel, cruises and cruises. TLN is owned by Internova Group, which is ranked 11th on the Travel Weekly 2024 Power List, a list of the world's largest travel intermediaries.

Let's add that as part of this multi-day event, 14 different multi-day study trips and 17 tours were organized for all participants, during which the American partners had the opportunity to get to know the offer of Dubrovnik and its surroundings, as well as various Croatian regions with an emphasis on the luxury segment and special experiences. On one of the study trips, as well as on the entire program of the meeting, he participated Arnie Wiessmann, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, the leading business platform and publication in tourism.

"The agents additionally emphasized their enthusiasm for the destinations they had the opportunity to visit before the meeting itself, and particular interest was aroused by Istria, as well as numerous islands. Many agents have already included Croatia in their offers and at the same time emphasize the increasing recognition of our country, which is perceived as safe and a quality destination", she concluded Krešić Jurić.

The US market for Croatian tourism represents the most important distant market from which the largest tourist traffic is generated when we talk about non-European markets. Thus, during the first nine months of this year, American travelers achieved 681 thousand arrivals and 1,9 million overnight stays in our country, which compared to the same period last year represents an increase of 8 percent in arrivals and 7 percent in overnight stays. At the same time, Americans spent the most nights in Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties, and in terms of destinations in Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Hvar, Rovinj and Zadar. Especially pleasing is the growth outside the main summer season, in May and October, where growth of over 12% compared to last year is recorded.

Source and photo: Croatian National Tourist Board