Croatia Forum

[franeymoon]

As the summer season approaches Croatia is mentioned more and more
often in renowned magazines around the world, on Internet portals and in important tourist associations, who have declared it one of the most popular tourist destinations, not only on the Mediterranean, but also around the world.

The European Tour Operators Association, an association gathering over 400 companies working in the tourism industry, has likewise recently proclaimed Croatia to be the most exciting European destination and a
country in which you can get the most for your money.

The New York-based Times magazine recently gave Dubrovnik a worthy recognition, declaring it the top summer destination, not to be missed on a vacation, with a similar recommendation coming from the US Internet pages of Smartertravel.com where tourist destinations around the world are regularly evaluated and recommended, and on which Dubrovnik has been included among the top ten European cities that must be visited.

Americans are evidently enthused by the “untouched and unbelievably blue” Croatian sea, as they frequently describe it, and bearing witness once again to this is a new independent guide to Croatia recently released by America’s best-known tourist guide Arthur Frommer.

The 340-page guidebook describes the entire Croatian tourist offer, from Dubrovnik, Istria and Dalmatia, to Zagreb and its environs, Zagorje, Slavonia and Podravina. Along with a range of useful information the author of the guidebook cites a series of recommendations – what should definitely be visited while in Croatia, where to book accommodations and
where to eat well.

Although not a typical tourism industry recognition, the nomination of the City of Opatija for the international Ente Floral Award – the 2006 Golden Flower of Europe is also exceptionally significant. The Brussels-based Commission of the European Association of Flowers and the Environment, which confers this award, will soon visit Opatija and the other 11 nominated European cities in order to evaluate them on the quality and tidiness of
their grounds and the development of tourism, the communication between the municipal authorities and citizens and the press. These are, namely, the basic criteria for granting the award that was, a few years ago, already conferred upon another Croatian city – Velika Gorica, situated in the direct vicinity of the city of Zagreb.

Along with the classic recognitions of top Croatian summer vacation destinations the Houston Voice Internet portal, the leading American gay portal, has listed Dalmatia among the current top ten “hottest” gay destinations in the world, along with already well known gay destinations like Ibiza and the Caribbean.

Some Croatian companies in the tourism industry have also received recognition. The Directorate of the well-known World Travel Awards, often referred to as the tourism Oscars, for this year included two nominees from Croatia among its list of best hotels. The first is the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace in Dubrovnik, nominated in the Best European resort category, and the Hotel Croatia in Cavtat, nominated for Best Hotel in Croatia. The Hotel Dubrovnik Palace has also been nominated as Best Spa resort in Croatia.

A similar recognition – for Best Marina in Croatia, has this year been received by the Vrsar Marina in the Istrian town of the same name, from the German nautical Internet portal Skippertipps.

Commendations have also come in the area of gastronomy. The Austrian culinary guide Gault Millau has conferred chef’s hats to 13 restaurants in Croatia of which ten are located in Istria and three in Primorje-Gorski kotar County. These are Valsabbion and Milan in Pula, Zigante in Livade and Kukuriku in Kastav with the highest rankings – two chef’s hats (with four reserved for the world’s best). One-hat ratings were received by the Damir & Ornela and Čok restaurants in Novigrad, Toklarija in Sovinjsko Polje, Blu and Monte in Rovinj, Sv. Nikola in Poreč and Malo selo in Fratrija near Buje. Also recipients of one-hat ratings are the Le Mandrać restaurant in Volosko and Johnson in MoÅ¡ćenička Draga.


taken from Journalist Web Newsletter 05/06 http://press.croatia.hr/datoteke/2506.pdf