21. February 2025.

Novi Vinodolski, on these days, more precisely from February 18th to 20th, had the honor and pleasure of hosting the Annual General Assembly of the Croatian Rural Tourism Association, whose members include the Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski, Vinska kuća Pavlomir, and PZ API Kvarner. The association brings together rural tourism stakeholders who work together on the development of rural areas and currently has 60 members from throughout the Republic of Croatia.

Considering that a large part of Croatia is located in rural areas and that this is a very important type of tourism—which takes place year-round and is not dependent on seasonality—the association’s leader, Aleksandra Kuratko Pani, recognized its potential and wants to further strengthen this type of tourism. It can be said that this is increasingly one of the reasons for visiting the destination, as some of the hallmarks of rural tourism are precisely staying in the fresh air and all the related activities, natural beauty, and gastronomy, with farm-to-table products grown traditionally on the countryside, which may still be underappreciated.

The Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski recognized this praiseworthy initiative and joined the association’s work, and upon the suggestion of the association’s leader, gladly accepted hosting the annual assembly. Novi Vinodolski, as a seaside destination, can also boast its beautiful, expansive hinterland, which has potential, as recognized by more than 30 participants of the assembly, who had the opportunity to tour the area and become acquainted with part of the offer.

On the first day, after familiarizing themselves with the local gastronomy at the Studec tavern, their journey through Novi Vinodolski began. On the second day, they visited the National Museum and Gallery and the old town center, and due to the weather, namely a strong gust of wind that unfortunately prevented a tour of the hinterland, within only 20 minutes by car to the Sviba lookout they saw how vast this area is and found themselves at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level in an area covered by snow. On the return, they stopped at the PZ API Kvarner facility in Krmpote, where both the Assembly and lunch were held, as well as the first part of the workshop “Sustainable and Accessible Tourism – Examples of Good Practice and the Association’s Contribution,” which was co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. At the Assembly, they were greeted and welcomed by the Mayor of Novi Vinodolski, Tomislav Cvitković, and the Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski, Tena Peričić.

At PZ API Kvarner, Antonio Komadina and Davor Tomičić, two cooperative members, introduced them to their inspirational yet very challenging story related to launching a cooperative, through which they enriched the offer not only of the hinterland but of the entire Novi, giving meaning and further valorizing everything found in the hinterland – lookouts, hiking and cycling trails, labyrinths… They ended the day with a tasting of sparkling wine and wine at Vinska kuća Pavlomir under the expert guidance of the winery owner, Miroslav Palinkaš. On the last day, the second part of the workshop was held and the beta version of the first national portal of the Croatian Rural Tourism Association was presented, on which the Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski served as a model example, i.e. a presentation of how the content of the tourist boards will appear on the portal.

“I am very glad to have had the opportunity to meet wonderful people from all over Croatia, people mainly from the real sector – from various family farms, crafts, wineries, but also tourism professionals, who show how diverse Croatia is and who wholeheartedly strive to present our country in the best possible way. I believe that agriculture is very important and should be revived and that small farmers and entrepreneurs should be supported, as it is a segment that provides experiences through various aspects of the offer and is inherent in most parts of Croatia. I would like to thank dear Aleksandra once again for the opportunity and all the lovely people for coming to Novi Vinodolski, and I hope that in the future more people will follow the example of Davor and Antonio, who are working to revive our hinterland and offer something new,” said Tena Peričić, Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski.

“I would like to thank the hosts, who graciously welcomed us and showed us their destination, and to say that both members from this area – Vinska kuća Pavlomir and PZ API Kvarner – are moving in the direction in which rural tourism on the coast should go. I would particularly like to highlight the trade in local products, because it provides the opportunity for small local family farms, craft businesses, and entrepreneurs within an 80 km radius to have their products visible and available to buyers, which is often a challenge for them. I wish them much success in their future work and we look forward to everything that lies ahead,” said the head of the Croatian Rural Tourism Association, Aleksandra Kuratko Pani.