Zagreb County opens doors to Chinese market: first Chinese media guests discover Zagreb's green ring

New air connectivity Croatia and China opens one of the world's most important emitting markets, and Zagreb County is among the first destinations that Chinese media guests got to know through gastronomy, wine, heritage, nature and authentic experiences of local hosts.

Just a few days after the establishment of a new regular air connection between Croatia and China, the first Chinese media guests arrived in Zagreb County.

/ / / Air China connects Beijing and Zagreb: New year-round route opens Chinese market to Croatia

From the vineyards of Plešivica and the tradition of Samobor to the truffles of Turopolje, during a two-day study trip they got to know the green ring of Zagreb, a destination that immediately surrounds the Croatian metropolis and offers a completely different experience of Croatia through nature, gastronomy, heritage and the life of the local community.

The establishment of a regular Air China flight between Beijing, Bucharest and Zagreb, which will operate three times a week from September 4, 2026, opens up new opportunities for stronger tourism connections between Croatia and the Chinese market and represents an important step forward in the accessibility of Croatian continental destinations to guests from one of the world's largest source markets.

The Croatian National Tourist Board, through its Representative Office in China, organized the arrival of the first group of Chinese media guests, while Zagreb County Tourist Board designed and implemented their two-day stay in the destination on September 7th and 8th.

The program is purposefully designed to present what makes Zagreb County competitive on the international market: the close proximity of Zagreb and the airport, preserved nature, a strong gastronomic and wine offer, cultural heritage, and authentic experiences connected to local people, their knowledge and work.

During the two-day program, Chinese media guests met Jastrebarsko, Plešivica, Samobor, Velika Gorica and Turopolje. In a relatively small area, they experienced various reasons for coming, from wine and gastronomy to nature, traditional crafts and authentic content that stems from the life of the local community.

Alilović: This is an opportunity to position Zagreb County in a market with exceptional potential in the long term

"For us, opening the Chinese market is not just a matter of a new airline, but an opportunity to position Zagreb County in a market with exceptional potential in the long term," she emphasized. Ivana Alilović, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board and added:

"Our great advantage is that we are located right next to Zagreb and the airport, and at the same time we can offer guests a completely different experience of Croatia: vineyards, forests, local gastronomy, top-quality wines, tradition and, above all, meetings with authentic people who shape this destination with their work. Chinese guests show great interest in authentic content, local products, gastronomy and experiences that allow them direct contact with the people and the space they visit. That is why it is especially important to us that among their first experiences after the establishment of the new connection between Croatia and China, they had the opportunity to get to know Zagreb County and our green Zagreb ring. This is not a one-off promotion, but an important step towards a more systematic opening of our destination to the Chinese market."", emphasized Ivana Alilović, director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board.

The first day of the stay began in Jastrebarsko, an encounter with tradition that shows how connected people, land and heritage are in this area. In the cooperage collection of the Golub family, Chinese guests learned about an old craft in which knowledge of wood, patience and skill are passed down through generations. It is precisely such encounters that allow visitors to get to know the destination not only through places and attractions, but also through the people who preserve and continue its heritage.

On the slopes Baldness The introduction to the wine-growing and wine tradition of Zagreb County continued. At the Jagunić Winery, the Chinese guests learned about the peculiarities of the Plešivica vineyards and the way in which the new generation of winemakers connects the tradition of viticulture with modern production and top-quality wines. Along with tasting wines and sparkling wines, they also learned about the Plešivica copanjek, a local gastronomic specialty that shows how the identity of the region is preserved through its flavors.

The journey continued towards Samobor, a city whose identity is created at the intersection of history, crafts and gastronomy. A walk through the old town center by the Church of St. Anastasia, an encounter with traditional souvenirs at the Srčeko Souvenir Shop, a presentation and tasting of Samobor cream cake at Kavana Livadić, and an introduction to bermet and mustard at the Philipecz Cellar showed the Chinese guests how local products are becoming a recognizable part of the identity and tourist experience of a place.

The day was rounded off with dinner at the Cantilly Restaurant, an example of a modern and sustainable approach to gastronomy in which local ingredients and a responsible attitude towards resources become part of the overall destination experience.

On Samobor's King Tomislav Square, guests did not miss the old well with drinking water, first officially recorded in 1764, which is associated with a famous legend: whoever drinks water from it once will always return to Samobor.

The special value of the trip was precisely the meetings with the people behind local products, traditional crafts and gastronomy. During their stay, Chinese guests showed great interest in authentic content and direct contact with the hosts, which further confirms the potential of Zagreb County for a market that seeks experiences strongly connected to local culture, gastronomy and lifestyle.

The second day fell to Turopolje, where nature and gastronomy came together through one of the activities that aroused particular interest among Chinese guests - hunting for Turopolje truffles in Turopoljski lug. The experience that combines spending time in nature, searching for truffles, and getting to know local gastronomy was recognized by guests as a program with great potential for the Chinese market.

U Velika Gorica visited the Brigljević Distillery, a small craft distillery where knowledge, creativity and attention to detail are translated into recognizable products, from gin and liqueurs to brandy and whiskey. They were particularly impressed by meeting two generations of the Brigljević family, father and daughter, who together develop the family distillery. It was precisely such meetings with local people and producers that further brought the authentic character of the destination closer to the guests.

The end of the trip was dedicated to gastronomy as the universal language of different cultures. At the Michelin-starred Mon Ami restaurant, Chinese guests were introduced to the From Soil to Signature concept, through which local ingredients, tradition and contemporary gastronomic interpretation are combined into a well-rounded destination experience, with a special emphasis on the Turopolje truffle.

"The two-day program showed what Zagreb County is building its international positioning on: the diversity of content in a small area, top-notch gastronomy and wines, preserved nature and heritage, and, above all, authentic people and hosts who provide visitors with a direct experience of the destination. The new air connection opens up space for more systematic work on the Chinese market, and Zagreb County enters this new cycle with a clear advantage: it is located right next to Zagreb and the main Croatian airport, and just a few kilometers away offers guests a completely different experience of Croatia." concluded the Zagreb County Tourist Board. 

Zagreb County is the green ring of Zagreb, a destination close to the metropolis where the authentic face of continental Croatia is revealed through vineyards, forests, local flavors, heritage, and encounters with people.

Photo: Zagreb County Tourist Board