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Croatia looks to coffee shop for tourism promotion
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Renata Dezeljin, assistant director of the Croatian National Tourist Board
By Kim Se-jeong
By Kim Se-jeong
Croatia is in talks with CJ E&M, one of Korea’s leading entertainment companies, to promote its tourism through CJ's coffee shop franchise, A Twosome Place, said a representative of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Thursday.
Renata Dezeljin, the board’s assistant director handling sales promotion and partner relations, said, "It'd be very nice if that happens," during an interview with The Korea Times.
CJ E&M confirmed that the two had had a discussion, adding it is considering the idea.
The idea came from the success of “Noona over Flowers,” a popular reality show made by CJ E&M and shot in Croatia. The eight shows aired between November 2013 and January this year transformed Croatia from an unknown destination to a favorite holiday destination for Korean tourists.
“Korea is a top emerging market. It is quite surprising to see the number of Korean tourists to Croatia growing so fast. We’d like to continue this activity,” Dezeljin told The Korea Times.
This figure is indicative of Croatia’s outstanding performance in promoting itself as a tourist hotspot.
According to her, about 53,000 Korean tourists visited Croatia between January and April this year, more than half of last year’s total number of 74,000.
Excited about the increase, the tourism board is gearing up for promotional activities, and Dezeljin’s week-long visit is part of that move. She is accompanied by representatives of four Croatian tourism agencies.
With the help of her colleagues from Japan, Dezeljin is to meet tourism operators, members of the Korean Association of Travel Agents and other partners. On Thursday, her team organized a workshop with hundreds of Korean tourism operators in attendance.
Croatia is home to seven UNESCO world heritage sites along with diverse protected flora and fauna. About 1,200 islands are scattered along its coast _ both inhabited and uninhabited _ which are famous spots for rich travelers with boats. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, is an annual visitor to one of the islands.
She said a lighthouse hotel is one of the most favored destinations there.
She also encouraged Korean college students to visit her country during the summer break.
“During the summer season, the whole coast region is full of things to do,” the assistant director said. The Ultra Music Festival, an annual global electronic music event, is one of such activities.