The Croatian National Tourist Board invites Yuri Cortez, a Chief Photographer of Agence France-Press (AFP), to visit Croatia. The photographer found himself quite literally in the middle of the Croatian national team during their World Cup Semifinal celebrations in Russia, giving him the unique opportunity to take some incredible photos. Cortez will travel to Croatia with his family from 31 August to 7 September and will visit Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, Sibenik, Zadar, Opatija, Rovinj and Pula, as well as other tourist attractions such as the Kornati National Park or Telašćica Nature Park.
"The impressions and reactions after the historical results of the Croatian national team at the World Cup still live on. During this great promotion that our extraordinary footballers provided us with, we have continued to carry out activities that will further our country's position as an attractive tourist destination that is most definitely worth a visit. We are looking forward to the arrival of Yuri and his family and to show them the beauty of Croatia and the kindness of our people”, said the director of the CNTB Kristjan Staničić. He added that the travel plan was created together with the Cortez family who are very happy to visit Croatia.
Cortez approves: "Although I have travelled the world, I still haven’t been to Croatia. Therefore, I am very glad to share this experience with my family. Croatia is a wonderful country full of breathtaking and unique motives and landscapes. It has to be a paradise for photographers. We can hardly wait for our Croatian adventure.” His trip to Croatia was even announced in his home country, El Salvador, in the media, as well as on social media.
The Cortez family is embarking on their 7-day adventure in the capital city of Croatia. During a guided Segway tour, they will visit attractions such as the Maksimir Park and the Zoological garden in Zagreb. Continuing to the south of Croatia’s coast and the beautiful city of Dubrovnik, also known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, they will visit the Old Town and the Walls of Dubrovnik before heading on to Split, Croatia’s second largest city, to discover the city’s Roman history. One of Split’s main attractions is the Diocletian’s Palace. The next day, Cortez and his family will visit the nearby city of Sibenik and its splendid Old Town. The program also includes a beautiful boat drive to the numerous islands of the National Park Kornati, where they will make a stop on one of the islands called Zut. Whilst in Zadar, the family will visit both of the city’s main attractions, the Sea Organ and the “Greeting to the Sun” and in the Istrian city Opatija, Cortez and his family will meet with representatives of the Croatian Tourist Board, the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Football Association. The following day includes a visit to two other famous Istrian cities, Rovinj and Pula, where they will learn about Croatian culture, customs and gastronomy of the northern Adriatic.
53-year-old Cortez is the head of the Mexican AFP correspondence, the third largest newspaper agency in the world. In his professional career, in addition to sports competitions, he photographed natural disasters, humanitarian crises and violent conflicts around the world. Numerous world media covered his travel and arrival to Croatia as well as the invitation of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
