Two islands, one platform: Cres and Lošinj together represent tourist experiences

The tourist boards of the towns of Cres and Mali Lošinj, in cooperation with the Cres Lošinj Tourist Agency, which operates as a branch of the OTRA development agency, presented a new platform for experiential tourism "To do on Cres & Lošinj", designed to introduce visitors to the rich range of activities, attractions and authentic experiences offered by these beautiful islands in a simple and easily accessible way. 

The platform brings together a variety of content for all generations and interests, from cultural heritage and museums to active holidays, creative workshops and unforgettable excursions. The goal of the project is to make it easier for guests to plan their stay and encourage them to explore the island through unique experiences that reflect the island's identity, tradition and natural beauty.

In one place, visitors can book and purchase numerous activities, including tickets for the Apoxyomenos Museum and the Cres Museum, guided tours through historic centers and natural sites, wool felting workshops, dolphin watching, sea and land excursions, as well as innovative content such as the VR tours "Osor Time Machine" and "Renaissance Cres". A special place is also occupied by sailing on the Nerezinac log cabin, a unique interpretation center of maritime heritage.

The platform currently brings together 22 local providers and 39 authentic experiences, and in addition to direct purchase of services, the platform also provides visitors with information about the natural, cultural and gastronomic heritage of the islands of Cres and Lošinj.

"This platform represents a significant step forward in presenting the rich and diverse offer of the Cres-Lošinj archipelago, as well as additional support for all local experience providers. It is especially important to us that this tool will give greater recognition to craftsmen, guides, associations, cultural institutions and numerous other stakeholders who, through their work, preserve local values ​​and transform them into unique experiences for our guests." she pointed out Zeljka Stasic, Director of the Town of Cres Tourist Board.

Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj Dalibor Cvitkovic, points out that today's travelers are increasingly looking for destinations that offer meaningful and authentic stays, and they often make travel decisions based on the experiences they can have.The To Do On Cres & Lošinj platform responds to these trends by allowing guests to easily search, book and purchase island experiences in one place. At the same time, it contributes to the positioning of Cres and Lošinj as a destination that successfully combines natural beauty, active holidays, culture and an authentic lifestyle.", Cvitković pointed out.

The "To do on Cres & Lošinj" platform represents a significant step forward in digitalization of the tourist offer the islands of Cres and Lošinj.

At the same time, it confirms a shared commitment to the development of quality, sustainable and experiential tourism focused on creating special experiences for guests, but also on additional promotion of local service providers and authentic island experiences. the first specialized destination platform for experiential tourism on the Croatian islands, and one of the first in Croatia, and was developed based on the Istrian model "Things to do in Istria". 

The platform was created as a result of cooperation between the tourist boards of the towns of Cres and Mali Lošinj and the development agency OTRA, with the intention of creating a modern digital tool that connects service providers and visitors and further strengthens the recognition of the destination through experience tourism. Through an intuitive interface and a unified offer of activities, the platform enables easier discovery of content throughout the year, contributing to a more even development of tourism and greater visibility of local experiences that make the islands of Cres and Lošinj particularly attractive destinations.

"Our goal is for this platform to be a support tool for local entrepreneurs to make it easier for them to promote and sell their services, and at the same time to encourage the development of new experiences and offers. We believe that the greatest value of this platform will be in opening a new sales and promotional channel for local entrepreneurs, especially beginners, as well as in contributing to strengthening the sustainable tourism development of the archipelago," he said Ugo Toic, director of the development agency OTRA.

For more information about activities and experiences on the islands of Cres and Lošinj, visitors can explore the offer via the portal "To do on Cres & Lošinj" where they will surely find inspiration for their next island experience.

The key is synergy of tourism products

The special value of the project lies in the synergy Maggot i Lošinj, two islands that are physically connected by a road, but administratively, destination-wise and brand-wise they function as two separate entities. This is precisely why the joint platform represents an important step forward for Croatian circumstances.

Instead of fragmented promotion of individual contents, Cres and Lošinj present themselves with this project as a unique island experience space, while maintaining their own identities, local specificities and the autonomy of each destination.

For an island area like the Cres-Lošinj archipelago, this is also the only logical development direction. The guest does not observe the boundaries of local government, but the destination through the availability of content, the quality of the experience and the simplicity of planning a stay. Therefore, unifying the offer of the two islands on one platform is not just a promotional tool, but a concrete example of destination management, cooperation and the creation of broader value for local service providers, tourist boards and visitors themselves.

With a joint digital platform, Cres and Lošinj show how cooperation and a unified offer can create greater value for guests, local service providers and the development of island tourism.

Photo: To do on Cres & Lošinj