First 11 family and small hotels in Croatia receive Eco Green Certificates

(Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

As many as 84 percent of tourists want to reduce waste, 83 percent want to reduce energy consumption, 79 percent want to use more environmentally responsible transport such as bicycles and public transport, 76 percent want to reduce water consumption, 69 percent want their carbon footprint, and 76 percent want even economic benefits tourism.

This data was presented on Wednesday at the “Green and digital transformation of family and small hotels” conference held at Hotel Briig in Split, which was organised by the Association of Family and Small Hotels of Croatia.

(Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

11 members of the association also received the Eco Green Certificate at the conference. These are the first family and small hotels that met the strict criteria and requirements of green business and, depending on the degree, received a silver, gold and platinum label.

Silver label was awarded to Hotel Korana Srakovčić from Karlovac, Stancija 1904 from Smoljanac near Svetvinčenat, Heritage Boutique Hotel Adriatic from Orebić, Hotel San Rocco from Brtonigla, Villa Adriatica from Supetar and Agrotourism Kalpić from Lozovac. 

Šime Klarić and Ivan Srakovčić, owner of Hotel Korana Srakovčić (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Šime Klarić and Draženka Moll, owner of Stancija 1904 (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Šime Klarić and Sabina Mikulić, owner of Boutique heritage hotel Adriatic in Orebić (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Šime Klarić and Tullio Fernetich, owner of San Rocco (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Šime Klarić and Zlatan Jelovac, owner of Villa Adriatica in Supetar (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Šime Klarić and Ivana Kalpić, owner of Agrotourism Kalpić (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Gold label was awarded to Sveti Križ from Čiovo, and the highest, platinum label was awarded to the hotels Rotondo from Seget Donji, Manora from Nerezine on Lošinj, Villa Magdalena from Krapinske Toplice and Skalinada from Zavala on the island of Hvar.

Matea Dorčić from the Split-Dalmatia County and Silvana Pavlinović, owner of hotel Sv. Križ on Čiovo (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Ivan Petrović, owner of Villa Magdalena and Minister Brnjac (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Gordana Piteša, owner of hotel Rotondo and Minister Brnjac (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

Ronald Sošić, owner of Manora and Minister Brnjac (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

By the end of the year, it is expected that between fifty and sixty members of the National Association of Family and Small Hotels will enter the prestigious brand of Eco Green Hotels, said Šime Klarić, its president.

“Despite the great consequences that the pandemic crisis has left on our business, they decided to make a big step forward in Croatian tourism and we were the first to opt for green and digital transformation. We are well aware of the fact that green and digital business have become a necessity if we want to be competitors in the tourism market. And not only because of the demands of our aware guests for environmentally friendly accommodation, but also because of the great savings for hoteliers. In addition, in this way we give our contribution to the decarbonization of the planet,”said Klarić in his introductory speech.

(Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

“Today’s tourists are ready to change their habits in accordance with the concept of sustainable tourism, which is an additional incentive for Croatia to move away from mass and seasonality and focus on sustainability and quality in which small and family hotels play a very important role. I especially welcome the initiative or the new brand “Eco Green Hotels”, prepared by the National Association of Family and Small Hotels at the best time, when guests, after two years of focusing on health security, focus on enjoying nature, food and socialising,” said the Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac, who added that the importance of family and small hotels was recognised through the new Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy until 2030 and investments within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to direct as much money as possible, out of a total of 2.2 billion kuna intended for tourism, to entrepreneurs.

Minister Nikolina Brnjac (Photo: Mario Alajbeg)

The new project and initiative of family and small hotels was supported by the Deputy Prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County Ante Šošić and numerous representatives of institutions and colleagues from the sector.