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Factsheet for measure HR-2022-31/2751 Updated – measures in Croatia

New green touristic offers: Another Side of Zagreb

Zelena BUZZG druga strana Zagreb

Country Croatia , applies locally

    • – HR0 HRVATSKA
      – HR041 Grad Zagreb
      – HRZ EXTRA-REGIO NUTS 1
Time period Open ended, started on 26 July 2022
Context Green Transition
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/Innovation
Author Predrag Bejakovic (IJF)
Measure added 14 August 2022 (updated 27 February 2023)

Background information

The Croatian Capital, the city of Zagreb, is quite popular with tourists, but until now, its green attractions have been somewhat neglected in the tourism offer. The Zagreb Tourist Board (ZTB) began with the campaign titled Green BUZZG Another Side of Zagreb. Zagreb is a city incredibly intertwined with nature. Nature is visible in the numerous city parks, in Bundek and Jarun Lakes, and in the green areas scattered throughout the city, giving joyfulness to buildings and asphalt.

Content of measure

This combination of urban area and nature seems to be perfect for easy, casual and detailed exploration, for so called slow tourism. The ZTB provides information how to achieve the balance between the hustle and bustle of the city and relaxation. Some hidden gems of the city are nicely presented like the Upper Town, the huge Makmir Park, the Mountain Medvednica and the many other interesting locations, with one goal to underline the preservation and enhance the green tourism in the city. All these green havens in the middle of the city, from lakes to parks, are home to numerous plant and animal species. This much biodiversity is truly unusual for a capital city and a metropolis, but it is proof that Zagreb really cares about nature. Tours are organized for visitors and residents of Zagreb so that they can get to know the local flora and fauna. A look through binoculars reveals the strange life of these winged creatures, and their incredible resourcefulness and grace, which we are not even aware of until we take a closer look.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

07 November 2022

The Croatian Parliament accepted on 4 November 2022, the Strategy of sustainable tourism development by 2030. The Strategy puts a significant attention to green tourism development and efficient digitalization transition. For example, the Strategy stresses the need to raise awareness of the importance of ecological certification of tourist accommodation with credible signs which improves business and at the same time raises competitiveness in a market that is increasingly looking for green services and products (p. 35). Furthermore, it underlines the importance of incentives for the circular economy and the development of green and blue infrastructure with support for the implementation of eco-innovations aimed at reducing pollution and irrational management (p. 38). For obtaining the tourism and other knowledge and skills needed for green and digital transformation. It is necessary to ensure systematic and sustainable planning and development human resources for the needs of tourism in terms of quality and quantity by creating an environment in which entry into the labour market is facilitated, especially for vulnerable groups, is necessary attract and engage all available human potential (p. 40). In order to achieve all mentioned, investments will encourage the development of tourism products, especially public ones in tourist infrastructure, which will contribute to the digital and green transition. Moreover, new investments will be encouraged which contribute to business models that ensure adaptation to new consumer habits and thus provide resilience and sustainability.

Use of measure

In this way tourists can get a real impression of this city, which is full of greenery and united with nature, but at the same a city with strong modern tendencies. Their interest for these places is significant and many visit ZTB’ web and Facebook pages and stroll on until recently neglected attractions. Particularly popular and visited are educational trails which bring the world of nature closer to citizens and tourists, and awaken their awareness of the preservation of the flora and fauna that surrounds the us. What stands out the most are the impressive 500 Horvat's steps, a real man-made phenomenon on Medvednica, where we can admire natural beauties such as dark caves and limestone scarps, and at the same time read about their origin and significance.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Sector specific set of companies
Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Public support service providers
Local funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement as case not in social partner domain No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Due to the nature of the measures, social partners were not included.

Views and reactions

Social partners always fully support the measures which enables the improvement of the tourist offer and preservation of the environment. This statement can be confirmed by the Opinion of the Tourism and Service Trade Union of Croatia (TSTUC) on the Strategy of Development of Tourism in Croatia until 2030, in which the TSTUC demands from the government significantly stronger support to this economic sector and measures for improvement of employees’ position, but also underlined the need to take care about the need to provide better tourism product. On the side of employers, their interest association - Catering and Tourism Association which is affiliated to the Croatian Employers’ Association – in its Activity plan stresses the need for development of business culture in observed sector but also a need to constantly proactive improvement of business climate and enhanced conditions in this sector, primarily through increasing quality and diversity of the tourist product.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      I - Accommodation And Food Service Activities I55 Accommodation
      I56 Food and beverage service activities

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 09 March 2022: Plan aktivnosti Udruge ugostiteljstva i turizma (Plan of activities Catering and Tourism Association) (www.hup.hr)
  • 26 July 2022: Green BUZZG Zelena strana Zagreba (www.infozagreb.hr)
  • 25 August 2022: Misljenje o Strategiji turizma (The opinion on the Strategy of Tourism) (www.stuh.hr)
  • 07 November 2022: The Strategy of sustainable tourism development by 2030 year was accepted (Usvojena strategija razvoja održivog turizma do 2030) (www.sabor.hr)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), New green touristic offers: Another Side of Zagreb, measure HR-2022-31/2751 (measures in Croatia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/HR-2022-31_2751.html

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