The Croatian National Tourist Board presents the entire Croatian tourist offer at the specialized camping fair REISE + CAMPING, which is held in Essen till February 23rd. It is one of the most important fairs for the camping segment, where about 800 exhibitors from all over the world are presented and whose offer will be viewed by more than 80 thousand visitors. The special feature of this year's performance is that Croatia is presented as a Partner Country of the fair, which gave us special visibility and promotion as part of the entire program. The Croatian tourist delegation is present at the fair and it is led by Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Kristjan Staničić, Director of CNTB and Romeo Draghicchio, Director of the CNTB Representative in Frankfurt.
"The German market is still our first emitting market from which the largest number of tourists are visiting, and that is why we pay special attention to the promotion of our country in this market, and at the fair in Essen, as a Partner Country, we present Croatia as a TOP destination for camping, cycle tourism and outdoor activities. According to the latest research by the European Travel Commission, as many as 79% of Germans want to travel to other countries, which is an ideal opportunity for us, taking into account that nature, camping and outdoor offers are their main reasons for traveling and that Croatia is still in the TOP 10 travel destinations for Europeans. On the German market, our country is recognized as one of the leading camping destinations in Europe, and this is confirmed by data of ADAC, which are extremely relevant for Germans, and according to which Croatia ranks second in terms of the quality of campsites in Europe, and first in terms of the quality of bathing facilities. We are also proud that our campsites - 26 of them, are winners of ADAC's Superplatz label, which proves that we have a truly high-quality camping offer, and our investment in further quality improvement is growing every year," said Minister Glavina.
During the official opening of the fair, the program was hosted by the well-known German TV presenter Andrea Griessmann and Thomas Kufen, mayor of Essen, gave a special speech. Also, Ambassador of Republic of Croatia in Federal Republic of Germany, Gordan Bakota visited the fair.
"Camps are part of our offer of which we are particularly proud and that stand out for their quality, as well as investments in additional facilities such as wellness, sports fields, playgrounds, etc. In addition to the attractive locations of the camps themselves and their high quality, the position of our country gives us an advantage, which is only a few hours drive by car or camper and is accessible to numerous guests from different countries. By expanding the offer and services in the camps, we want to maintain its position as a successfully affirmed segment of our offer, which is especially important if we know that in the camps we have the most accommodation capacity, right after family accommodation", said director Staničić.
As part of the Croatian stand, 14 co-exhibitors are presenting their offer, including tourist boards, but also national parks, hoteliers, agencies and transport companies. Also, as part of the Croatian exhibition space, an award for sustainable business was presented to Camp Obonjan by João Alvesa Pereira, president of the World Camping Federation (FICC). Also, tasting of quality Croatian wines and cheeses was provided for all guests and visitors in cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Economy. In addition, the Croatian delegation also met with representatives of the German tour operator Misir Reisen, an independent specialist for Croatia through which approximately 25 thousand German travelers are visiting our country annually.
"The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state in Germany and, regionally speaking, the first emitting tourist market within the country. As such, this region is extremely important for Croatian tourism, and considering the distance from our country and excellent air connections from Düsseldorf and Cologne airports, travelers from that province often choose air transport, especially to southern destinations in Croatia. However, since camping is extremely popular in that region, many tourists are happy to stay in our camps, especially in July, when the province is on school holidays. Therefore, I am sure that the appearance at the fair in Essen, along with the accompanying promotional activities, will enable us to be more visible among the residents of this part of Germany, that is, we will further strengthen our position in this important market", said Draghicchio.
Let's add that the Germans are the most important and numerous guests, which make over 20 percent of the total tourist overnights that are realized in Croatia during the year. This was also the case last year, when Germans spent more than 22 million nights in our country, 7.7 million of which were spent in camps. At the same time, the most overnights were achieved in Istria (over 10 million overnights), in Kvarner (over 4.5 million overnights) and in the Split-Dalmatia and Zadar counties (over 2.4 million overnights), and in terms of destinations in Rovinj, Poreč and Medulin.
