The most popular meeting destinations in CROATIA
Using our new search engine and Google Analytics, we checked which of Croatia’s meeting destinations received the most attention from Kongres Magazine readers. The absolute winner in our analysis and the most searched for was “Croatia’s meeting capital”.
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WHY IS ZAGREB THE NEW MEETINGS STAR?
Zagreb offers a lot more than just congress hotels and classical congress offer. The numerous venues impress the most. Their concentration is outstanding and this part of the offer puts Zagreb at the top of the region. The legacy of different periods of urbanisation today allows for events to be held in ultra-modern museums and the city’s magical atriums. Another novelty are the pop-up venues which really come to life in summer time and present an interesting alternative to the classical meeting venues. Next to the traditional museums as special venues – like the Art Pavilion, Croatian National Theatre, Croatian State Archives, the Illyirian Hall, the Mimara Museum – we were particularly impressed by the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art. This art institution in Novi Zagreb (‘New Zagreb’) has been open to the public since 2009; its minimalistic and photogenic architecture, and the flexibility of the museum’s staff attract the event planners who, by prior arrangement, can combine a visit to permanent exhibitions with the concept of the event.
Dubrovnik is the flagship of regional tourism and is commonly the first association of meetings organizers we meet daily. It is the closest in the region to renowned Mediterranean convention destinations Cannes and Monte Carlo, and it will be even closer after the completion of the convention centre. So far the centre is successfully replaced by modern and well-equipped centres at hotels such as Dubrovnik Palace, Excelsior, Bellevue, Grand Villa Argentina, Importanne Resort, Dubrovnik President, Valamar Lacroma and Radisson Blue. Well-developed is the entire conference infrastructure including destination management and creative agency scene. The city is safe and one of the tourist icons of the Adriatic and justifiably the most painted tourist skyline with unprecedented experiential diversity for conference guests.
POREČ DESTINATION UPDATE
THE NEW INCENTIVE CAPITAL OF ISTRIA
Among the tourist destinations of Croatian Istria, Poreč is known as the multiple champion regarding visitors and capacities. In the last couple of years, Poreč has successfully transformed into an all-year-round destination, becoming a vital congress and incentive destination. The city is one of the oldest in Istria, but still shamelessly shows its youthful spirit, mostly through numerous festivals that fill the city with life. After going around Poreč you soon realise that there are tons of different activities, wrapped into a lovely package. However, the historic city hasn’t lost its historical charm and possibilities for exceptional incentive programmes.
None of the more than 1,000 Croatian islands has such karma and recognition as Hvar. Definitely, a “must” Croatian destination, right behind Dubrovnik. Distance from the mainland gives it a touch of boutique smallness. On the beauty of the island, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, there is no point in wasting words, since there is no shortage of various urban legends and superlatives. Among other things, it used to be called Austrian Madeira. In Hvar, the urban has been coexisting with the rural for centuries.
Opatija is without a doubt the ultimate meetings destination. Why? Because few destinations provide such a rich assortment of luxury accommodation in such a small area, whilst Opatija provides 33 hotels offering over 2700 rooms and more than 50 meeting and conference halls along the 3 km of the coastline. At the beginning and the end of the Opatija Riviera, there are two boutique hotels which contribute to the exclusivity of Opatija.
