The Croatia National Tourist Board’s young and energetic director Jelena Bilić in Prague talked to the Czech media on February 19, 2016. Here is what she had to say.
About three years ago, soon after I was invited to write for the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board, an email was sent out from the head office to the 37 local tourist boards offering my services for free and inviting local tourist boards to contact me directly. Within ten minutes, I had the first (and, as it transpired, only) contact from a local tourist board director, Jelena Bilić from the inland Dalmatian town of Sinj. The email included an offer of a tour of her town, lunch and free collection from Split. An offer that was hard to refuse for someone looking to get stories for his new job, and the resulting article on that first visit was the first of several which I wrote for Google News about Sinj. Read it here.
Jelena managed to persuade me to visit Sinj several more times, and she was instrumental in the formation of the first English-language website about the Zagora region, Total Inland Dalmatia, which was launched less than a year after that first meetings. Her success in promoting the destination, as well as improving its tourism facilities, were recognised in Zagreb, and after just a few years managing tourism in the town of Sinj, Jelena was promoted to manage the national tourist board office in one of Croatia’s most important tourism markets, the Czech Republic. She spoke to Czech media last week about Czech tourism to Croatia and the focus for the upcoming season.
Jelena Bilić: „Croatia – Full Of Life“ is a Young and Energetic Destination
Since last September, Ms. Jelena Bilić has been the new director of the Croatian Tourist Board Office in Czech Republic in Prague. She was born in Split and after graduating Tourism at the University of Economics, she gathered valuable experience in travel agencies and hotel companies. Before coming to Prague, she worked as a Director of the local tourist board in Sinj. Croatia is the most popular summer destination of the Czech tourists, but Croatian tourism has much to offer through the whole year. We asked the new director about the last season, and about plans for this year.
What do you think about the last season, how many Czech tourists visited Croatia and what was their ranking in the statistics of the most visiting nations?
According to the first official figures from the Croatian tourist boards, there was 739 231 arrivals and 5.124 646 overnight stays in 2015 from the Czech market, which means an 3,88% increase in arrivals, respectively 3,89% in overnight stays. Czech tourists are after Germans, Slovenians and Austrians the fourth most visiting nation in the number of overnight stays. The increase in arrivals in May and September is pointing to the fact that the activities aimed at extending the season carried out by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board yielded good results.
Can you tell us, what is your approach to the promotion of Croatia on the Czech market?
It is extremely important for us to promote the new communication concept of Croatian tourism “Croatia – Full of Life”. With this concept, we describe Croatia as a destination full of natural beauty, island, traditions, historical monuments, but also as a destination full of adventure and the Mediterranean way of life. Our Tourist Board Office in Prague will be organizing special presentations for the Czech travel agencies to inform them about the news in the offer of the Croatian tourism, it will be presenting Croatia and distributing promotional materials to tourism fairs in several Czech cities. We also plan to organize fam trips for journalists and representatives of the Czech travel agencies with the aim to arrange as many options for holidays in Croatia as possible.
What are your plans for the positioning of Croatia as a year-round destination?
Two years ago, the Croatian National Tourist Board launched a major project – Croatia 365. The project aims to create an offer to attract tourists outside the traditional summer months. There are 22 destinations involved and their duty is to have at least 50% of the accommodation capacities open for the off season period as well as some accompanying program. Croatia 365 includes six products: culture, gastronomy and wine, active hiking, biking, wellness and conference tourism.
What will be the most targeted topics in this year´s campaign?
Activities will consist of a variety of integrated communication initiatives for off-line and on-line channels, and will include an advertising campaign, media relations and participation in social networks, all in accordance with the new slogan Croatia Full of Life. Emphasis will be placed on three key products for the Czech market and these are: the sun and the sea, active vacation and marine tourism. The goal is to position Croatia as a young and energetic destination offering an exceptional variety of lifestyles and experiences.
What is the Croatian concept of agro-tourism?
Rural tourism has a great potential in Croatia, especially the gastronomy and wine offer. The development of rural tourism helps to preserve local identity, traditions and customs, it strengthens organic production and helps to develop rural areas, especially in continental Croatia. Because it provides great opportunities for extending the season, it fits into the long-term development strategy of the Croatian tourism.
How is your country active in creating sustainable tourism?
The Croatian Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian National Tourist Board both attach great significance to the sustainable development of the Croatian tourism, which is evident from the many existing activities and programs throughout Croatia. One of the major projects with now ten-year Croatian participation is the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN), which aims to create a European network of the most beautiful destinations of sustainable tourism. The purpose of the project is to promote destinations less developed under the motto “Discover the hidden treasures of Europe”, to reward sustainable forms of tourism, to highlight the diversity and quality and to combat seasonality.
Prague will be connected with Zagreb through a regular CSA airlines line 4 times a week from April. What is your personal travel tip in Zagreb, you would recommend the Czech tourists not to miss?
Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a tourist destination which continuously records an increase in arrivals and overnight stays for several years in a row now. Zagreb season lasts 365 days a year, every month Zagreb offers its guests a variety of actions and events. There is plenty of sightseeing and I would choose the Gothic church of St. Mark – The Cathedral, the Croatian National Theatre, the Stone Gate and Lotrščak Tower, the Botanic Gardens, Museum of broken relationships.. . A popular tourist tour for locals and foreign tourists, the Secrets of Grič in Zagreb, gained significant international recognition and was awarded with The Luxury Travel Guide Award 2016. After the vote of more than 500.000 registered users worldwide, it was awarded in the category Unique Experience of the Year. It is worth mentioning, that according to the vote at the European Best Destinations website, Zagreb convincingly took the title of the best Christmas destination in 2015. This vote was attended by 101.703 people from 176 countries worldwide, of which Zagreb won almost 30.000 votes.
What can the professional and general public look forward to during the Holiday World Fair?
The Croatian National Tourist Board will present the offer of Croatia at the 25th Holiday World Fair at its stand, which is in alignment with the new communication concept of the Croatian tourism – Croatia Full of Life. Co-exhibitors from the Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia and Sibenik-Knin County will present the richness of its regions – unique beaches, cultural and historical monuments, natural beauty. I invite all readers to visit us and find out why Croatia is full of life!
Original article in Czech on TTG here.
