UHPA Days 2026 held in Šibenik-Knin County 

The largest annual gathering of travel agencies was held from March 18 to 20, 2026 in Vodice

UHPA Days, the annual gathering of one of the leading national tourism associations, was held from March 18 to 20, 2026 in Šibenik-Knin County, which holds the title of UHPA's recommended domestic destination for 2026.

This year's traditional gathering of the tourism sector in Vodice brought together more than 230 participants - representatives of travel agencies, as well as other key stakeholders in the tourism industry in Croatia. This year's gathering placed a special emphasis on the transformation of the tourism economy and the imperative of green transition and digitalization in business.

The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, who highlighted the key role of travel agencies in the circumstances of the extremely unstable situation in the Middle East. The Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), Kristjan Staničić, presented the HTZ's planned promotional activities for this year to the participants, with a special focus on the latest trends in key source markets.

"We are facing a demanding tourism year, marked by economic and security issues. However, we are encouraged by the continued strong desire to travel, especially to European markets. It is in this context that Croatia has a significant advantage that we emphasize through our promotional activities, namely that it is recognized as a safe, geographically close and easily accessible destination. This is especially important if we take into account that more than 80 percent of the total tourist traffic in our country is generated from European markets. This year, the key criteria when choosing a destination will be a sense of security and value for money, which is why we are placing even greater focus on improving the quality of the tourist offer. I would like to thank travel agencies and tour operators for their efforts in creating unique experiences and attractive tourist packages, whose contribution is especially evident in the pre-season and post-season periods.", he said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board.

Paško Rakić, the County Prefect of Šibenik-Knin County, welcomed the participants, highlighting the exceptionally good cooperation with tourism stakeholders and underlining the county's focus on developing infrastructure in its hinterland. In this context, Rakić announced a project to build a suspension bridge over the Krka River that would connect the Nečven and Trošenj fortresses, in the municipalities of Kistanje and Promina.

Within the segment Currently with the Minister of Tourism and Sports, in a conversation with program moderator Izabela Vrtar, the minister reflected on the starting positions of Croatian tourism this year and the sector's adaptation to the new geopolitical situation.

Glavina also took the opportunity to present to the participants the amendments to the Hospitality Act, on which public consultation will soon be launched, and announced the imminent publication of a public call for proposals for the tourism economy competitiveness program, in which travel agencies will once again be eligible beneficiaries of grants.

9. UHPA Days They placed special emphasis on getting to know the rich tourist offer of the host destination. As part of the program, the participants visited Vodice, Šibenik, the Fortress of St. Michael, the Baraka Winery, Etnoland Dalmati and Skradinski buk. 

"We could call our county 'the Mediterranean in miniature'. You can find almost everything the Mediterranean has to offer here, only in a much smaller area, and that's why your time here is worth more. By nurturing, preserving and presenting all the wealth of this region, we are trying to build tourism with a measure that will develop stably for a long time to the benefit of the local population, our guests, but also all those who will choose this area as their home in the future. There are many steps leading in that direction, and among them is our cooperation with UHPA. It includes the promotion of the Šibenik-Knin region, but also additional introduction and bringing our area closer to the best Croatian agencies. That's why I believe that these UHPA Days will inspire some of them to create some of their best programs in this area.", he said Krešimir Šakić, director of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board.

""We have just completed another successful UHPA Days, which confirmed the importance of unity and cooperation in the tourism system, especially in the current geopolitical circumstances. The working part of the program highlighted key topics for the adaptation and future development of the industry, both in the part related to cooperation between the public and private sectors and in the part related to strengthening competitiveness using digitalization tools and relying on sustainable practices. I am extremely proud that the number of our members is growing year after year, as is the number of participants in the UHPA Days.", said Tomislav Fain, president of UHPA.

As a professional gathering held since 2016, UHPA Days is rightly considered one of the most important professional gatherings in the tourism sector in Croatia. The ninth edition of this event demonstrated the importance of networking within an industry that must constantly strengthen its own capacity for adaptation.

Photo: Antonio Matić