After Melbourne, big interest in Croatia in Sydney

Croatian tourist offer presented in Sydney

MELBOURNE, 4 July 2019 – After success earlier this week presenting in Melbourne, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) for the first time in its history has present Croatia’s tourist offer in Sydney in front of Australia’s leading tour operators and 82 travel agents. The workshop was organised together with the Slovenian Tourist Board under the slogan ‘Experience Croatia, Feel Slovenia’. 

“I must admit that the interest in Croatia and Croatia’s tourist offer in Australia exceeded our expectations. We have been presenting to the leading Australian tour operators who already offer Croatia in their programmes, but what is especially delightful for many tourist agents who, because of the great interest of Australians traveling to our country, want to cooperate with Croatian tourist companies,”director of HTZ Kristjan Staničić said, adding that this year Croatia’s tourist community is focused on increasing Croatia’s promotion in far-away markets such as China, the United States, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and especially Australia.

The presentation in Sydney was attended by, among others, tour operators Experience Croatia & More, a company with more than 40 years of experience in the tourism industry that first introduced Croatia as a tourist destination on the Australian market; Greece and Mediterranean Travel Centre, an Australian agency specialising in the sale of Greece, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Malta and Croatia; Excite Holidays, the leading Australian, but also global, travel platform for travel, accommodation, transportation and Sun Island Tours tour operators specialising in the sale of Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.

“The interest of Australians traveling to Croatia year after year is growing, they are travellers who do not like to just relax, they love adrenaline, sports, good fun and great food, and your country has that in abundance. Australians want to see and explore Croatia,” said Paul Polyviou, CEO of Sun Island Tour, praising the release of a special brochure devoted exclusively to cruise journeys on the Croatian coast this year.

Zagreb Tourist Board director, Martina Bienenfeld commented: “The Australian market is extremely important to our city, because Australian guests stay longer in the destination, and for them Zagreb has an excellent offer for money and is the starting point or end point for a longer trip to Croatia and neighbouring countries. Since 2015, we have recorded a steady rise in Australian visitors. At that time we recorded 16,896 arrivals and 33,716 overnight stays, while in 2018 we recorded 30,636 arrivals and 64,288 overnight stays, which is an increase of 81 percent in arrivals and 91 percent in overnight stays.”

Jasna Novak Milic (SBS) Kristjan Stanicic (HTZ)_ Martina Bienenfeld Zagreb TZ), Ivica Glasnovic (General Consul)

Luka Olivari, representative of Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020 added: “Australian tourism workers are particularly interested in art, education and pop culture, for which Rijeka has lead the way for years. Rijeka has so far been a lesser known destination for Australian travellers and these workshops have contributed to increasing the tourist attractiveness of the whole region and strengthening the identity of the city that flows.”

Luka Olivari from Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020 

HTZ will end the promotion of Croatia in Australia with a presentation on Friday, 5 July in front of over 20 of the leading Australian tourist and lifestyle media such as ravmedia, Get lost magazine, Marie Claire, Gourmet Traveller, Travel Weekly Australia, SBS, Harper’s Bazaar, Travel Tolk, KarryOn, Escape, Luxury Travel Magazine, MiNDFOOD, and The Australian Women’s Weekly. 

11 Croatian tourist entities have been part of the presentation and workshops – Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board, Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020, Croatia Airlines, Zagreb Toursit Board, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Katarina Line Cruises &Tours, Atlas Plus, Navigare Yachting, Bagatin Clinic, Aronda Adriana Travel and Olivari, whilst for partners Slovenia, KNM Travel, Lubljana tourism&Ljubljana Castle, Palma travel DMC and Happy tours have been presenting their offer. Croatian Genreral Consul in Sydney, Ivica Glasnović, took part also in the presentation.