"Half" of the local roads in the interior of Istria are closed: Not because of works, but because of the extension of the tourist season

One day left until the start of the cycling race Istria300 which grows from year to year. 

And that means only one thing - that "half" of the local roads in the interior of Istria are closed. Not because of the works, but because of the extension of the tourist season, that is, because of the need for this race. 

Istria300 has become one of the most significant European sports and recreational events, and the number of participants has increased since the first year, 2021. - quintupled - say the organizers. Another proof that Poreč is a leader in sports tourism that extends the tourist season.

This is a clear indication of how to have a tourist year as opposed to a tourist season, as well as that events are the motive for coming and investment, not an expense.

In total, as many as 3.600 participants are registered for the race, who often come accompanied by at least one person and stay in the destination for two to three nights, as with all major sports events. Therefore, we can certainly say that Poreč and its surroundings are sold out with around 20.000 overnight stays in the next few days. All because of one activity in the destination - the Istria300 race. And where are all the other activities that take place in September in Istria... 

The formula is clear, but most other Croatian destinations can't figure it out. 

Detailed information on the traffic regime (with routes and timetables for road closures) during the Istria300 event is available HERE .

But let's go back to the bike race. In its fourth edition, Istria300 has 3.600 participants, of which more than 90% are foreigners, who will start driving from Poreč across the Istrian landscape.

"Istria300 has become one of the most important sports and recreational events in Europe, and the number of participants has increased fivefold since the first year, 2021. This year, we enriched the program with free early morning rides around Poreč and its surroundings, which Istrians and their guests enjoyed. The rides started in June and were held every Tuesday even before dawn, and the response itself showed us that this is an initiative that would be worth expanding to other cities in Croatia, as well as in Austria, Slovenia and Germany," said the director of the Istria300 race, Vladimir Miholjevic. 

This year, too, the ride starts and ends in Poreč, a city that, in addition to its extremely rich cultural heritage, has been nurturing the culture of sports tourism in recent years. "We got the title of city of sports because we are a city that, considering the number of inhabitants, has an excellent sports and tourist infrastructure. It is therefore natural that Istria300 is one of a series of sports events that, to our great satisfaction, return to the city year after year. The biggest events in our country are held outside the peak tourist season and enable the city to be alive even during the fall. pointed out the mayor of Poreč Loris Peršurić.

How much Istria300 has contributed to the Istrian tourist season is sufficiently expressed by the numbers, which are also record-breaking this year, said the marketing manager of the TZ of the Istrian County, Marko Markovic and added: "For the last few years, we have witnessed an increasing number of tourists coming in search of an active way to spend their vacation. Out of a total of 3.600 registered participants who often come accompanied by even two people each and stay in Istria for at least two to three nights, you can only imagine how exceptional this event is in the tourist season of Istria."

The participants of the Istria300 ride start from Poreč again this year, and they have three routes at their disposal; the shortest is 134 kilometers, the second is 209 kilometers and the longest is 300 kilometers, which makes it a unique cycling event. With this event, Poreč profiled itself as one of the most important centers of cycling tourism, which Valamar Riviera recognized at the very beginning of the event.

The main partner, Valamar Riviera, is again providing all participants with a discount on accommodation this year, and free rental of woom bikes for children's rides, the Istria300 Mini. Bicycles will be available for rent at the Poreč Bike Center, Valamar Riviera's latest investment, which further demonstrates how important the development of cycle tourism is to the tourist company in all the destinations where they operate.

"Valamar actively supports the development of cycle tourism in the destinations where it operates, so this year we launched the Bike Center Poreč project, which is an excellent service for Istria300 participants and other cycling enthusiasts. Poreč stands out as an outstanding destination for cyclists. We congratulate the organizing team on the success of Istria300 and thank all partners in the Istria300 project for their support", said the head of destination product development at Valamar Riviera, Toni Hrvatin.

Istria300 attracted attention as early as 2021 as the largest first edition of a recreational event in Croatia with 800 guests. The number of registrants grew every year, and last year, five months before the event, 2500 entry fees were sold out.

In previous years, the ride was held in October, but due to the large number of foreign participants, it was moved to September in order to facilitate their travel in the period when Istria is better connected with the rest of the world.

"This year's sports programs really gave excellent tourist results. We note an increase in the number of arrivals and overnight stays, especially among guests who are interested in sports activities, whether recreational or professional. Preliminary data show that this season surpassed last year's in terms of the number of visitors, while overnight stays were at the same level as last year's. Especially happy  that the average length of stay has increased." He said Nenad Velenik, director of TZ Poreč.

Istria300 officially started yesterday, with the largest sales exhibition of cycling equipment, where more than 25 brands will be presented on the Poreč waterfront for the next few days.

Poreč is certainly a champion in sports tourism, far ahead of everyone else.