As Poslovni writes, the Green Destinations Certification Committee’s official decision, which has so far certified hundreds of destinations worldwide, signed by president Dr. Albert Salman, has been ready for a few days. However, in Medimurje, they were meticulously preparing for the big award ceremony in the German metropolis.
“This great recognition came as a result of the effort, work, and commitment of all residents of Medimurje. This is a reward for all those who tirelessly and devotedly take care of the orderliness of their homeland, environmental protection, and preservation of natural and cultural values. Medimurje is the green cradle of Croatian sustainable tourism; all our tourism development strategies are aimed at sustainability, promotion of rich natural values between Mura and Drava, revitalization of cultural heritage, our history, quality of enogastronomy and local products, and everything that carries the strong identity of Medimurje. With this valuable award, our efforts have been recognized by profession at the world level”, said the Prefect of Medimurje County, Matija Posavec, while receiving the award in Berlin.
The director of the tourist board of Medimurje, Rudi Grula, who has been managing the destination for 20 years, points out that this is the culmination of the work of the past year in cooperation with the county and the company Tourism Lab, the official representative of Green Destinations in Croatia. He also emphasizes that “we do not perceive sustainability in Medimurje only as a tourist trend, and we do not carry out activities related to sustainability because it is “in fashion.” We want to achieve long-term sustainable development through numerous segments, which is a source of attractiveness and quality.”
From Green Destinations, they reveal that Medimurje is the first destination in this part of Europe that, as a region, has passed the certification process and thus joined the remaining three tourist regions in the world, while there are over 200 individual certified destinations in the world, which speaks of the complexity and importance of this process for positioning and establishing destinations in the world. During the next two years, Medimurje County has the right to use the acquired marks, after which the reevaluation process awaits it again.
Medimurje achieved the highest marks in the segments of destination management, nurturing culture and tradition, social well-being, and maintenance of nature and landscape, while in the categories of environment and climate, they continue to develop, which will be significantly helped by a report that recommends in detail further development steps in the destination. By the way, Green Destinations is present in more than 80 countries worldwide, developing sustainable and responsible tourism.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.
