Inland Dalmatia was named the best destination of rural tourism in Croatia last month. The award was given by the Croatian National Tourist Board who chose the Dalmatian region over Motovun and Otočac, the other two destinations in the final selection of the same category. Inland Dalmatia covers all of Imotski, Sinj, Trilj, Vrlika and Vrgorac and the municipalities of Dugopolje and Klis.
Blaženko Boban, the Split Dalmatia County prefect, expresses that he believes the award was given to the right hands, reports Lokalni.Vecernji.hr on November 7, 2018.
“I look forward to the information that apartments and other tourist facilities of the Imotski region and Zagora are full even before the ones on our coast, as we have foreseen in the Study of Sustainable Tourism in Split Dalmatia County, a study that only our county has done so far.
That is why this award is satisfactory to anyone who has recognized the need for dispersing the many tourists who come to Split, the coast and the islands. I would like to point out another fact: that the construction of the Sv. Ilija tunnel has shown a visionary and crucial development for tourism in the Imotski region, and I’m sure that in the near future, the tunnel through Kozjak will open the Kaštela hinterland and that part of Inland Dalmatia to tourists,” said Boban.
Joško Stella, the director of the Split Dalmatia County Tourist Board, was also pleased.
“We, as a Tourist Association, have been investing in Inland Dalmatia for years, mostly in education, and Split-Dalmatia County provides incentives for renters, OPGs and others that contribute to the development of this area,” says Stella.
In particular, I would like to point out the Imotski region, which has come a long way with their urban villas, but it is also worth mentioning Trilj, Sinj, Vrgorac, Vrlika, Dugopolje and Klis, who were in close competition for winning the title of the cultural destination of the year in 2018. All of them did something big,” says Stella, who believes that it is a positive that Inland Dalmatia covers 70% of the county and achieves two percent of the tourism revenue, as it opens up the possibility for development.
“I look forward to the potential of this area,” Stella said.
Stella also believes that Inland Dalmatia was awarded because of the authenticity of the destination, the great space it covers, the excellent connection to the highway and the airport, and the proximity of big cities like Split, which is only 10-15 kilometers away. He also emphasized numerous specifics such as gastronomy, which is completely different from areas along the coast, and the cultural and natural heritage, Roman roads, fortifications, and more.
Inland Dalmatia offers a unique opportunity to experience Dalmatia through tradition, culture, and customs that have been nourished for centuries.
