Matej Perkušić, TZ Baranje: With vision, courage, persistence and a great team, success cannot be absent

At this year's Days of Croatian Tourism held in Opatija, Annual Tourism Awards were awarded, two of which arrived in Baranja. One was awarded to the Tourist Board of Baranje, which was awarded in the category of rural tourism with a project Baranja wine events.

On this occasion, we spoke with the director of the Baranje Tourist Board, Matej Perkušić, who told us more about the events and plans for next year.

"We registered the Baranje Wine Manifestation project as a joint project of four wine manifestations that TZ Baranje conducts together with partners", began Perkušić, adding that the wine events are Winter Wine & Walk, Baranja Wine & Walk, Vinathlon and Wine Marathon. 

Baranja Wine & Walk is the first continental edition of the wine walk in Croatia, which has been held for nine years, and the Winter Wine & Walk is "its younger brother". Vinathlon and Wine Marathon are held in Zmajevac surduci and gators with a presentation of winemakers with a long tradition. 

"The Winter Wine & Walk takes place in February, then we have one in early June, then in mid-June, and the wine marathon is in late September. Therefore, the events are arranged with the aim of making the accommodation facilities work all year round. February, for example, is traditionally weak”, explains the director of TZ Baranje.

The goal is year-round tourism, he says, there is constant talk about 365 destinations and it is in everyone's interest to work all year round if possible.

Perkušić has been the director for ten years, and during his tenure, the award was received three times, and he believes that this is a certain confirmation of the work of TZ.

"When we talk about personal satisfaction, the crown of it all was that that evening, when we received the award, about a hundred colleagues from the tourism system said that it was absolutely deserved. This is the greatest satisfaction - confirmation from colleagues is more satisfying than the plaque itself", he states.

When asked what differentiates them from some other tourist boards and what makes these events different, he answered that the reason could be that they think "out of the box", but also that they are a great team. "I have two great colleagues, and the director is a bit positively abnormal", he joked in his answer.

"With me, there is no such thing as 'we can't', everything is possible, you just have to plan it. And nothing happens overnight. When I came, I said that the results would be visible in ten years, but they were visible even earlier", he said, adding that the destination itself is, of course, good. However, many others are also good.

"Maybe it's our way of working, we're not uniformed and we're not afraid of challenges. Those who know me will agree that I'm not afraid to criticize myself, but I'm not afraid to criticize the system either - which may not be good for me personally, but it's positive for the destination”, comments Perkušić.

Innovation in action

The wine marathon is the oldest event that has been developing over time and has been held for 20 years. This is confirmation of the claim that something needs to be developed for a long time in order for the product to find its place on the market and in the public, he believes. 

"If it is done well, the offer will grow over time and people will recognize it, which means that no marketing will be needed. When you say wine marathon nowadays, people come by default", he points out. As for the Baranja Wine & Walk event, it was launched nine years ago. It was the first Wine & Walk on the continent, later there were five or six more, and Istria started with it before them.

"We were visionaries, we adapted the story. We understood what our strengths are and used them. It was the same with the Winter Wine & Walk, which no one else in Croatia has even to this day", says the director of TZ Baranje, stating that they constantly think "out of the box" and are not afraid to start implementing ideas. The latest plan is to organize a night Wine & Walk next year, which would put them ahead of the rest again.

As it went on, the conversation led us to the sphere of branding, to which he commented that it cannot be said that the manifestations branded Baranja or vice versa. 

"It permeates, it is connected... Baranja is a small magical destination with its natural resources that are a little different from Slavonia, and TZ together with the stakeholders tried to use these resources in such a way that the events are linked to all the best that the region has to offer", explains Perkušić, adding that a craft beer festival will not be organized here when there is no such tradition.

They focus, in addition, on outdoor events that they also offer, or on other events related to wine. He believes that it is possible to organize events with traditional food, such as fišijadas and kulenijadas, therefore related to what Baranja is famous for.

"Together, it led to the fact that we are growing in terms of the number of beds and that our recognition is growing", he concludes. Namely, when he took office a decade ago, they had about 500 beds, and now there are over 1000. During that period, the number of guests also increased significantly, so the results are visible.

"Planned work, persistence, a little luck, a lot of courage - that would be the recipe for success. Let's take into account that the financial conditions in Slavonia and Baranja are not easy, the opportunities are not too great and, quite frankly, without the support of HTZ, many things here would not be feasible. We use all available resources, both querilla marketing and word of mouth - everything possible - to get the most out of what we have.", he points out.

You have to have a vision, he says, and he really likes to dream. With a great team by your side, success is inevitable. It is also good that there is no political interference in the work of their tourist board, and it is probably because of the visible results, he believes.

Self-belief and teamwork

In addition, although he has the last word, he is a member of the team and is grateful for any suggestion or constructive criticism. "Not once did it turn out that the colleagues were right - what matters in the end is a good result and that the destination profits", emphasizes our interlocutor.

Next year they plan to increase the number of events, there is no shortage of ideas, but they are limited by the budget. They hope to realize a night Wine & Walk, there are also plans to do something in Darda. They would not, he says, wander too much, but work within the current framework, "they would only strengthen the offer" and try to organize events in non-traditional terms.

They definitely want to increase their visibility in broadcast markets that they feel have an interest in their destination. 

"In short, the plan is to continue in the same direction. The fight is on a daily basis and we must not be lulled. However, we are not the type to leave things to chance. Although the enemy strikes from all sides, we do not give up", Matej Perkušić joked at the end with a very serious message that reads: People, believe in yourself!

Photo: TZ Baranje, photo authors: Nenad Milić and Dubravko Franjin