Minister Glavina held a meeting with the tourism sector of Zadar County

Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina paid a working visit to Zadar County today, during which he participated in the event "UHPA Days 2025" and spoke about current topics in the sector in the panel "Current with the Minister of Tourism and Sports" and later held a meeting with the tourism sector of Zadar County.

The meeting, which is part of Minister Glavina's regular coordination with sector stakeholders at the regional and local levels, was also attended by the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Šime Erlić, the Prefect of Zadar County Božidar Longin, and the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić. Minister Erlić presented current investment opportunities in tourism from European funds to all stakeholders, while Minister Glavina spoke about activities related to the preparation of the main part of the tourist year, as well as the dynamics of implementation and upcoming steps in the reform of tourism development management. 

 "We held the ninth regional coordination meeting in Petrčane, which we have been holding since the summer of last year, in order to continuously discuss current issues and challenges and monitor all steps of the comprehensive reform of tourism development management on the ground. When we talk about Zadar County, it is among the Top 5 of our most visited counties and last year followed a positive trend in our overall tourist traffic. The Government of the Republic of Croatia has invested more than 30 million euros in tourism and sports projects in this county, and we will continue with further support in order to further increase the quality of the offer and content, which will particularly encourage the development of tourism towards sustainability and ensure its competitiveness and success in the future. We are pleased that Zadar, along with its excellent tourism indicators, is also profiled as an excellent host of major sporting events, and so last year it hosted the European Karate Championship, and this year it will host the European Team Table Tennis Championship. Such competitions, which take place in the pre- or post-season, additionally contribute to the positioning of Zadar and Zadar County as a year-round destination, not just a summer destination."" said the Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina.

In Zadar County, almost 2,2 million arrivals and more than 15,4 million overnight stays were achieved in 2024, with particularly good results achieved by the Zadar Port Authority, which for the first time in history exceeded the figure of 200.000 cruise passengers in one calendar year in the passenger ports of Gaženica and Zadar, and Zadar Airport, which in 2024 increased the number of passengers by almost 30% compared to 2023 and achieved 1,6 million arrivals.

"Zadar County is an extremely attractive destination due to its geographical location, favorable climate, rich natural and cultural-historical heritage and excellent food and wine offer. It is known that the majority of tourist traffic in  Zadar County is realized in July and August, i.e. during the high season. About 75% of the total overnight stays are realized in these two months. The time distribution of tourist traffic indicates the fact that the tourist offer of the entire region is characterized by pronounced seasonality, which, of course, is not good and brings a number of problems in the functioning of everyday life. Therefore, it is crucial in what we do for our tourism to extend the tourist season. We should talk about tourist years, not seasons, because this will increase profitability, as well as preserve the environment. It is necessary to preserve resources and space, but also to ensure the satisfaction and quality of life of the local population in tourist destinations" said Prefect Longin.

Photo: MINTS