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UHPA Days, the annual gathering of one of Croatia’s leading national tourism associations, took place from 18 to 20 March 2026 in Šibenik-Knin County, which holds the title of UHPA’s recommended domestic destination for 2026.
The ninth edition of UHPA Days was officially opened on Thursday, 19 March, by Tomislav Fain, President of UHPA, at the Olympia 4* hotel in Vodice. More than 230 participants gathered in Vodice this year, including travel agency representatives and other key stakeholders of Croatia’s tourism industry.
A special focus of this year’s event was placed on the transformation of the tourism economy and the imperative of green transition and digitalisation in business.
A challenging year for tourism: safety and value for money in focus
The event was also attended by Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina, who highlighted the key role of travel agencies in the context of the highly unstable situation in the Middle East. Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, presented the CNTB’s planned promotional activities for this year, with special attention to the latest trends in key source markets.
„We are facing a demanding tourism year, marked by economic as well as security concerns. Still, we are encouraged by the continued strong desire to travel, particularly across European markets. In this context, Croatia has a significant advantage that we continue to highlight in our promotional activities: it is recognised as a safe, geographically close and easily accessible destination. This is especially important given that more than 80 percent of our total tourism traffic comes from European markets. This year, the key criteria in destination choice will be the feeling of safety and value for money, which is why we are placing even greater focus on improving the quality of the tourism offer. I would like to thank travel agencies and tour operators for the effort they invest in creating unique experiences and attractive travel packages, whose contribution is especially evident in the pre-season and post-season", said Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
Paško Rakić, Prefect of Šibenik-Knin County, welcomed the participants and highlighted the county’s excellent cooperation with tourism stakeholders, while underlining its commitment to developing infrastructure in the hinterland. In this context, he announced a project to build a suspension bridge across the Krka River linking the fortresses of Nečven and Trošenj in the municipalities of Kistanje and Promina.
As part of the segment “Current affairs with the Minister of Tourism and Sport”, in conversation with programme moderator Izabela Vrtar, the minister reflected on the starting position of Croatian tourism this year and the sector’s adaptation to the new geopolitical situation. Glavina also used the opportunity to present amendments to the Hospitality Act, for which a public consultation is due to begin soon, and announced the forthcoming publication of a public call for the tourism competitiveness programme, under which travel agencies will once again be eligible beneficiaries of non-refundable grants.
Green transition and digitalisation as the basis of competitiveness
The first working part of the programme was complemented by two expert panel discussions focused on the dual transition of the European economy, namely the green transition of tourism and digitalisation and e-business. The first panel, “Green transition in tourism”, featured Assoc. Prof. Ingeborg Matečić of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Economics and Business, Maja Domijan of Eventful, Krešimir Šakić of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board and Andrija Matić of Elite Travel.
Panelists reflected on the unique position of travel agencies in relation to sustainable development and the management of tourism’s environmental impacts, referring to good practice in the design of new products and acknowledging the importance of the local community for the success of the transition itself.
Technology in tourism as an operational tool was the focus of the second panel, “Digitalisation and e-business – the key to success in tourism”, featuring Martina Lucić Čanak of Magic4club – Positive garden, Anita Franin-Pečarica of the Vodice Tourist Board, Neven Palčec of myRent and Diana Mudrinić of the Trokut Šibenik New Technologies Incubator. Alongside automation and personalisation, technology also implies the need to strengthen digital sovereignty in order to retain control over data and develop authentic local solutions, the panelists stressed in a discussion on the future of the digital environment.
Šibenik-Knin County as inspiration for new tourism products
The ninth edition of UHPA Days placed special emphasis on exploring the rich tourism offer of the host destination. As part of the programme, participants visited Vodice, Šibenik, St Michael’s Fortress, Baraka Winery, Etnoland Dalmati and Skradinski Buk.
„We could describe our county as a ‘Mediterranean in miniature’. Almost everything the Mediterranean has to offer can be found here, only in a much smaller area, which makes time spent here even more valuable. By nurturing, preserving and presenting all the richness of this region, we strive to build a tourism model that is balanced and capable of stable long-term development, to the benefit of local residents, our guests and all those who may one day choose this area as their home. Many steps lead in that direction, and our cooperation with UHPA is among the most important. It includes the promotion of the Šibenik-Knin region, but also further familiarising the country’s best travel agencies with our destination. That is why I believe these UHPA Days will inspire some of them to create some of their best programmes სწორედ here“, said Krešimir Šakić, Director of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board.
„Another successful edition of UHPA Days is behind us, once again confirming the importance of unity and cooperation within the tourism system, especially in the current geopolitical circumstances. The working part of the programme highlighted the key themes for adaptation and the future development of the industry, both in terms of cooperation between the public and private sectors and in terms of strengthening competitiveness through digitalisation tools and sustainable practices. I am extremely proud that the number of our members continues to grow year after year, as does the number of participants at UHPA Days", said Tomislav Fain, President of UHPA.
As a professional gathering held since 2016, UHPA Days has rightfully become one of the most important professional events in Croatia’s tourism sector. The ninth edition of the event once again demonstrated the importance of connections within an industry that must continuously strengthen its own capacity to adapt.
