Robert Pende

Robert Pende graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb in 1991, specialising in Tourism Economics.

Since 1993, he has been employed at the Ministry of Tourism (today the Ministry of Tourism and Sports), where he has held a number of positions throughout his career: from professional associate, adviser, senior adviser, minister’s adviser and Secretary of the Minister’s Office, to Assistant Minister and Director General, a position he has held continuously since 2000.

During his professional career, he has managed most areas within the Ministry’s scope of work, with particular emphasis on the competitiveness of the tourism industry, the development of selective forms of tourism offer, the restructuring of hotel and tourism companies, and policies and measures supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in tourism. He has also been involved in strategic tourism investment projects, led and participated in the development of legislative frameworks in tourism and hospitality, and actively participated in Croatia’s accession negotiations for membership in the European Union through work in three negotiating groups.

He also contributed to the preparation of measures aimed at increasing tourism spending and developing the tourism offer, as well as to the drafting of key strategic and development documents in the field of tourism.

For his work, he has received numerous certificates of appreciation and awards, among which the Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal for Honourable and Exemplary Service (1997) and the “Anton Štifanić” Award for outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of Croatian tourism (2023) stand out in particular.