Ivan Dabo: No one could have dreamed to what extent tourism in Novalja would develop

For 70 years, Novalja has been organized tourism. It was the reason for the celebration of the great anniversary, which was magnified by numerous high guests. The celebration began with the exhibition "We and our guests", which through numerous photos, texts and interesting exhibits shown all that marked tourism in Novalja in the past seven decades.

But the central part of the program was the conference on sustainable tourism, green and digital transition #TURIZAM 2030 - "The future is now" gathered numerous panelists and guests, which took place on October 25, 2023, in the Gozdenica Cultural Center in Novalja, under the auspices of The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds, Lika-Senj County and the Croatian Tourist Board.

Dabo: No one could have dreamed to what extent tourism in Novalja would develop

At the very beginning, the host, the mayor of Novalja, spoke Ivan Dabo, he recalled the beginnings of tourism in Novalja, in 1953, when no one could even dream of the extent to which tourism in Novalja would develop.

He emphasized that the basic preconditions for the further development of tourism are the preservation of space and nature, infrastructure and investments, where he presented a long series of investments that are currently being carried out in the area of ​​the city of Novalja, from the construction of new roads, port capacities, communal infrastructure, to investments in construction , extension or remodeling of public facilities, along with investments of the economy in tourism capacities.

" When we look at 70 years of organized tourism in Novalja and the tourist figures, we can say that we have achieved a lot. It is touching to look back at the very beginnings, when this place of ours began to open the doors of its homes to guests. Today, our Novalja continuously records growth in all segments, not only in the increase in the number of overnight stays and arrivals, but also in the growth of the quality of accommodation, tourist products and content." the organizer, the director of the Novalja Tourist Board, told us Marina Šćiran Rizner.

Minister Nikolina Brnjac: "The Law on Tourism will give local governments the tools to manage their destinations with quality"

Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac, she congratulated Novalja on its big anniversary and pointed out:I am glad that we initiated the reform of the tourism sector, and you decided to mark this event by turning to sustainable tourism"

The minister also spoke about the Tourism Act, which will give local governments the tools to manage their destinations with quality, along with a series of analyzes and data processing and better coordination between the state, county and local levels. 

"We strive for competitive tourism that is innovative and resistant, she would especially emphasize that the Strategy itself does not mean much, if significant financial resources are not provided for its implementation, in the total amount of more than 1,3 billion euros, some from European and some from national funds."

The name of the conference "The future is now", Novalja shows commitment to creating a sustainable future, through the promotion of European values ​​of environmental protection, while supporting the economy and the green and digital transition, said the Vice President of the European Commission Dubravka Šuica, and highlighted the role of people in building society.

"Novalja is proof that people can change the environment in which they live and work, without giving up what is important for the identity of a nation and its culture.", she said Sunčana Glavak which presented a series of European Parliament documents that talk about the future of tourism development in the EU.

"In Novalja, work is underway on numerous projects planned over a long period of time. Mainly thanks to the efforts and work of the mayor, and thanks to this, Novalja will increasingly orient itself towards sustainable, promising tourism and green transition, which is the main goal of tourism both in our county and in Croatia.", said the prefect Ernest Petry.

In the continuation of the conference, panel discussions on topics were held Tourism 2030 – Tourism for the coming decade: sustainable, resilient, digital, global and social, and green and digital transitions in tourism.

When asked whether the new Tourism Act will successfully limit apartment building, Robert Pende said that it is important to achieve a balance between the interests of investors and the local community, with the new law focusing on the preservation of space and local people.

"In Zadar, we have a cycle of investments in the construction of new hotel capacities. The former administrative building of Maraska in Zadar will soon be transformed into a five-star tourist building. A compromise was found between the local community, city authorities and investors, the investment fits into the sustainability that is talked about so much. Also, the Zadar Airport expansion project will be implemented in accordance with green trends with funds from European funds. - he told us Ante Curkovic, head of the Zadar mayor's office

"The town of Mali Lošinj is one of the few in Croatia that has been strategically determined towards sustainable development and responsible tourism. We are on the list of one hundred world green and sustainable destinations published by the international organization "Green Destination". We need to act in synergy... there are no insurmountable obstacles if decision makers come together at the local, regional as well as national level. These recognitions are certainly a motivation for further actions" said the mayor of Mali Lošinj Ana Kučić

"I commend the adoption of the new Law on Tourism, which will improve the management of destinations. We are an example of good practice in passing such a law at the world level. Providing tools for efficient application of the law is now crucial. " said the professor Ante Mandic from the Faculty of Economics in Split

"He would indicate the problem of non-reporting of guests, which is crucial in the analysis and processing of data that precedes the creation of the Management Strategy. The question arises as to how to obtain accurate information about the number of guests in the destination" said the director of the Tourist Board of the municipality of Bol Ante Trutanic.

