UHPA's recommended domestic destination of the year is Šibenik-Knin County

Šibenik-Knin County, a historically and geographically unique area of ​​central Dalmatia, also known as the heart of nautical life on the Adriatic, will be promoted as UHPA's recommended domestic destination in 2026. 

The Association of Croatian Travel Agencies (UHPA) and the Tourist Board of Šibenik-Knin County have concluded a business cooperation agreement, under which UHPA will promote Šibenik-Knin County as a recommended domestic destination in all communication and promotional channels, public events and publications during 2026. 

The contract was signed in the Interpretation Center of the Cathedral of St. Jakov's 'Civitas sacra' in Šibenik, and the prefect Pasko Rakic On that occasion he stated:

"Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors, both in our county and in the Republic of Croatia. That is why we leave nothing to chance and invest heavily in its strengthening and development; in increasing and improving tourist capacities, in infrastructure, but also in promotion. The county has exceptionally good cooperation with all tourism factors in our area. Tourism is much more developed in our coastal area, which, of course, creates great pressure on the infrastructure and population, therefore our desire and aspiration is to disperse guests to the hinterland. We place emphasis on the development of infrastructure in the hinterland of our county, we support the development of agriculture and livestock, in order to encourage and empower our people in the hinterland in the realization of their ideas for improving the quality of life as well as the tourist offer.

Here in Šibenik-Knin County, we really have something to be proud of; two UNESCO monuments, two national parks, two nature parks, and we are strongly lobbying for the construction of a suspension bridge in the Krka National Park area that would connect the Nečven and Trošenj fortresses, in the municipalities of Kistanje and Promina, which will certainly attract a large number of visitors and relieve the burden on Skradinski Buk. Our tourism is growing, and our task is to balance the wishes and needs of our guests, but also of the local population, and to harmonize everything with the infrastructure. Today's signing of the contract will certainly result in further strengthening the quality and development of tourism in our county, which is what we all strive for together."

On the profiling of the Šibenik-Knin County on the tourist map of the Mediterranean and the new cooperation with UHPA, Krešimir Šakić, director of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board, stated:

"The Šibenik-Knin County is particularly attractive in terms of tourism due to the fact that it is a relatively small area with an exceptionally rich diversity. Due to two completely different national parks, two UNESCO monuments, the highest peak in Croatia and the lowest inhabited Croatian island, the diversity of climate, but also cultural heritage, and all of this practically within a distance of 100 kilometers, we can say that the Šibenik-Knin County is the 'Mediterranean in miniature'. Most of what the Mediterranean has to offer can be found here, only in a much smaller area, and that is why your time here is worth more.

By nurturing, preserving and presenting this extremely valuable natural and cultural heritage, we are trying to build tourism that will develop continuously and stably for a long time, primarily for the benefit of the local population, but also for all those who will choose this area as their home in the future. There are many pieces that contribute to this development, and cooperation with UHPA is one of the most important. It includes the promotion of the Šibenik-Knin region through UHPA's numerous channels, but it will also put an emphasis on bringing our area closer to the best Croatian agencies. I am also quite sure that it will inspire some of them to create some of their best future programs in this area."

The project "UHPA's domestic destination" has been recommending domestic and foreign destinations for many years with the aim of further strengthening the cooperation of tourist agencies and tourist boards, developing new specific tourist programs and targeted promotion of the destination and increasing tourist consumption. 

"We are extremely honored that this year we will be promoting Šibenik-Knin County as UHPA's domestic destination. In terms of tourism, this is an incredibly rich region - with protected landmarks, breathtaking nature, hidden coves and bays, islands and islets... a truly unreal concentration of beauty. But all of this is complemented by the many years of work of the county tourist board and all other stakeholders 'on the ground' who share the vision of tourism development in this unique region. Intensive work is being done to protect the heritage, continuously invest in infrastructure and comprehensively raise the quality of life of the local population, both on the coast and in the hinterland. And that is precisely why, in the context of the strategic positioning of the destination, we can talk about tourism that is truly sustainable and that works for everyone. We look forward to contributing to these efforts and I am sure that together we will further strengthen the Šibenik-Knin County brand and reach those market segments that particularly value quality and authenticity."he said Tomislav Fain, president of UHPA. 

So far, the aforementioned project has, among other things, achieved successful cooperation with the tourist boards of Zadar, Istria, Split-Dalmatia and Sisak-Moslavina counties, as well as the tourist boards of Zagreb, Crikvenica, Hvar and Split.  

Šibenik-Knin County, a destination of unique natural and cultural resources that sustainably develops top-notch nautical, cultural and eno-gastronomic tourism, will be marked as UHPA's recommended domestic destinations in all information and promotional materials of the association, electronic communication, public appearances and events, sessions, regional meetings, seminars and trainings, professional lectures and social events, UHPA Days, the website uhpa.hr, social networks and publications of the Association.  

At the press conference it was announced that this year's UHPA Days, the largest annual gathering of members and partners of the Association, will be held from March 18th to 20th at the Hotel Olympia in VodiceThis is an opportunity for the Šibenik-Knin County to present its offer to representatives of tourist agencies, members of the UHPA, but also to the wider tourist public.

Photo source: UHPA