Međimurje sold out the first sustainable and volunteer tourism product in just two days - 'with booze in green Međimurje'

Great news - after only two days, train tickets as part of the sustainable and volunteer tourism test of TZ Međimurja are sold out!

The campaign hasn't even started yet, and the tickets are sold out. This shows that there is still public interest in sustainable tourism, and domestic interest. 

Let us remind you that as part of the "Sustainable Tourism Development Laboratory" program TZ Međimurje County she decided to test a certain type of mobility and connect it with volunteer activities which contribute to the development of a healthy organizational culture of the local community.

Combining sustainable tourism, slow travel concept and volunteerism, Međimurje makes a new step forward in the tourism development of Croatia, as well as a new positive example in practice regarding the strategic development of the destination towards sustainable tourism.

It's a slogan with booze in green Međimurje, and the train, as a means of transport from the metropolis to Čakovec, will be branded with stickers as part of the campaign. By train from Zagreb to Čakovec, at the destination a ride on the Ebus and Hop On and Hop Off bus and a weekend full of volunteer sustainable activities. 

Read more about the whole concept at: By combining sustainable tourism, the slow travel concept and volunteerism, Međimurje represents a new step forward in tourism development

Although it is only a test and the first project of this type, in addition to sustainable and volunteer tourism, and a continental destination - not a marine one, it is phenomenal news, both for Međimurje and for our entire sector, that the response to a sustainable weekend trip is more rather successful - This proves that interest in sustainable tourism exists. In short, in less than two days from the announcement on social networks, 160 tickets and a train were sold with booze in green Međimurje is filled.

As he points out Rudi Grula, director of TZ Međimurje County, invested 250 euros in the Facebook campaign, and other promotional activities have not even started yet, and the train is full. Therefore, they had to stop other planned promotional activities, as well as the FB campaign, and that only after two days of the announcement on social networks. 

Now they are thinking about introducing a new train, i.e. a new time, but as Grula states, they must first check with the partners of the program whether they are free and whether they can receive guests in the new time. As sustainable tourism is not mass, the goal is to create groups of 15 to 20 people, not hundreds.

As part of the program guests will participate in the arrangement of the public sensory path, they will make a hotel for insects and a birdhouse, elements of a traditional mask for the needs of a home for the elderly and infirm, the environment of the facility for children with special needs will be arranged, spring work will be done in the garden of regenerative agriculture, running and walk and pick up trash. They will also make eco-candles with the aim of selling them for the fund for caring for abandoned dogs, as well as spring work on the pasture for grazing the indigenous Međimurje horse.

We are also preparing various other sustainable packages, this is not a one-time action, says Grula, emphasizing:

"This is a pilot project and exercise for commercial packages as well as market testing. It is a combination of sustainable mobility, volunteer and sustainable tourism and destination experience. Everything is held in sustainable localities and stakeholders in the destination that are certified with Good Travel certificates. This is important, because we promote and focus on the stakeholders who put in the effort and had awareness and were the first to move towards sustainable development and tourism and entered sustainable certification in the first round. They are in a narrow circle of bidders, not only in Croatia but also in the EU. It is the only alternative for the development of tourism that the whole world is thinking about. The certificate does not contribute anything in the short term, only in the long term with real actions and sustainable development in the destination. A stamp alone without an action has no effect or meaning"Remember, in February in Međimurje it was awarded the first 13 Good Travel Seal certificates in Croatia.

This is an upgrade to certification for the label Green Destination which Međimurje wears as the only region in Croatia, and means additional improvement of sustainable management of the destination and education of stakeholders. Label Good trip is a guarantee of extremely high standards in the tourism industry with a focus on environmental protection.

Thus, in the Međimurje County, in the category of accommodation facilities and hotels, the following are certified: Pozoj's house, House Dobranić, apartment Hiža 38, Holiday house Pušlek, Holiday house Lina, Toplice Sveti Martin and the company's Panorama hotel DG Sport.A mark of excellence Good trip, in the travel agency category, the company won Rudi express, and in the category of museums and visitor centers Ecomuseum Međimurje a little, with a stroke za Lookout on Magjerkina breg, Tourist board of Sveti Martin na Mura municipality za The miller's cottage and the associated multimedia collection. In the category of adrenaline parks, a certificate was awarded Agricultural farm Geler, while in the winery category it is certified Wine house Hažić.

The partners just mentioned are included in the program with booze in green Međimurje. It should be mentioned that as part of the program, people only pay for overnight stays in these sustainable facilities, while all other costs and programs are free, i.e. subsidized by the TZ of Međimurje County, since it is a test project.  

"This is an indicator of how interested domestic guests are in this type of tourism. It shows that there is a critical mass of audience that is interested in and wants sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is a path, not a moment. It's a revolution", concludes Grula. 

It is also worth emphasizing that Međimurje already has everything defined in the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy. Various domestic and foreign tourism experts as well as students are already coming to Međimurje to see the destination's sustainable practices live. Međimurje is far ahead of everyone when we talk about the sustainable development of tourism. 

The entire tourist program and concept can be found at: With booze in green MeđimurjeWe will certainly follow this story and report after the entire project.  

For readers who want to know more...

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