Additional Flights, Set-Jetting Sites and New WTM Delights:

Croatia Hits New Heights

London, 28 October 2024 – Croatia is pulling out all the stops to showcase its world-class, premium tourism offering at the brand new digitalised and visually impactful distinctive stand at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. Red and white checkered eco-conscious design synonymous with Croatia expects to be a showstopper, and demonstrate the country's focus on sustainable growth, and versatile appeal to visitors in all seasons, across the various regions, with the aim to define Croatia as the premium destination of sights, services and experiences. The new visual identity portraits Croatia as the destination that has managed to preserve its authenticity and serves as an inspiration for experiences and natural beauty of the country as well as its hospitality and friendliness that are a key characteristic well recognized globally.

This year, Croatia is on track to have its most successful tourism year to date with a total of 815,000 arrivals, and 4 million overnights from the UK, underlined by steady year on year growth up 8% and 7 % respectively. Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar topped the list in overnights from the British visitors. And with more than 517 domestic and international air routes, air capacity sees a significant double-digit growth on last year due to airline increase in operations, bolstered by 80 new air connections, particularly from Ryanair's expansion in Croatia. Adding to the global connections with 133 cities and 41 countries world-wide, Jet2holidays and jet2.com have also extended their summer 2025 season to Pula and plan service from Bournemouth to Dubrovnik for summer 2026.

Alongside Croatia's top-ranking position in the cleanest European coastal bathing waters by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, the country is also championing a series of strategic sustainable initiatives. Wide-ranging activities include continued forest conservation to reduce its carbon footprint, combined with revamped premium tourism news, demonstrating highest ecological standards. The new visual identity of Croatian stand took all the sustainable elements into account and thus showcases the ecologically acceptable solutions that are a strong part of premium tourism offer.

Meanwhile, Croatia's safety, and hospitality equally contribute to the destination's branding on a wider scale. According to Numbeo, the world's largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries world-wide, Croatia is the safest country to walk alone at night evidenced in impressive safety rate of 74.63, while the Condé Nast Traveller's readers rank Croatia as the third friendliest country in Europe. And indeed, in a country of smiles and hospitality, one truly feels like visiting a family.

Adding to the stellar recognitions, Croatia's landscape and heritage is being showcased around the world on TV and streaming platforms. Influx of production companies away from the tourism hotspots continues to project Croatia to blockbuster movies and unmissable TV dramas, where Zagreb, Zadar and the Kvarner Gulf star in the 'Day of the Jackal' and 'Canary Black', forecasted to instigate interest from the set-jetting community to quieter areas.

Another Croatia's key feature at WTM London aims to disperse visitors and cater to diversified demand from the UK is gastronomy. The culinary stellar value is evidenced in the new Michelin stars for Croatia this year; one restaurant with two 

MICHELIN stars and ten restaurants with one prestigious gourmet accolade, adding to accumulated interest for Croatia's gastronomic appeal from the UK. With two-starred Agli Agmici from Rovinj in Istria, homeland of the Guinness world record truffle, and a first Michelin-starred restaurant, on top of being the Best Olive Oil Region in the World for the 8th year in a row, expects to drive even more UK visitors to the northern Adriatic, and beyond.

Ends 

For exhibitor information see: Croatian National Tourist Board - Exhibitor Details (wtm.com)

PR contact: Ivana Shiell at IShiell@aviareps.com

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises of four leading B2B events across four continents generating more than $7bn of industry deals. WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. More than 43,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media embark on ExCeL - London every November generating more than 100,000 of travel industry connections, while last year's attendance soared by 22 %. More information: http://london.wtm.com/. WTM London: 5-7 November.

About AVIAREPS

With 71offices around the globe, we are the global leader in destination marketing. Working with National Tourist Boards, States, Regions and Cities we combine local expertise with global networks to achieve ROI and ROR-focused results for our clients. Whether you need a source market activation strategy or a push to develop existing source marketing, we can help you communicate your brand to trade, media, influencers and consumers in one market, clusters or globally. For further information, please visit www.aviareps.com