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The 5* Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, the most significant project in the recent history of Croatian tourism, has been officially opened in Poreč. With this 200 million euro investment, Valamar is transforming the destination of Poreč, while also making a key step forward for the entirety of Croatian tourism towards high added value, a luxury offer and year-round business operations.
The official opening was attended by representatives of the state leadership led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Valamar shareholders and partners, leading representatives of local and regional self-government, as well as numerous dignitaries from business and social life, further confirming the strategic importance of this project for the Republic of Croatia.
“An investment worth 200 million euros speaks for itself about how much you wanted to improve the offer of your hotel company, how much you wanted to raise the content and quality offered by Poreč and Valamar. I think this will certainly pay off, and completing a project like this surely makes all of you who lived this idea and realised it satisfied and proud. In this way, you are also strengthening Croatia's competitiveness as a Mediterranean destination. I think you are a model and an example for other hotel tourism companies on how to position Croatian tourism. Thanks to all your associates and I wish for this resort to be the pearl of Croatian tourism,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
“Today's opening of the Pical Resort represents an important step forward in the further development of quality and sustainable tourism in our region. The fact that the largest tourism investment in Croatia was realised right here in Istria confirms the strength and recognition of our destination. It is particularly pleasing that the project connects sustainability, green technologies and cooperation with domestic producers, thereby further raising the quality of the tourism offer and strengthening its competitiveness,” said Prefect Boris Miletić, extending congratulations to Valamar on the successful realisation of this significant project.
“In this place, which holds a special place in the hearts of generations of Poreč residents, today we have opened a new page in the history of our city's tourism. Many of us are tied to Pical, which is why I am proud to be able to say that it remains ours, an integral part of Poreč. The beaches, promenades, swimming pools and recreational facilities remain open to all citizens of Poreč, because this city builds its future together with its community. I thank Valamar for their trust and courage to realise such a project right here in Poreč. I thank my associates from the City who did a major part of the work in the preparation and realisation of the project. I thank everyone who participated in the construction, and I especially thank the women and men of Poreč for their patience during the construction, because today we can proudly say together that Poreč, the champion of Croatian tourism, has set the bar even higher,” said the Mayor of Poreč, Loris Peršurić.
“With the opening of Pical, we have successfully realised our largest and most complex project to date – an investment that is changing the tourism landscape of Poreč, Istria and Croatia in the long term. We are already achieving exceptionally positive results: the annual booking plan is nearly 80 per cent full, while guests who stayed at the hotel rated the service quality with a high 95 per cent satisfaction rate. This confirms that we have managed to deliver premium service quality in a very short period of time and that the market has recognised our vision of a modern Croatian holiday resort,” concluded the President of the Management Board of Valamar, Željko Kukurin, thanking shareholders, partners and the local community for the support they have shown from the very beginning of this project.
Numerous famous faces and thousands of visitors at the opening titled "Tribute to Parenzana"
On the occasion of the official opening of the 5* Pical Resort, the cultural and social event of the season took place. To mark the successful completion of the most significant investment in Croatian tourism, Valamar organised a unique musical programme titled "Tribute to Parenzana".
Tickets for this exclusive spectacle were in high demand for days, and Valamar provided free admission for five thousand citizens, wishing to celebrate this historic moment with the local community. Consequently, an unforgettable atmosphere reigned last night in the newly renovated Pical zone. The event was also attended by numerous prominent figures from the domestic lifestyle and media scene.
The evening's programme was designed as an artistic and musical hommage to the historic Parenzana railway line, whose story of connecting Croatia, Slovenia and Italy is deeply woven into the identity, architecture and philosophy of the new Pical Resort.
The musical programme was opened by the Slovenian vocal group Perpetuum Jazzile, symbolically launching this regional cultural story. This was followed by performances from prominent Croatian musical artists Dino Jelusić, Natali Radovčić, Josipa Lisac, Nina Badrić and Urban & 4, who were accompanied by a symphony orchestra under the baton of maestro Alan Bjelinski, with special arrangements by Ante Gelo. A particularly emotional moment of the evening was the performance of the composition La Mula de Parenzo, the unofficial anthem of Poreč, which is an indispensable part of every true celebration in this city.
The evening was rounded off with a performance by the popular operatic pop trio Il Volo, surprise guests from Italy, uniting all three countries into a single musical entity. Their performance further elevated the atmosphere and provided a spectacular conclusion to the musical programme, which delighted the gathered visitors.
