An important date on Hvar next week for Croatia’s tourism industry, as the 2018 Days of Croatian Tourism conference kicks off on October 24, 2018. The full programme.
It has been quite a year for Hvar Town, and it is not quite over yet.
One of Croatia’s hottest tourism hotspots in 2018, Hvar is also celebrating 150 yeasr of organised tourism in Europe this year, as the destination is credited with the birth of organised tourism in Europe back on May 15, 1868, with the founding of the Hvar Health Society. Hvar’s legendary climate is celebrated today (it is said that Hvar is the sunniest island in Europe), and back then teh Austrian Madeira (as Hvar was known) was a great attraction for the aristocrats of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to convalesce.
Hvar’s tourism story has, of course, developed considerably since then, and it is regarded as one of the top ten most beautiful islands in the world in some quarters. It also has rapidly improving tourism facilities, facilities which will be put to the test next week, with more than 1,500 people expected at this year’s Days of Croatian Conference, which will be hosted by the town of Hvar and its leading hotel group, Suncani Hvar Hotels.
Suncani Hvar, the leading hotel group on the island, will be hosting the bulk of the delegates, as well as providing the main conference facilities as their largest hotel, Amfora. Additional locations for the two-day event are the City Loggia, Veneranda, Arsenal and Hotel Riva.
It is an event which will be attended by TCN, and we will bring you the latest from the conference as it happens. Please find the full conference programme below.
WEDNESDAY – 24TH OF OCTOBER 2018
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15:00 – 15:30 |
WELCOME COCKTAIL Loggia – stairs |
Complimentary speech of hosts |
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15:30 – 17:00 |
Panel discussion “Film Industry and Tourism” Arsenal |
Croatia has recently become a natural scenography of numerous blockbusters, series and reality shows. Why are they filmed in Croatia, what does it bring to locals and what is the situation in movie industry and tourism in other countries of the European Union and worldwide? Panellists: · Morocco: director of Moroccan Film Institute (Centre Cinématographique Marocain), Mohamed Sarim El Haq Fassi Fihri · Hungary: director of National Film Office Miklós Taba · Croatia: Nebojša Taraba (Novine) · Croatia: Vanja Černjul (Marco Polo, Crazy Rich Asians) · Croatia: Gordana Restović, director of Pula Film Festival · Croatia: Ministry of Culture, State Secretary Krešimir Partl Moderator: Director of the Croatian Audiovisual Center, Daniel Rafaelić |
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17:00 – 18:00 |
Lecture Croatia – A hot new destination for American travellers” Arsenal |
Presentation by Al Merschen, president and founder of MMGY Global, leading PR and marketing group in the United States. Al Merschen began his career as a lecturer at a number of US universities. By his own form of multimedia marketing, he has been advising the government and private sector representatives on five continents regarding the tourism industry since 1987. At Days of Croatian Tourism, Al Merschen will present trends in global tourism, a cross-section of the American market and motivations of average US tourists for choosing touristic destination. Furthermore, Merschen will explain the status of Croatia as a country in the United States and what are the tactics for tourism investments at the US market. |
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20:00 – 21:30 |
The Croatian Tourism Awards Ceremony Veneranda, Šumica bb |
Tourism awards in various categories |
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21:30 – |
Gala dinner hotel Amfora Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street No. 5 |
* ACCREDITATION – LOGGIA * PRESS CENTAR: LOGGIA AND HOTEL AMFORA
THURSDAY – 25TH OF OCTOBER 2018
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10:30 – 12:00 |
18th Croatian Tourism Forum organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy “Human Potentials – Challenges of Croatian Tourism” Veneranda, Šumica bb |
The discussion regarding labour shortage and human resources development, involving the domestic and foreign speakers followed by representatives of Croatian Chamber of Commerce. Speakers: · Sonja Holocher-Ertl, The Austrian Foreign Trade Office (WKO) · Ramona Neuse, German-Croatian Chamber of Commerce · Božo Pavičin, Croatian Chamber of Commerce · Frano Matušić, Ministry of Tourism, Croatia · Ministry of Science and Education, Croatia- representative · Silvija Baričević, Jadranka Group · Nevena Tolanov, Valamar Riviera Moderator: Lana Kovačević (Večernji list) |
