Damjana Domanovac: Tourism and the way we travel are changing, PLACE2GO is evolving with them
The Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) is participating in this year's edition of the world's leading tourism trade fair, ITB Berlin—running through March 5th—with the goal of presenting the full spectrum of Croatia's tourism offering. The Croatian delegation is led by Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sport; Kristjan Staničić, Director of the CNTB; and Romeo Draghicchio, Director of the CNTB Representative Office in Berlin. The Croatian booth was also visited by Gordan Bakota, Croatia's Ambassador to Germany.
"Following our presence at the Munich fair, we have now presented Croatia's tourism offering at the 60th-anniversary edition of ITB Berlin, accompanied by 28 co-exhibitors. This reaffirms our strong presence in our most important source market. According to the latest Reiseanalyse study, Croatia is once again among the ten most desirable destinations for German travelers. Last year, Croatia ranked 6th among foreign destinations for Germans taking longer trips, while approximately 6.6 million Germans have visited our country over the past three years. Furthermore, it is encouraging that nearly 20% of Germans express interest in traveling to Croatia over the next three years, confirming the continuous growth in our destination's recognition and appeal. To maintain and strengthen this position, responsible price management combined with a continuous commitment to raising quality standards is key. This balance between value for money and quality is the guarantee for continued growth in interest in Croatia. We have also used our participation in the fair for a series of bilateral meetings with tourism ministers and sector partners, including the leading German tour operator, TUI, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and extending the season," said Minister Tonči Glavina.
German tourists seek better value for money
During the fair, the Croatian delegation is holding meetings with various partners, including tour operators, airlines, and agencies such as TUI, Jet2.com, Eurowings, Dertour, Flynas, and Discover Airlines.
"Some studies, such as the Reiseanalyse module on 'German travel plans for the 2025-2026 season,' show that travel remains high on the priority list for Germans, but with a special emphasis on choosing destinations that offer adequate value for money. We are particularly pleased with the indicators showing that Croatia has entered the Top 10 destinations for German travel intentions during the spring-summer period, further solidifying our market position in Germany. About 40% of Germans plan to spend their summer vacation domestically, while the rest intend to travel, primarily to the Mediterranean. This is yet another clear signal to all tourism stakeholders and professionals in the Croatian tourism sector that when creating and marketing offers, special attention must be paid to the price-to-quality ratio; only in this way will we be able to leverage all the potential offered by this vital German market," said Kristjan Staničić, Director of the CNTB.
At ITB, Croatia is being presented as a destination that offers high-quality tourism services alongside value for money, with a special emphasis on further sustainable tourism development. "This year's 60th-anniversary edition of ITB is dedicated to topics such as modern technology and the role of digitalization in the processes of inspiration and information gathering about destinations. Regarding trends, we expect approximately the same volume of tourist traffic from the German market this year as last year, but with a trend toward shorter vacation durations, especially regarding second or additional holidays throughout the year. We will, therefore, use our presence at ITB to intensify discussions with airlines with the aim of further strengthening air traffic, with a special emphasis on the pre- and post-season. Our goal is to further strengthen Croatia's position ahead of the main tourist season, when we expect the highest number of German travelers to our country," commented Romeo Draghicchio.
It is worth noting that Germans are the most important and numerous guests, accounting for over 20 percent of total tourist overnight stays in Croatia annually. This was the case last year, when Germans recorded 22.3 million overnight stays in our country. Most of these stays were in Istria (over 10 million), Kvarner (over 4 million), and in Zadar and Split-Dalmatia counties (over 2.2 million each). In terms of specific destinations, the most overnight stays were recorded in Rovinj, Poreč, and Medulin.
Promoting Croatian regions, wine, and gastronomy
In addition to the Croatian National Tourist Board as the main exhibitor, 28 co-exhibitors are presenting their offerings at the Croatian booth at ITB, including the tourist boards of the cities of Zagreb and Dubrovnik, as well as the Split-Dalmatia, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Šibenik-Knin, and Lika-Senj counties. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, presentations and tastings of premium Croatian wines and cheeses were held at the Croatian booth.
It should also be added that the day before the fair began in Berlin, Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina participated in the UN Tourism Ministers' Summit titled "Empowering New Destinations: From Potential to Success," where the importance of responsible destination management was discussed. Croatian practices were recognized as a model of sustainable development, a fact confirmed by the latest research from the European Travel Commission (ETC), which highlights us among the top five European destinations in terms of "Sustainable Travel" sentiment.
