In Berlin today was the ceremonial opening of the world’s largest tourism fair ITB, where the Croatian National Tourist Board premiered its new stand which it will use until 2022. Present at the fair are the Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli and the Director of CNTB Head Office Kristjan Staničić, who during the fair will meet with numerous important partners from the German market such as Jet2com, TUI, Expedia, Olimar, Germania, Eurowings, Condor, Thomas Cook Germany and others.
“Today Croatia is one of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations, and in order to maintain the status of a hit tourist destination we must follow trends and continuously strengthen its recognisability on the tourist market. This is why in the promotional sector Croatia must be presented via a correspondingly contemporary visual design which will attract tourists from all around the world. Of course, investment in a quality visual identity makes a contribution to this. The new stand is dominated by furniture produced in Croatia, and with the new design we are reinforcing trends and expressing its creativity and innovation”, said Director Staničić emphasising the importance too of promotional activities in the German market. “How important the German market and German guests are to us is confirmed by the fact that we are investing most of the funds envisioned for marketing activities precisely in this market”, Staničić concluded.
“The positive reactions of visitors at the ITB fair confirm Croatia’s position as a hit tourist destination. In 2018 we are expecting almost three million guests to come from Germany, and we are paying particular attention to the even better direct flight connections between our countries. This year we are expecting over twenty new flight connections from Germany which will connect numerous destinations in Croatia with Germany throughout all twelve months”, emphasised Minister Cappelli and added how great focus in the further promotional and developmental activities will be made on the stronger development of selective forms of tourism such as health, cycling, eno-gastronomic, rural and many others which visitors from this market find very interesting.
During the first day of the fair the greatest interest was aroused by the new concept and creative design of CNTB’s appearance at tourism fairs. It concerns “The connection of diversity and openness”, of the team Grupa + Arhikultura (Tihana Taraba, Filip Despot, Christian Rendulić). The emphasis of this new design at tourist fairs by its appearance offers the impression of openness, visual clarity and orderliness, and of a quality organisation which is also created by the standardisation of the highlighting of the visual features of the exhibitor at individual stands and the designer furniture of Croatian production as an ambassador of local creativity and quality.
We would like to add that at the ITB fair, alongside the CNTB, also represented were 21 co-exhibitors: the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board, Zagreb Tourist Board, the Tourist Board of Ston, Croatia Airlines, ID Riva, Katarina Line, Valamar, Maistra, Perfecta Travel, Aronda Adriana Travel, Aminess (Laguna Novigrad), Plava Laguna, Abacus Tours, Crvena Luka, Liburnia Riviera Hotels (Remisens), Sunčani Hvar, the Yachting Club, Arena Hospitality Group and Maricom d.o.o.
ITB Berlin is the world’s leading tourism industry fair which was held this year for the 52nd time from 7 - 11 March. Over 180 countries from 5 continents were represented at the fair, and it was attended by more than 150,000 visitors. It has been estimated that during the fair business worth 7 billion Euros was agreed.
The German market is one of the most important outbound markets for Croatian tourism from which the largest tourist turnover is created. According to data from the eVisitor system, 2.7 million guests (+15%) from Germany visited Croatia in the past year, making 20.7 million overnight stays (+14%), which in total represents the top 20% of the overall overnight stays. The most stayed in destinations were Rovinj, Poreč and Medulin. Likewise, guests from Germany are at the same time the most numerous in the continental region of Croatia, and they stayed mostly in Rakovica, Tuhelj, Slunj, Osijek and Sveta Nedelja. For the most part they stayed in private accommodation (37%), followed by campsites (32%) and then hotels (19%).
The positive trends in this important market are also confirmed by the research results of TOMAS Ljeto (Summer) 2017, and according to this guests from Germany spent 75 Euros per day in Croatia, which represents an increase of 13 Euros in relation to the previously carried out research from 2014. Also encouraging is the data according to which the main motives for the arrival of German tourists, apart from the “sea and sun”, are products such as gastronomy, the natural beauty plus new experiences and adventures.
