Announcement of the 1st day program at the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism

Zagreb, April 2, 2024 - In the rich program of the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism, professional and scientific lectures, panels, discussions, awarding of awards for the best young farmers in 2024, and occasional gatherings await us. From April 10 to 13, 2024, the Le Meridien Lav Hotel in Podstrana will be the center of the world for rural tourism.

The event starts on Wednesday, April 10 with the arrival and registration of participants from 2 p.m. After that, from 17:00, a panel is scheduled in cooperation with the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia, entitled: "20 years of membership in the EU - a framework for sustainable, digital and inclusive rural areas". The moderator of the panel will be Andrea Čović Vidović, acting head of the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia.

The opening ceremony of the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism will take place at 19:00. More than 300 participants from more than 20 European countries will magnify this event. To make the evening even more special, we are expecting an award ceremony for the best young farmer in 2024. The organizers of the competition are the Croatian member of the European Parliament and the ambassador of this project for Croatia from the European People's Party (EPP) Sunčana Glavak and Jutarnji list.

"Year after year, young farmers develop their projects and improve agriculture, finding in it meaning and motivation for work. Their selection has a positive effect on the whole society by ensuring food production and the survival of rural areas. In this, I can find partner support in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the relevant Ministry of Agriculture, and the European Union, which in the new Common Agricultural Policy has placed a special focus on young people in agriculture. I am proud that in recent years Croatia has managed to position itself as one of the leaders of innovations in agriculture, which is proven by the placement of our representatives at the EU level, where we had two runners-up", Sunčana Glavak pointed out.

In addition to the promotion of young Croatian farmers, the goal of this initiative is to promote a positive image of young farmers and to identify activities that are characterized by innovation, sustainability, and market orientation, all for young people to remain living in the countryside and for the rural area to develop further.