A touch of Eastern Croatia in Munich is set to bring German tourists to Slavonia’s overlooked golden fields.
A promotional tourist film in German language about Osijek-Baranja County was also presented to the present attendees.
As Glas Slavonije writes on the 23rd of June, 2018, it was all things Slavonia on show at the ceremony marking the Statehood Day of the Republic of Croatia in the popular German city of Munich. One host of this celebration, along with the Croatian Consulate General in the Bavarian capital, were representatives of Osijek-Baranja County, which were responsible for the top presentation of the touristic value of Eastern Croatia for about 300 guests from the political, economic and cultural hub of Bavaria.
At the ceremony of the celebration of the Croatian Statehood Day, guests enjoyed some Slavonian and Baranja delicacies – including kulen, cheeses, cakes, and honey and healing products made from it, as well as wines from the Kolar, Siber and Kalazić wineries. They could also see handicrafts, including jewellery.
The attention of the guests was captured by the premier presentation of a promotional tourist film with its narration done in German language, which in an exemplary manner highlighted the abundance of natural, cultural, gastronomic and other riches of Osijek-Baranja County.
Petar Uzorinac of the Croatian Bavarian General Consul in Bavaria, who can certainly be credited for the opportunity to use the Statehood Day of the Republic of Croatia as the grounds for the tourist oriented presentation of Slavonia in Bavaria, was very satisfied and received congratulations from the more than enthusiastic guests.
”In the five years of my mandate, we’ve had the presentations of Split, Rab, Poreč, and Rijeka. My wish was to present Slavonia as well. I’m glad about it all, because of the Homeland War, because of its current situation, but also because of the potential it has. We wanted to point out that Croatia is not only the Adriatic coast, which the Bavarians know about, but that Croatia has something more to offer. The experience of Slavonia and Baranja, which our guests will take home with them this year, has surpassed all the destinations that have been presented so far,” said Uzorinac.
Georg Eisenreich highlighted the great closeness of Croatia and Bavaria, given the fact that a large number of Croats live in Bavaria, he was also particularly surprised by the wide range of tourist offers that can satisfy the appetites of even the most demanding Bavarian guests.
The head of HTZ’s office in Munich, Nera Miličić, emphasised the fact that the Bavarians have a great link with Slavonia, which reminds them of what their homeland used to be.
”Bavarian guests are happy to see and experience Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, where the tradition they have lost has been preserved. We’re happy that we could host the Slavonians in Munich for the third time. How to increase the number of Bavarian guests in Slavonia? In cooperation with tour operators we are happy to be able to sell the “continent” (continental Croatia) more intensively in Bavaria.
People here are happy to make the decision to visit to the continental part of Croatia, so that by intensifying the promotion of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, we can bring these regions closer to them. I’m not only happy with this presentation, I’m touched, this is an excellent promotion. A wonderful, subtle promotional film was created, which, I’m sure, touched all the Croats who watched it here,” stated Nera Miličić.
The director of Baranja’s tourist board, Matej Perkušić said that when asked what the Germans should see and taste in Baranja, the answer is simple – everything that we always offer.
”Excellent wine, phenomenal food, beautiful nature. I like to say that we’re inviting people from the West to Baranja, to a “stress free” destination when deciding to get away from work and stress. In cooperation with tourism stakeholders, we’ve already prepared in three or four tourist programs in which we’ve combined Baranja and Osijek. I’m sticking to the belief that one doesn’t go without the other,” said Perkušić.
He made sure to note that in Slavonia and Baranja, as far as tourism is concerned, there is still a lack of professionalism, that all wineries and owners of OPGs, along with representatives of tourist communities, need to have the same goal going in the same direction.
“Of course we’re lacking more specialised accommodation facilities, such as urban villas with pools, small spa complexes or wine-boutique hotels… We’re at the beginning of a serious tourism story and we have to be prepared for increased guests’ arrivals,” emphasised Perkušić.
This is the third promotion of the tourist offer of Slavonia and Baranja in Munich and Bavaria, and the first organised by Osijek-Baranja County. Mostly thanks to Selimir Ognjenović and his I.D. Riva Tours, the promotion of tourist Slavonia has given its effects.
Ognjenović said two years ago that his goal was to bring a thousand German guests to Slavonia. From the first presentation in March last year to this day, only 1,200 German tourists visited Slavonia via this tour operator, and this year this figure should reach three thousand. It should not be forgotten that from the 2.7 million Germans who visited Croatia last year, 40 percent came from Bavaria and therefore we can fully expect the new positive effects of the presentation prepared by Osijek-Baranja County in their Bavarian presentation.
Click here for the original article by Igor Mikulic for Glas Slavonije