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12:00 – 13:30 |
The meeting of tourist workers with the representatives of the Croatian Government – Round Table „Potentials of Croatian Tourism Development Veneranda, Šumica bb |
The traditional meeting of people working in tourism and government representatives devoted to the future development of Croatian tourism. Moderator: Damir Smrtić (HTV) |
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13:30 – 14:30 |
Cook off powered by Podravka |
The culinary competition Moderator: Frano Ridjan |
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13:30 – 15:30 |
Free time for lunch |
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15:30 – 16:30 |
Croatia: new gastro icon of Europe hotel Amfora, Grand Ballroom – B Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
Successful gastro-tourism implies much more than just good restaurants. What are the characteristics of successful gastro tourism, what can be gained by the development of gastro tourism, its horizontal and vertical connectivity, what are the factors of success, and what is the position of Croatia at the European gastronomic map? Panellists: · Mauro Carbone representative of Italian gastro destination Alba · Ingrid Badurina Danielsson (Gault & Millau Croatia) · Boris Lovrenčić, F&B manager at Sunčani Hvar · Representatives of gastro scene Moderator: Snježana Boranić Živoder (Institute for tourism) |
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15:30 – 16:30 |
Panel – discussion „Dream-job – the tourist blogger. Myth or reality? “ hotel Amfora – Terrace Ballroom – C Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
Do bloggers just travel around the world and just enjoy or is there something else behind it all? Panellists: · Wojtek Tylus (Crolove.pl, Poland) · Yuya Matsuo (EseJapan, Japan) · Ella Dvornik (iamella.com, Croatia) · Ashley Colburn (ashley_colburn) · Nick Evans (Social Media Director Hills Balfour) · Neno Nizić (president of the Association of Croatian Unique Hotels of the CCE, brand Stories) Moderator: Frano Ridjan |
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16:30 – 17:30 |
Round Table „Croatia – small country, big brand“ hotel Amfora – Grand Ballroom – B Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
Presentation of Croatia in tourism, economic and scientific light for the benefit of the entire brand. Discussion of experts: · Davor Bruketa (Bruketa & Žinić & Grey) · Sandra Perković (Croatian Athlete, Double Olympic, Double World and Fifth European Champion) · Jadranka Primorac (Special Hospital Sveta Katarina/ HUP- Associations of private polyclinics, hospitals, health resorts and health care institutions) · Aleksandra Dojčinović (fashion brand Lei Lou) · Marin Pucar (Podravka) · Kristjan Staničić (Croatian Tourist Board) Moderator: Božo Skoko |
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16:30 – 17:30 |
Case study: What kind of tourism do we want? – Study of sustainability for the Split – Dalmatia County hotel Amfora – Terrace Ballroom – C Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
Presentation of the sustainability study of the Split – Dalmatia County. Presentation: Joško Stella, director of Tourist boards of Split- Dalmatia County |
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17:30 – 17:50 |
Sustainable water management in tourism in the coastal area of the Mediterranean hotel Amfora – Terrace Ballroom – C Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
Presentation of the Interreg Mediterranean 2014 – 2020 project – CASTWATER Ph.D. Barbara Sladonja (Institute for Agriculture and Tourism) |
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17: 30 – 18:00 |
Spot „Ambassadors of Croatian Tourism“ Amfora – Grand Ballroom – B Bishop of Juraj Duboković Street no. 5 |
The Croatian promotional tourism spot “Ambassadors of Croatian Tourism”, where the most famous athletes, musicians and artists are the main actors, was nominated for the best international promotional video in 2017 by the selection of independent experts. Why did this video deserve so much attention from the media, tourists and professionals? This will be explained by the director and founder of Citizen.tv, Philip DeBevoise |
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20:05 – 21:15 |
The gala ceremony of annual Croatian Tourist Awards – Top 10 Croatian Tourism Veneranda, Šumica bb |
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21:30 – |
Dinner – networking Arsenal and hotel Riva |
* PRESS CENTAR: LOGGIA and HOTEL AMFORA
