Petar Hrg: Gorski kotar, compared to other continental regions of Croatia, is growing faster and stronger

The Tourist Board of Gorski Kotar for the first time organized the GKC (Gorski Kotar Conference) under the name "Goranski Day of Tourism", on November 30, 2023, at the Bitoraj Hotel in Fužine.

The goal of the conference was to gather relevant participants who will contribute to the development of tourism with their participation and experiences.

In the opening speech Petar Hrg, director of TZ Gorski Kotar, pointed out that Gorski Kotar, compared to other continental regions of Croatia, is growing faster and stronger. He also stated that in this year, until November, he recorded 9,37% more arrivals and 7,51% more overnight stays compared to the same period last year. He added that the growth compared to 2019 was as much as 19,81% more arrivals and 24,78% more overnight stays, and the tourism workers, whom he congratulated for their dedicated work, are responsible for this.

In the continuation of the conference, two panel discussions were held under the name "Experience the destination" and "Importance of investment for further development".

The first panel discussion "Experience the destination" was moderated by Josip Krmpotić, a journalist from Radio Rijeka, and the participants talked about Goran tourism from their own experience, so Irena Peršić Živadinov, director of the Tourist Board of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, pointed out that progress will not be possible without a serious increase in accommodation capacity. Jelena Holenko Pirc, owner of the travel agency Lynx and Fox, shared her experience because she has followed and lived the tourism of Gorski kotar all her life, so she could give a comparison of the destination as it was before and as it is now. Ivan Arambašić, Đurđica Šimičić and Maša Lovrin Makaš explained how they marketed Gorski kotar to potential guests, and Nedo Pinezić listed a number of experiences related to the touristic development of Krk.

The moderator ended the discussion with the conclusion that the panel confirmed that they are the basis of all current and future thinking of people - more precisely, a hard-working Goran man who should be kept in the space of his ancestors, which will not be easy because not even a single tourist story in the Goran area is easy. .but, it is not impossible, with the help of politics and investors in strengthening accommodation, staff training, investments in all segments of the offer... Gorski kotar has a perspective, it started stronger than ever, only on this wave of optimism it cannot do it alone again, and we have gained impression that he is not alone...he was lucky...!

Through the second panel discussion, called "The Importance of Investments for Further Development", an attempt was made to discover ways and models that can bring significant investments to the Goran area that would generate tourism development. Marinko Krmpotić, a journalist from Novi list, talked to the panelists. Dejan Ljevnaić, director of the Jahorina Olympic Center, explained in detail the way in which ski resorts in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been developed with exceptional quality through state investments. In addition to winter tourism, these ski resorts also bring a lot of profit in the summer, and the state's initial investments have already started to bring multiple profits after a few years.

Prerequisites for such investments, Matko Marohnić, a consultant at Horwath HTL, pointed out, exist and are clearly indicated in a series of prepared documents such as the Master Plan for the development of tourism in Gorski Kotar, but these investments cannot be made without great help from the state. He confirmed that  and David Bregovac, head of the Municipality of Fužine, while Deputy Prefect Petar Mamula spoke about the help of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County so far through investments in a number of facilities and facilities. Marko Perić, dean  Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management gave a realistic presentation of the situation, from which it was clear that there is still a lot of work to be done if potential is to be turned into permanent value.

The direction in which it should go, concluded Petar Hrg, is to invest as much as possible in all types and forms of tourist infrastructure.

At the end of the conference, the best tourism workers received awards for their exceptional contribution to the continuous growth of tourism, namely: Vršak Mountaineering Association, Topli dom Čabar Renters' Association, Hotel Risnjak, Hotel Bitoraj, Restaurant Eva, Excursion Baćine njiva, Mountain Park Kupjak, Divjake Log Home and Restaurant Kamačnik.

And as one guest pointed out, this (first) conference "announced major changes in Gorski kotar, but also repeated some notions about the "green heart of Croatia"!"