The Buy Croatia concept implies arrangement of business meetings between Croatian tourist participants (tour operators, travel agencies, hotels...) and foreign tourist participants.
The business workshops and business meetings will be held between Croatian tourist participants and foreign tourist participants for the purpose of increasing Croatia’s coverage in foreign tourist participants’ brochures and enhancing the diversification of the tourist offer presently available on the market. These meetings will be held in (Buy) Croatia and the foreign tourist participants will visit Croatia as our guests.
A limited number of foreign tourist participants were invited to the working meeting in Croatia to:
- learn about the destination and experience the tourist products and quality of the offer,
- meet with service suppliers (accommodation operators, incoming agencies, product specialists, etc.),
- negotiate purchases of services and/or packages.
The meetings will be arranged several times a year and will include trips to learn about the destination.
As a result of the Strategic marketing plan for specific aims specialist business workshops will be organized.
The meetings will take place several times throughout 2013 and will accordingly be accompanied by field trips to various destinations:
- Istria, 4 May 2013 – a field trip to the Istria County from 2 – 5 May 2013
- Zadar, 8 June 2013- a field trip to the Zadar County from 5 – 8 June 2013
- Zagreb, September/ October 2013
Meetings which took place in 2012:
- Zadar, 14 March 2012 – a field trip to the regions of Zadar, Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin Counties from 11 – 15 March 2012 for representatives of coach transport operators
- Zagreb, 12 May 2012- where participants-representatives of tour operators stayed in Croatia and visited Zagreb and Slavonia from 9 to 13 May. Croatian partners, who offer the area of Zagreb and continental Croatia (the areas of Central Croatia, Slavonia and Lika-Karlovac) in their programs, were invited to the business workshop.
- Zagreb, 15 October 2012 – for tour operators and travel agents from Brazil. The field trip lasting from 9 - 16 October 2012 included Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik, Split, Istria and Kvarner.
In 2012, Croatia was host the congresses of various associations or travel agent networks. Workshops 'Buy Croatia' was organised as part of the congresses:
- Makarska, 13 April 2012 - AČCKA
- Novi Vinodolski, 4 May 2012 - FIAVET
- Dubrovnik, 19 September 2012 and Opatija, 23 September 2012 - SPATA
- Dubrovnik, Hotel Argentina, 10 November 2012 SRV
Meetings which took place in 2011:
- Zagreb, 26 March 2011 – a field trip to the regions of Zagreb and Continental Croatia from 23 – 27 March 2011 for 'general' tour operators and travel agents, including the workshop in Zagreb during the duration of CROTOUR Fair.
- Zagreb, 4 May 2011 and Dubrovnik, 6 May 2011 – for Turkish tour operators and travel agents. The field trip lasting from 2 – 8 May 2011 included the regions of Zagreb, Lika – Senj County, Split – Dalmatia County and Dubrovnik – Neretva County.
- Zagreb, 4 May 2011 – for tour operators and travel agents from Brazil. The field trip lasting from 29 April – 5 May 2011 included Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik and Split.
- Šibenik, 18 May 2011 – for 'general' touroperators and travel agents. The field trip lasting from 15 – 19 May 2011 included the Šibenik – Knin County.
- Umag, 1 October 2011 – for the participating members of the Bulgarian Association of Tour Operators ABTTA. The field trip lasting from 29 September – 3 October 2011 included the visit to the city of Zagreb and Istria County.
- Zagreb, 31 October 2011 – a workshop was held as a part of the annual congress of the South American tour operator 'Europamundo'. The participating members represented 70% of the Sourth American tourism market.
Meetings held in 2010
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Zagreb, 17 April 2010, the participating representatives of tour operators visited Zagreb, Krapina and Međimurje County from 14 - 18 April. The business workshop invited the Croatian partners who in their programs offered and presented the area of Zagreb and Continental Croatia (Central Croatia, Slavonija and the continental part of Lika and the town of Karlovac)
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Dubrovnik, 29 May 2010, the participating representatives of tour operators visited the area of Dubrovnik – Neretva County from 26 - 30 May. The business workshop invited the Croatian partners from the coastal area of Croatia and those partners who in their programs offer the coastal area of Croatia.
- Umag, 17 November 2010, the participating representatives of tour operators visited the areas of Istria and Kvarner from 14 – 18 November. Croatian partners participating in this workshop offered in their programs the coastal area of Croatia.
In 2009, the following meetings were held:
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4 April in Zagreb, where participants-representatives of tour operators stayed in Croatia and visited Zagreb and Slavonia from 1 to 5 April. Croatian partners, who offer the area of Zagreb and continental Croatia (the areas of Central Croatia, Slavonia and Lika-Karlovac) in their programs, were invited to the business workshop.
- 16 May in Split, where participants-representatives of tour operators visited the Split-Dalmatia County from 13 to 17 May. Croatian partners from Dalmatia and partners who offer the area of Dalmatia in their programs were invited to the business workshop.
- Zadar, 3 October 2009, the participating representatives of coach transport operators visited the areas of Zadar County, Split – Dalmatia County and Šibenik – Knin County from 30 September – 4 October. Croatian partners participating in this workshop offered in their programs the coastal area of Croatia .
Excursions will be arranged for the foreign participants to acquaint them with the destination they are visiting.
Through its county tourist board system and trade associations (UHPA, HUH, KUH), the Croatian National Tourist Board will invite all interested tourist participants from the respective areas (hotels, agencies, associations…). Each representative office of CNTB will invite decision-makers, opinion-makers and agency owners from their respective countries. The purpose is to contact specialists (special interest agencies) in addition to the existing tour operators and agents. The focus will be on tourism of special significance and season extension.
The foreign partners are invited at the expense of the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Tourist Board System.
Domestic tourist participants will cover their own cost of accommodation and pay a registration fee in amount of 500 HRK per person prior to the holding of the workshop. Croatian participants will be provided with 1 table, 4 chairs, coffee and drinks in the working part and a business lunch. Paid registration fees are nonrefundable. Other services for the foreign partners (organization of the workshop, lunches, dinners) are covered by the organizer. Prior to the workshop, a brochure listing all registered domestic and foreign partners will be issued and delivered to all participants. Depending on the interest, presentations of interested Croatian participants will be held in a separate room during the working part of the workshop, as agreed beforehand. Registration forms for domestic partners should be completed in English.