The Croatian National Tourist Board presented Croatia's tourism offerings at the 46th edition of FITUR, one of the most important international tourism fairs, held in Madrid until January 25th, which attracted more than 255,000 visitors. The fair was open to both industry professionals and the general public, with the participation of 161 countries and regions. Croatia's presence aimed to further strengthen its position in the Spanish market and promote its comprehensive tourism offerings.
“For Croatia, the Spanish market is of great importance, as these are travelers who enjoy traveling year-round and value authentic experiences. FITUR, as one of the most relevant global tourism events, represented a key platform for showcasing Croatia's tourism offerings as a whole, strengthening cooperation with strategic partners, and further positioning our country as a safe, high-quality, and sustainable destination. Our priorities are the development of year-round tourism and providing good value for money, along with constant attention to safety, which remains one of Croatia's main competitive advantages,” stated Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board. He added that, according to data from the eVisitor system, nearly 282,000 arrivals and more than 688,000 overnight stays were recorded from the Spanish market last year, representing a 1% increase in arrivals and a 5% increase in overnight stays compared to 2024.
During the trade fair, Director Staničić met with Yolanda Sánchez, Director of Strategic Projects at Iberia, Spain's leading airline and one of Europe's oldest and largest carriers, a key player in connectivity between Europe and Latin American markets. The meeting highlighted the continuation of their successful collaboration and explored opportunities to strengthen promotional activities in both the Spanish and Latin American markets.
“Participating in the FITUR trade fair was an opportunity to meet with our partners, who are also seeking to further increase tourist traffic this year by introducing new offers and packages to Croatian destinations. We also held meetings with representatives of the Spanish media, informing them about the latest developments in Croatian tourism. Our goal is to maintain the positive trends in this market, which is so important for Croatia. We are seeing growing interest in group travel, as well as significant interest from partners in the South American market, which is particularly encouraging,” noted Viviana Vukelić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board's Representative Office in Italy, which also covers the Spanish market.
In addition to the Croatian National Tourist Board, 13 co-exhibitors participated in the Croatian exhibition space, including the tourist offices of Dubrovnik-Neretva and Split-Dalmatia counties, as well as the cities of Zagreb, Split, and Rovinj. Valamar, Katarina Line, Uniline, Krka National Park, Abacus, Adriana Travel, Nave Travel, and the Park Split Hotel also presented their offerings. During his stay in Madrid, Director Kristjan Staničić met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Kingdom of Spain, Nives Malenica.
It should be added that, during his visit to Madrid, Director Staničić also participated in the first meeting of the UN Tourism Affiliate Members Committee under the new mandate, which was also attended by UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais. The meeting featured the presentation of the new biennial Work Programme for the Affiliate Members system, whose innovative approach includes academic collaborations in the field of sports tourism, as well as the potential for stronger cooperation among Affiliate Members and their greater integration and participation in the development of tourism statistics, such as the UN Tourism Barometer.