Croatian meetings and incentives offer presented at the IMEX Frankfurt

The Croatian National Tourist Board participated again this year in the IMEX Frankfurt trade show, one of the world's most important business tourism trade shows, which took place from 19 to 21 May in Frankfurt. A record 29 Croatian co-exhibitors presented their offer at the Croatian exhibition space, including tourist boards, hotels, destination management companies, convention bureaus and specialised business tourism agencies.

According to the organisers' data, this year's edition of the trade show gathered more than 4,000 international buyers from over 60 countries worldwide, including a large number of representatives from the European market, as well as participants from North and South America, Asia, Africa and Middle Eastern countries. The large international turnout confirms the importance of IMEX Frankfurt as one of the leading global gatherings for the meetings and incentives industry, especially in circumstances marked by market changes and challenges in the international business environment. At the same time, the trade show remains an important platform for establishing new business contacts, exchanging experiences and developing future collaborations in the segment of business events and incentive travel.

Participation in the IMEX Frankfurt trade show represents an important segment of promoting Croatia as an attractive and competitive destination for organising business events, congresses, incentive travel and professional conferences. Croatia presented itself to international organisers of business meetings as a destination that successfully combines quality convention infrastructure, safety, good transport connectivity, authentic experiences and a rich eno-gastronomy offer.

During the trade show, Croatian exhibitors held numerous pre-arranged business meetings with international buyers and event organisers, with a special focus on small and medium-sized congresses and business events as well as incentive programmes. Interest in Croatia as a MICE destination continues to grow, and business tourism plays an important role in strengthening year-round tourism, given that the largest number of business meetings take place during the pre- and post-season periods.

Organisers are increasingly looking for safe, sustainable and content-diverse destinations that can offer quality infrastructure and an authentic destination experience. In this context, Croatia, especially in the vicinity of the most significant airports with international flights, is increasingly profiling itself as a desirable destination for organising international business events.

In cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Economy, tastings of Croatian wines and authentic gastronomic delicacies were organised at the Croatian stand during the trade show, further presenting the richness of the Croatian eno-gastronomy offer as an important part of the overall experience for business guests. In addition to individual business meetings, informal gatherings with partners and buyers were also organised during the trade show, further enabling Croatian partners to connect with each other and with foreign partners who are interested in organising their future business meetings in Croatia.