Zagreb, Croatia and New York, New York – July 20, 2018 – The promotional activities of the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) during the 2018 FIFA World Cup were seen by millions of people around the world as World Cup fever reaches far and wide and the country's National Football team's performance and sportsmanship won the hearts of millions of new fans for the sport and Croatia.

Croatia Full of life - Croatia Full of excellent players was bolstered by the excellent performance during the tournament, especially when the team secured its rightful spot in the finals against France. The Croatian National Tourist Board moved quickly to seize this extraordinary opportunity for further promote the country as an attractive and desirable tourist destinations. With limitless natural beauty, dramatic architecture, ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites and eight magnificent National Parks, a stunning Adriatic coastline with more than one thousand islands in crystal-clear blue waters, it is no wonder Croatia has gained its own rightful spot among some of Europe's best destinations for American travellers. In addition to World Cup, the upcoming release of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, (filmed on the island of Vis) has added to the momentum of this country of 4 million. Thus far in 2018, Croatia has experienced a significant increase in tourism compared to the same period in 2017. From January to May of 2018, the country had 3.6 million arrivals and 11.6 million overnight stays, an increase of 19% and 24%, respectively, compared to last year. During May, there were 1.7 million arrivals and 6.5 million overnight stays registered, which is a 30% growth in arrivals and 39% growth in overnight stays when compared to the same month in 2017.

In addition, a special tagline was created from the tourism board's slogan to capture the moment, “Croatia Full of excellent players" had confirmed the adaptability and reach of the board's promotional messages. Additionally, a shorter version of the promotional video “Ambassadors of Croatian Tourism” was created which featured Croatian national football team members Modrić, Rakitić, Mandžukić, Lovren and Kovačić became the anchor of the promotional activities on social networks, hence why the final match was so highly-viewed on YouTube and other social networks such as Facebook and Instagram. Furthermore, the campaign was expanded to broadcasting markets such as Germany, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland – all important country targets for Croatian tourism – as well as markets in which our players have a presence in the big football clubs. As a result, the campaign delivered impressive returns with nearly 4 million imprints, the shortened video reached 2.5 million people, and more than a million people were engaged and commented on the promotional announcement, shared or tagged others to further expand the reach.

These excellent results were also record on the organic posts of the national tourism board's social networks of Facebook, Instagram Twitter. On the global Facebook page, the reach was to 2.5 million people in a few hours, and further expanded to others Facebook sites developed for each specific markets which increased the reach to 5 million people and in a day, more than 9,000 new fans were recorded, the most popular promotional video ever footballers and posts on a short "school" to become a Croatian fan in seven steps. Twitter cited the tourism board's promotional activities which achieved nearly 3 million impressions, while the promotional video on this platform was seen by more than a million people and Instagram received more than 8.5 million new fans.

Facts and Figures of CNTB during 2018 FIFA World Cup

• During the World Cup final, hr, official website of the Croatian National Tourist Board, marked 200% increase of visitors in comparison to last year's period
• Shortened version of the Croatian Tourism Video“Ambassadors of Croatian Tourism” reached 2.5 million people, while more than 1 million commented, shared or liked the video
• The Croatia Full Of Life global Facebook page generated 2.5 million visitors in a few hours on 15th July, while Facebook pages representing separate Croatian regions reached 5 million visitors in total. Moreover, 9,000 new fans were marked in just one day
• The most popular post on the Facebook page was steps how to prepare to cheer for Croatia like a true Croatian
• The official Instagram page of the Croatian National Tourist Board was visited by more than 8.5 million people during the final, while Twitter alone generated 3 million impressions
• The Promotional video was seen by more than 1 million people on Instagram
• Google celebrated Croatia's World Cup success by adding a Croatian fan's inspired design on the homepage of their website the day after the final, in honor of the silver medal the team won at the finals in Moscow
• Luka Modric, captain of the Croatian football team and the best footballer of the World Cup, is already generating increased interest for his hometown of Zadar and Zadar region
• After Zagreb's half a million people welcomed a record-breaking turnout greeting the Croatian Football Team, last seen during the Pope's visit to Croatia in 1994, there were welcome parties hosted in Split, Zadar, Varazdin and Slavonia region as a tribute to the players

The original promotional video was directed by Zagreb native, Nevio Marasović, known for films such as 2010's The Show Must Go On, 2013's Vis-à-vis, and 2018's Comic Sans and filmed during the spring and summer of 2017. The video was launched in the fall of 2017 to great fanfare, as it reached 3.5 million viewers on Facebook, 1.6 Instagrammers and 160,000 views on YouTube. In addition to footballers Modrić, Rakitić, Mandžukić, Lovren and Kovačić, other video ambassadors were tennis star Marin Čilić and NBA star Dario Šarić, who continue to share this video to their legions of loyal followers on various social media platforms, furthering its reach to a new fan base.

Click here to view the Croatian National Tourists Board's Croatia Full of Life promotional video.

About Croatia
Stretching along the Adriatic Sea, just a stone's throw from Central Europe, Croatia is a country defined by a rich cultural legacy. Today, history perfectly combines with a youthful spirit and vibrant energy that prove irresistible to those seeking diversity. Breath-taking natural beauty, endless coastlines, diverse gastronomy, adventure, sports and wellness, can be enjoyed all year round. Whether exploring the old city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, island hopping around the Split archipelago, truffle hunting in Istria, paragliding across the Plitvice Lakes, delving into Zagreb's streets and hidden passages, birdwatching in Kopacki rit, partying the night away at Zrce beach in Novalja or taking time out with the family on Zlatni Rat beach, there truly is something for everyone in Croatia. For more information, visit: http://croatia.hr

CNTB US Media Contact:     

Truc Nguyen

Croatian National Tourist Office - PR and Media Relations

truc@trucnnguyen.com / +1.646.531.4848

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