HINA

Six Croatian destinations make list of best in sustainable tourism

Six Croatian destinations have been included in the ‘Green Destinations’ list of the top 100 sustainable tourism practices for 2024: Cres, Dugi Otok, IvaniД‡ Grad, the Lika Destination Cluster, Mali Lošinj and Plitvice Lakes National Park.

This marks the first time that so many Croatian destinations have made it onto the list.

The announcement came on Tuesday from Tourism Lab, the Croatian representative for Green Destinations, as well as from some of the selected destinations, including Mali Lošinj, which has previously been listed. For 2024, Mali Lošinj was included with an educational project by the Blue World Institute called “A New View of the Lošinj Undersea”.

The Mali Lošinj Tourist Board said the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories has been running globally since 2014, showcasing destinations and businesses that serve as inspiring examples of sustainable tourism for other destinations, tour operators, and visitors. This year, there were over 170 applications from 45 countries, with 129 stories evaluated by a panel of experts based on effectiveness, innovation, and transferability.

Mali Lošinj has participated since 2016, and the director of its tourist board, Dalibor Cvitković, said the underwater project educates both the local community and tourists about the importance of the marine ecosystem and encourages active participation in the preservation of natural resources.

The award confirms our long-standing commitment to marine life protection and motivates us to continue investing in projects that will preserve biodiversity, Cvitković added.

Tourism Lab said that Croatia, with its six destinations, now stands alongside Estonia, Portugal, Slovenia, and Thailand, calling it a significant recognition for Croatian destinations.

This acknowledgment shows that Croatia recognises the importance of sustainability and actively working on competitive tourism management, while following international trends and the growing demand for sustainable travel and destinations, the company added.