"Where would tourism be today in Croatia if there were no family accommodation and friendly hosts. They are a pillar of the development of Croatian tourism. Not everything is so black and white when we talk about family accommodation and how it is presented. On the other hand, it is necessary to clearly define who host, who is the renter and what is real estate "business".

On the other hand, it is necessary to take a good look at the challenges brought by the application of the new Law on Tourism. I believe that we have failed to strengthen the Tourist Boards, which should deal with strategic development. Tourist boards have neither human nor financial capacity for the current volume and requirements of modern business, let alone for the new activities and tools introduced by the Law on Tourism. Someone has to deal with development and management - we must not leave it to the elements and the market. The most important thing is that the new Law on Tourism places decision-making on the destinations themselves. Tourism is not developed by MINTS and HTZ, although they play an important role, but by the destinations themselves.

The key is in the management of tourism in the destinations, and the destinations themselves know this best. The Law on Tourism brings a big step forward, at least on paper, but whether and how it will be implemented remains up to us. The basic preconditions for the development of sustainable tourism are the preservation of space and nature, care for the local population and raising the quality of life, and most of all using as many local resources as possible, rather than importing everything for the needs of our tourism. We even import primary products such as eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, etc., all of which must come from the local area. It is primarily sustainable tourism.he stated Goran Rihelj, founder of the HrTurizam.hr portal.

On topic green transition and digitization a second panel was held.

"The new program period for the use of EU funds brings a big step forward when it comes to funds intended for Croatian islands. Namely, for the first time from EU funds, through the Integrated Territorial Program, funds were allocated exclusively for solving specific challenges and developing our islands - EUR 150 million in total, EUR 25 billion in total for regional development. " he told us Ivan Bota, Director of the Administration for Regional Development in the Ministry of Regional Development and Funds of the European Union.

"Novalja shows that it is completely focused on maximum respect for ecology, as well as the fact that it sees its future in the greatest possible use of energy from renewable sources. This type of energy supply is the only possible direction if it wants to be a desirable, responsible tourist destination in the future." he said Simun Fejruc, from the ZEMC project team

"We have embarked on projects to implement the energy self-sustainability of the city of Novalja using renewable energy sources, hydrogen and the sun. Electricity will be produced from sea waves. A solar power plant worth 10 million euros with a capacity of 25 GWh of electricity per year is being built", said the mayor Ivan Dabo.

"Since the beginning of the year, we have transported 12 million passengers, 3 million vehicles. We listen to the needs and demands of the islanders in all aspects of improving life on the islands. We plan to build three electrically powered passenger ships. The estimated value of the ships is 45 million euros, and the construction should be co-financed from European funds." he pointed out David Sopta, president of the Jadrolinija Management Board.

"Despite the islanders' frequent complaints about the number of lines planned for the islands, visits to other countries testify to the fact that the Croatian islands are above average well connected, the cooperation between you and the island's LGUs has always been constructive and proactive, and they have always found solutions that are in line with the needs of the island's population " she stated Paula Vidović, director of the Coastal and Line Maritime Transport Agency.

"The green transition in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago began a few years ago with the creation of a strategy for the transition to clean energy, since then several project initiatives have been launched, I would single out the establishment of an energy cooperative that was supported from the very beginning by the city of Cres and the city of Mali Lošinj. We included all important stakeholders in the island's transition process. Our island is one of the best examples of good practice on islands in recent years.said the mayor of Cres Marin Gregorović.

"The future of the Croatian islands is to be self-sustaining and self-sufficient, that is, independent of the mainland. By 2030, we aim to include all Croatian islands in the green transition, to raise the awareness of island communities about the importance of self-supply of energy and other resources, and the joint action of all stakeholders, i.e. levels of society - residents, entrepreneurs and local self-government." she told us Maja Jurišić president of the Island Movement

In the afternoon, a documentary film premiered "History of tourism in Novalja" and special awards were given to deserving individuals, companies and institutions in Novalja tourism "Arburoža flower".

The glass and stone sculptures were made by a young sculptor from Zadar Zvonimir Karavid is calling. The jubilee celebration continued in the Gozdenica Cultural Center, with a musical performance by Petar Dragojević.

Photo: Photo Art