Ambassadors from Petrčane: Tourist safety has become the number one priority

It opened in Petrčane yesterday TourRisk 2026, an international conference dedicated to security, risk management and resilience in tourism, which brings together more than 200 participants from the tourism, security, technology and public institutions sectors from 13 to 15 April. A clear message was sent at the opening: security in tourism is no longer a narrowly operational topic, but one of the key issues of resilience, trust and long-term competitiveness of destinations.

On behalf of the conference sponsor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Dr. Davor Božinović, Anton Dražina, Chief of the Zadar Police Department, addressed the gathering, highlighting the importance of the Ministry of the Interior's role in creating conditions for a safe tourist season and safe business travel in Croatia. He emphasized that it is precisely through cooperation between the public and private sectors, institutions and all stakeholders in tourism that the resilience of the leading national industry is built, and that security is not a separate function, but the foundation of a stable tourism system.

Among the highlights of the first day was a panel "How diplomatic missions shape destination image / How foreign diplomatic missions and missions shape destination image", which brought together four ambassadors to the Republic of Croatia: Yvonne Tončić-Sorinj, Ambassador of Austria, José Ramón García-Hernández, Ambassador of Spain, Paola Trichila, the Ambassador of Italy, and Sirpu Oksanen, the Ambassador of Finland. Their messages further raised the question of how interconnected tourism, security and international relations are today.

The Austrian Ambassador emphasized that now is the right time for this topic and said that in Austria, the safety and timely information of travelers is considered extremely important. She emphasized that states must provide their citizens with assistance and information wherever they travel and warned that tourists should clearly distinguish between isolated incidents and structural threats. She emphasized the availability of accurate and timely information in a language that tourists understand, especially in situations of emergency.

The Spanish Ambassador warned that today we live in a world of fake news - including fake news about countries - which is why the accuracy of information has become one of the key issues of security in tourism. He stressed that the large number of Spanish tourists coming to Croatia must have access to verified and reliable information, and added that cybersecurity is today one of the key pillars of tourist security. He also pointed out that every crisis reaffirms the same thing: information is crucial.

The Italian Ambassador said that Croatia is a safe country, but that safety is not taken for granted. He stressed the importance of caution, institutional support and European solidarity, with the message that tourists must know who to turn to in case of need. He particularly emphasized that safety is present in every part of the tourist experience - from the highway to the swimming pool - and that the responsibility for it does not lie with one system, but with everyone.

The Ambassador of Finland emphasized that safety, security and preparedness are extremely important for Finland and confirmed that the perception of Croatia as a safe country in Finland is very positive. She also pointed out that the recommendations on the safety of individual countries are among the most read content of their ministry, which further shows how important clear, credible and accessible information is for travelers. She especially thanked the Croatian authorities for the excellent cooperation, with a clear message that mutual cooperation is key.

He also warned about the importance of safety as a competitive advantage for Croatian tourism. Goran Koscak, organizer of the TouRisk conference.

"At a time when Croatian tourism is competing with global competition for every tourist, it is precisely their safety in Croatia that provides a marginal advantage over the competition. The TouRisk conference enables tourism stakeholders to build their own security and risk management capacities in order to increase the value of their own tourism product. We have full confidence in our public security services and our desire with the TouRisk conference is to raise the awareness of all other tourism stakeholders that through security thinking, organization and incident planning, we influence the overall security and quality of Croatian tourism.", said Košćak, adding that certainty is often lost in translations, especially in the Croatian language.

"The term “security” often comes down to protection, or rather safety and security. Depending on the country you come from, the word can have different meanings. If we go back to the Latin expression securites, we come to the conclusion that it literally means “absence of care”. Personally, I can't think of a better term to describe tourism than - absence of care. That's why we are here, you as experts in tourism and security, to connect the two concepts and find better ways to organize and contribute to the largest industry in Croatia, tourism", Košćak stated. 

Chief of the Zadar Police Department Anton Dražina He pointed out that security and tourism are closely linked, and the success of every tourist destination largely depends on the level of security and the perception of security among visitors.

"The modern police community has a key role not only in ensuring security, but also directly in promoting Croatia as a safe and desirable tourist destination. In the context of increasingly pronounced global challenges, tourists are increasingly choosing safe destinations. Croatia has made significant efforts to maintain a high level of security and prepare well for the tourist season." Dražina pointed out. 

The "Safe Tourist Destination" project, launched in 2016 in cooperation with the Hungarian police, has expanded over time and become one of the key models for strengthening security in tourism. A special contribution to the project is made by joint patrols, which have proven to be an effective way of communicating with foreign guests, but also a powerful tool for promoting Croatia as a safe country.

"As part of the project, police officers from numerous European Union countries, as well as from China and South Korea, are staying in Croatia during the summer months. So far, more than 1.300 foreign police officers from 19 countries have participated. The low level of crime and rare criminal acts further confirm the perception of Croatia as a safe country, which is the result of the joint work of all security services, led by the Ministry of the Interior. According to the Global Peace Index (Institute for Economics & Peace), Croatia ranked 19th out of 163 countries in 2025, making it one of the safest countries in the world. Additionally, security is being strengthened through the implementation of the Entry/Exit system, which improves the control of the external borders of the European Union through automated data exchange between member states. From June 12, 2025 to April 1, 2026, more than 3,75 million records of third-country nationals were recorded in the system. Today, in addition to physical protection, borders are increasingly protected with digital tools, which further raises the level of security." Dražina concluded. 

For the first time in Croatia, awards will be presented at the conference for the best hotels, campsites, destinations, marinas and events. 

The common message of the first day of TouRisk was clear: destination security today is not built only through physical protection, but through institutional partnerships, information quality, system resilience, and the ability to respond to challenges quickly, in a coordinated and credible manner.