An amazing program of the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism

Busy steps, ambitious views, colorful panels, interactive international workshops, unique costumes and the entire treasure of the Croatian countryside and culture are only part of the rich mosaic of the 6th International Congress on Rural Tourism, which is being held at the Le Meridien Lav hotel. Thursday offered a unique content that brought together distinguished and respected international guest lecturers, numerous generations and all those who have woven a part of their being into rural tourism.

Introductory speeches were given by: Ivana Vladović, Director of TZ of Split-Dalmatia County, Lidija Petrić, Delegate of the President of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Slavija Jačan-Obratov, Director of the Sector for TZ System and Product Development at HTZ. Stipe Čogelja, Deputy Prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County, H.E. Mr. Akylbek Kamaldinov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Croatia on behalf of the Excellencies present.

International guests also played a significant role, providing a global perspective and sharing their knowledge and experience on the development and improvement of rural tourism. Dora Smolčić Jurdana, president of the Congress Program Committee and professor at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, spoke about sustainable tourism and smart rural communities. One of the world's most respected experts, Luigi Cabrini, president of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism, lectured on global standards for sustainable tourism. European tourism as a driver of sustainable rural development was the topic of Andreea Staicu, Deputy Head of the Unit for Tourism and Textiles, DG Grow, at the European Commission. The first part of the lecture was concluded by Josip Šešelj, head of the Hunting Service, Hrvatske šume d.o.o., also the gold sponsor of the Congress on Tourism, general beneficial functions of forests and hospitality in Croatian forests.

This was followed by the panel New opportunities in the rural area for young people - challenges and opportunities, which was attended by Zdravko Tušek, State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Sunčana Glavak, Member of the European Parliament and project ambassador for the European People's Party (EPP for Croatia), Goran Punda, executive director of the ENNA Fruit cooperative, David Pejić, the best young farmer for 2023 and Dario Pocedulić, the best young farmer for 2024.

In the exhibition area, Congress participants had the opportunity to see the wealth of tradition and indigenous products of hard-working farmers, which further emphasized the importance of supporting local producers and preserving the traditional values and authenticity of the village. After the Dalmatian brunch, there was a new series of lectures with respected experts. The topic Wine and top-quality food tourism in the face of new demand challenges, the role of the supply chain and local policies was taught by Magda Antonioli, senior professor at the SDA Bocconi School of Management and vice president of the ETC (European Travel Commission). Rural tourism in the context of the Rural Vision and the Common Agricultural Policy was taught by Silvia Nanni, DG Agri, European Commission. Improving Coastal Management to Ensure Sustainable Tourism: Case Study Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, taught by Mariana Golumbeana, Vice President of the Balkan Association for Environmental Protection, National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa", Constanta, Romania. The first day's lectures concluded with the topic of Sustainability as a key success factor for agritourism: experiences from Austria, and knowledge was shared by Hans Embacher, CEO of Urlaum am Bauernhof, Austria.

The final panel Towards the development of smart rural tourism in Europe was presented by: Carolina Clark, project manager at the European Institute of Cultural Routes - Cultural Routes program of the Council of Europe, Karolina Taczanowska, BOKU University Vienna, Austria, Andreas Niederl, senior researcher at POLICIES - Institute for Economic social and innovation policy, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Austria, Ljupcho Janevski, Faculty of Tourism, University of Skopje, North Macedonia, Darija Tankosić, Smartvill - smart villages of Europe, Serbia Ivana Jurić, director of TZ Osijek-Baranja County and Ivana Jurić, director of TZ Osijek - Baranja County.

At the end of the day, three interesting sections were held at the Le Meridien Lav hotel: Rural tourism - international experiences, Rural tourism and development of tourist products, and Different aspects of sustainable rural tourism.

Thursday was rounded off with a visit to Sinj called the Paths of the Sinj Alkars, with a tour of the rural areas and the beauty of the Sinj landscape. The International Congress on Rural Tourism continues its program on Friday, with exciting new topics, workshops and opportunities for professional development.