ZAGREB, 6 Nov (Hina) – Croatia is introducing a Cultural Card giving all citizens who turn 18 next year a €100 voucher to spend on books, theatre, concerts and other cultural activities, the government decided on Thursday, in a bid to make culture more accessible to young people.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said the initiative aims to foster young people’s interest in culture and help them develop lasting cultural habits. “The goal is to promote a more universal and diverse access to culture and to strengthen existing cultural needs,” the minister said.
The digital system, developed with the Financial Agency, will allow 18-year-olds to use the voucher for books, newspaper subscriptions, cinema and theatre tickets, exhibitions, and classical or jazz concerts.
Obuljen Koržinek said the scheme will also provide data on young people’s cultural preferences, helping the ministry fine-tune future cultural policies after a pilot phase.
The Cultural Card complements existing programmes such as Audience Development, launched in 2018, and Backpack Full of Culture, since 2014, and will be included in the upcoming National Youth Programme 2026-2030.
The government also adopted an Action Plan for the Development of Culture and Media to 2027, following the 2023-2027 National Plan for Culture and Media.
