February the 19th, 2026 – Applications are now open for the TouRisk Awards 2026, by which tourism safety will get a measurable, national benchmark.
As Vecernji list writes, tourism in Croatia is still most often viewed through the lens of nothing more than revenue, growth and occupancy. Safety and risk management are often pushed into the background as a technical addition or a necessary expense that doesn’t create direct value. TouRisk – the very first conference dedicated to safety and risk management in tourism in Croatia and beyond it aims to alter this perspective. Beginning from a simple but typically overlooked fact: tourism essentially means the absence of worries or concerns, and safety is an obvious and natural prerequisite for such a feeling.
Applications are currently open for the TouRisk Awards 2026 as part of the TouRisk 2026 conference. These are unique awards in Croatia that transform safety in tourism into a data-driven, multi-layered index. Unlike classic awards that often rely on impressions, the TouRisk Awards introduce a transparent and measurable evaluation process in order to objectively assess the actual level of safety and risk management.
“safety isn’t just an isolated segment”
As the conference organiser Goran Košćak emphasised, TouRisk doesn’t view safety as a mere isolated segment, but sees it as significant through the entire tourism system. “We aren’t talking about one narrow topic. It’s an approach that encompasses the entire tourism industry and all its key stakeholders. We’re talking about safety and risk management across the entire tourism industry: from hotels, campsites and private accommodation, to transport companies, ports, marinas, supply chains and even the event industry,” revealed Košćak, adding that each segment has its own specific risks, as well as specific solutions.
A particularly important part of TouRisk relates to the safety management of the destinations themselves, meaning that this programme doesn’t only address the private sector, but cities, municipalities, counties and tourist boards. “The way in which a destination is managed directly affects the whole perception of safety. The perception of safety is part of the quality of the entire tourism product,” stated Košćak.
the tourisk awards – a benchmark moment
The TouRisk Awards are intended as a “benchmark moment” for all those who manage hotels, campsites, destinations, events, marinas or nature and national parks. The crucial value of the model lies in that the application makes sense regardless of the final ranking: the process provides a structured insight into the risks of one’s own system and a comparison against TouRisk standards. Candidates who exceed the benchmark are entitled to the TouRisk plaque/certificate for safety and risk management, while those below the benchmark receive concrete recommendations and a clear direction for improvements in the next cycle.
Looked at solely in organisational terms, the TouRisk Awards also sends out a broader message to international markets: Croatia isn’t only “naturally” safe, but also has an organised, expert and professional approach to risk management in tourism – with experts, suppliers and solutions that can deliver a high level of service to companies operating within the tourism sector. Košćak noted that the high safety levels in Croatia are often very much taken for granted, although this is far from accidental or “by design” without any effort. Behind it lie various systems, people and institutions – from the police and emergency services to the Croatian National Highways and Emergency Management Service. Looked at in business terms, safety is increasingly becoming part of the value of the product and it is far from an invisible cost.
competitiveness… for the right reasons
For Croatia, the notion of the TouRisk Awards 2026 also opens up a new dimension of competitiveness: a marginal but decisive advantage in the contested AI era of reservations. In a time full of geopolitical instability and comparisons that are increasingly made through models and agents with their own sometimes problematic biases, the question of “who is safer” is becoming a criterion that is sought, compared and ranked. That’s why TouRisk is becoming a kind of national SEO factor in the AI era, because it makes Croatia unique – this time through an analytical and organisational approach to the safety of every single guest. Awarded facilities and destinations receive verification that they can use in AI indices and comparison systems, thus ensuring a better ranking in safety comparisons, and each participant receives a road map towards safety excellence. The best ones become national ambassadors of safe, resilient and sustainable tourism while all applicants maintain their position in that race, through measurable progress.
awards in six categories
TouRisk Awards 2026 are awarded across six key categories of Croatian tourism: Safest hotel, Safest campsite, Safest destination, Safest event, Safest marina and Safest nature park/national park. The same, clearly defined and measurable evaluation process is applied in every category, and the main award goes only to the best in the category and is presented at a ceremony during the aforementioned conference.
The TouRisk Conference 2026 will be held from April the 13th to the 15th, 2026 at Hotel Pinija in Petrčani (Zadar). All information about the programme is available here. The deadline for entries to the 2026 TouRisk Awards 2026 is March the 20th, 2026.
