A major international workshop and field trip, aimed at promoting Croatia’s specialised gourmet potential, will begin in Split on October 18, 2017, an event to be attended by TCN.
I am fortunate to be invited to a number of conferences, festivals and field trips regarding Croatian tourism these days. Apart from being a great excuse to get to know Croatia’s regional food and wines in more detail, official trips tend to open doors that one might not find open to the sole traveller. My expanding waistline is testament to how many of these events I have attended over the years, and it is rare that I get excited about incoming invitations.
But I am excited about this one, which looks like an excellent initiative, focusing on the international marketing and networking of one of the truly untapped potentials of Croatia’s 12-month tourism plans – food and wine.
France, Spain, Italy, even Germany all enjoy high-spending gourmet tourism guests, and yet Croatia – with its outstanding regional cuisine and 130 indigenous grape varieties – has not yet entered anything close to the league of its more established neighbours. And there is no reason why not.
(Omis – copyright Romulic and Stojcic)
SplitB2B, a SPeciaL Interest Tourism workshop, aims to encourage national and international destination management companies to come together at workshops and field trips in Split and the wider Central Dalmatia region, to showcase the very best which the region has to offer. From the official invitation:
“SPLITB2B is an exclusive and unique business and tourism marketplace for special interest tourism in Croatia and South-East Europe. At this point there are over fifty registered business subjects from the Republic of Croatia and the region (destination management companies, tour operators, travel agencies, Croatian tourist boards) and foreign business subjects (tour operators and travel agencies) from Australia, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. The goal of the conference and business workshop is to establish and develop partnerships that will result in new arrivals of upper scale guests in search for additional value in the pre and post-season period. This year’s conference theme is Food & Wine tourism.
(Wine tasting at Stina in Bol)
“The event is of great significance for tourism in the Republic of Croatia in terms of extension of the main tourist season and promotion of sustainable tourism, which is why the conference is organized by the Association of Destination Management Companies of Dalmatia, co-organised by Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and sponsored by Croatian National Tourist Board, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Croatia airlines and Split tourist board.”
The event is taking place from October 18-21, with the first three days given over to familiarisation trips in the region. And quite a programme it is too, a programme which will ensure that the international visitors will leave with much more of an impression of Central Dalmatia that just its food and wine…
Day 1:
(Making soparnik)
Departure from hotel to Poljica – The Village Principality -:- Ethno live show/Presenting “Soparnik” – Intangible cultural heritage dish -:- Exploring Cetina canyon/Descend to Omiš, “Kaštil Slanica” restaurant -:- Lecture by Veljko Barbieri – “Croatian food & wine” -:- Opening ceremony with entertainment -:- Themed dinner experience – “Sea, River and Hinterland” -:- Presentation of wines from Omiš – Imotski wine region by Suwi Zlatić
Day 2:
(The island of Hvar, as seen from Vidova Gora, the peak of Brac)
Departure to the Island of Brač by ferry -:- Short olive picking program -:- Vidova Gora – Panorama stop -:- Local authentic lunch in abandoned shepherd`s village -:- Wine tasting at Stina Vina winery -:- Processing our own olive oil in olive oil museum 18:00 Departure by ferry back to Split 19:00 Refreshment time in the hotel 20:00 Show cooking dinner at fish market in Split -:- Presentations of wines of forgotten Croatian varietals
Day 3:
(Uskok trrops at Klis Fortress, Game of Thrones film set)
Familiarisation trip to Kaštela bay -:- Klis fortress – a program with Uskok historical troops -:- Tasting Dalmatian prosciutto -:- Visit to Vitturi Castle for a lecture and lunch -:- Lecture: “Wine heritage in Split and surroundings” -:- The original Zinfandel: tasting of “Crljenak Kaštelanski”
Two half, and one full action-packed days which will showcase just a fraction of the rich tourism offer that Central Dalmatia has to offer, before the workshops begin.
(Kastela, another Game of Thrones film set, and the birthplace of the original Zinfandel)
TCN will be covering the event and the field trips in detail, a great opportunity to develop networks and contacts to exploit the huge potential of Croatia’s gourmet (and other) tourism.
For more information about the event, and to sign up, visit the official website.
