On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the CNTB Representative office in Slovenia, the Croatian National Tourist Board, in partnership and cooperation with the Istria Tourist Board, organized an event entitled "20 years of partnership and friendship". The event was held in the centre of Ljubljana, and the press conference and evening socializing with key Slovenian partners, media and representatives of the Slovenian tourism sector was attended by CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić, Monika Udovičić from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Director of CNTB Representative office in Slovenia Metka Bradetić and the Director of the Istria Tourist Board Denis Ivošević.
"Slovenian guests are very important for Croatia. Namely, Slovenia is second only to Germany, in terms of the number of tourist arrivals and overnight stays. We know that Slovenes are always welcome guests in Croatia, they know our country well, especially Istria and Kvarner. Slovenian tourists are also extremely loyal guests, and what we would like in the future is as many new young Slovenian tourists who will discover the beauty of Croatia throughout the tourist year and explore new destinations, especially those in continental Croatia" said the CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić, who thanked Slovenian partners and the media for 20 years of strong friendship, partnership and mutual trust.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Croatian office in Slovenia was attended by numerous Slovenian guests, more than 150 of them, who thus confirmed the importance of the tourism sector, which strongly connects Croatia and Slovenia. Thus, the Slovenian side was represented, among others, by Simon Zajc, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia in charge of tourism, Ksenija Flegar, Director General of the Directorate for Tourism, Acting Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board Ilona Stermecki, President of the Association of Slovenian Tourist Agencies Matej Knaus, Director of Ljubljana Tourism Petra Stušek, as well as many other representatives of Slovenian professional associations, partner agencies and tour operators.
"Traditionally, the Slovenian market is one of the most important for Istria and, after the German and Austrian, it ranks high third in the number of arrivals and overnight stays. Slovenians are our first neighbours, favourites in our destinations because we have extremely good relations with them. Therefore, we are especially pleased to have had the opportunity to attend this celebration during which we presented Istria as a lifestyle destination with a focus on cuisine that the Slovenian market greatly appreciates and understands”, said the Director of the Istria Tourist Board Denis Ivošević.
"It is difficult to summarize 20 years of work of the representative office in a few sentences. What I can say is that we are extremely honoured to have excellent tourist results in such a challenging market for years, that Slovenian guests follow us in our development, Croatia as a tourist destination, which, in terms of tourism, can satisfy everyone's taste. We are extremely pleased that Slovenian guests recognize all our activities and reward us with their faithful return visits and therefore I sincerely thank you for the past 20 years of friendship and partnership and look forward to the coming years ahead", concluded Metka Bradetić, Director of CNTB Representative office in Slovenia.
The program was additionally enriched in cooperation with ACI, whose marinas are visited in large numbers by Slovenian guests, so the President of the ACI Management Board Kristijan Pavić awarded the luckiest Slovenian guest with a commemorative award. The presentation of Croatia and Istria in Ljubljana was further enriched by the products of partners including Umag's Badi restaurant, whose chefs presented their culinary skills, Poreč's Agrolaguna which provided top Istrian wines, extra virgin olive oils and cheeses, and guests had the opportunity to consume prosciutto Jelenić, craft Bura Brew beer from Poreč and craft gin Monachus from Premantura.
For the entertainment, the Istrian contemporary folk singer-songwriter and actress Elis Lovrić, performed with bagpiper Stjepan Večković, and guests were additionally enabled to see numerous Croatian destinations in virtual reality, the technology of the future.
