The transformation of Croatian tourism in the focus of the conference on sustainable tourism in Istria

Croatian tourism is going through a significant phase of transformation in which business results, environmental protection and social balance are key factors for long-term success. In this context, sustainable tourism represents a fundamental point of development, and the challenges we face require innovative solutions that will bring lasting value to our destinations.

In recent years, Istria has recorded record numbers of tourists and is positioned as a desirable destination on the world tourist map

At the third conference within the project Green Istria, officially called "Green Istria 2030: Sustainable tourism", held in Hotel Brioni in Pula, gathered numerous experts and representatives of key institutions of Croatian tourism - Boris Miletić, prefect of Istria County, Slavija Jačan Obratov, director of brand development and tourism products HTZ, Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association, Sanja Cinkopaj Korotaj, director of the TZ of the city of Pula, Vesna Cetin Krnjević, Head of Service in the Sector for EU Funds, Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency and Ph.D. sc. Ivan Herak, member of the Directorate for Finance, Corporate Law and Human Resources at ACI. In the introductory part, the gathered were addressed by Slavko Štefičar, director of the Directorate for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Tea Tidic, acting editor-in-chief of Glas Istra. The topic of the conference was sustainable tourism, and the discussion opened up numerous questions about the future of tourism infrastructure in Istria, a region that has almost half a million tourist beds for only 200 thousand inhabitants.

Sustainable tourism as a key factor for the future of Croatian tourism

Among the challenges of sustainable development, the rapid growth of accommodation capacity, which creates pressure on the infrastructure, stands out. Every year, 11 building permits are pending, which raises concerns about long-term impacts on space and the environment. In addition, the panelists pointed out the need for the integration of sustainable principles in all segments of tourism, from accommodation to transportation.

Vesna Cetin Krnjević, head of the department for EU funds from the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, said that around 470 million euros have been withdrawn from European funds so far, and that around 2.000 multi-apartment buildings and cultural heritage buildings, as well as 25.000 family houses, have been renovated with this money. . She also referred to a large project to reduce food waste, especially in the area of ​​Istria:

"In 2021, we launched the project 'Reduce food waste, cook for your guests', which we implemented primarily because of the problems in Kaštijun and Marišćina, in the form of large amounts of waste that arrived precisely in the summer months, that is, the season. waste that our waste management centers could not accept or process. With this project, we wanted to connect tourism and the environment, all in order to reduce the amount of food waste using simple methods." she said Cetin Krnjević.

"The sustainable development strategy adopted by the Croatian Parliament brought a strategic framework, and then a legislative one. In the meantime, by-laws related to the Tourism Act entered into force, which really change the way of thinking about and managing tourism so far. Together with the laws passed by other authorities ministries, which talk about some other aspects of the management of our space and real estate and the taxation of certain activities, we have a framework in which we all find a common opportunity for the development of national tourism recognizing tourist trends", he pointed out Slavko Štefičar, director of the Directorate for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Focusing on the development of domestic tourism, especially in the sphere of ubiquitous and never more necessary sustainability, Prefect of Istrian County Boris Miletić he paid special attention to private accommodation, namely that in the household. This type of accommodation is mostly characterized by the presence of people, i.e. the owner.

"In the further development of domestic tourism, we must first of all think about our local population. Namely, the key to sustainable tourism is the satisfaction of the local population. What has been happening in Croatia for the last few years is a kind of boom in non-commercial accommodation. At the same time, I always like to emphasize that one of the specifics is not not only in Istria, but also in Croatia, private accommodation where people live 12 months a year. It is accommodation where someone welcomes guests, and they do not register through the platform and enter the accommodation through it.", concluded Miletić.

Challenges and trends for the long-term competitiveness of Croatia

He emphasized that the topic of sustainability is of essential importance for everyone - both for future generations and for all those who currently live in Istria, but also in Croatia. Veljko Ostojić, director of the Croatian Tourism Association.

"This topic is relevant not only for the Istrian County, but also for the entire national tourism, including Mediterranean tourism. I believe that most people know that there is a life cycle for every product. There is also a life cycle for a destination. We are currently at the top, but we have slowly started to go down. In order not to continue that trend, we must take certain steps. First of all, we must work to improve the quality of private, domestic accommodation."

She spoke about specific indicators of the success of Croatian tourism Slavija Jačan Obratov, director of brand development and tourism products of HTZ.

"Data from the e-visitor system for October show that our results are eight percent better than those from October last year - both in arrivals and overnight stays. When it comes to arrivals, this year is about three percent better than the previous one, while in the case of overnight stays, we are talking about an increase of one percent. However, what is most pleasing is the projection of the Croatian National Bank, which says that the income from tourism will exceed 15 billion euros this year. This is even four percent more than the year before., pointed out Jačan Obratov and added:

"One of the main goals of the new strategic marketing operational plan for Croatian tourism is the distribution, that is, the redirection of tourist traffic from destinations that are peak loaded during the summer season."

Sustainable development of nautical tourism

"At ACI, we pay a lot of attention to the issue of sustainability and in the field of nautical tourism we are an absolute leader - not only in Croatia, but also in the entire Mediterranean. We are also a leader in the green transition of the nautical sector. This is first of all confirmed by four well-deserved ISO certificates, such as and the internationally recognized Blue Flags that are flown year after year in all our year-round marinas", began his participation on the panel Ph.D. sc. Ivan Herak and added:

"The fact that we are majority owned by the state and as such, we must serve as an example to others. Also, on the other hand, sustainability becomes an important element of competitiveness on the market."

ACI Board member Tomas also touched on the research on boaters' habits from 2022 and pointed out:

"The research showed that the environment and sustainability are in second and third place as determinants preferred by tourist demand. In this context, green transition and tourism are highly interdependent. Namely, nature and cultural-historical heritage are the elements that most attract tourists to our coast, on the other hand, tourism significantly affects the environment. However, in a moderate relationship, these two components are certainly reconcilable.", concluded dr. sc. Herakus.

Preservation of the environment as the basis of sustainable tourism of the future

The panelists jointly emphasized that tourism is on the threshold of significant changes that surpass the previous experiences of this sector. They emphasized that sustainability is no longer just a trend, but a necessity for the survival and further development of tourism, especially in the context of increasing challenges such as climate change and the overloading of popular destinations. Adaptation to new circumstances requires changes in the approach to the development of tourism products, accommodation and infrastructure, with an emphasis on the preservation of natural resources and strengthening of social responsibility in the sector.

Photo: Milivoj Mijošek/Glas Istre, source: ACI Club