Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac opened a conference "Green and Digital Transformation of Family and Small Hotels," in Split on Wednesday, her ministry said in a press release.

A new brand of family and small hotels, eco green hotels, was presented at the conference, organised by the National Association of Small and Family Hotels.

“Today’s tourists are ready to change their habits in line with the concept of sustainable tourism which is an additional motivation for Croatia to step away from mass tourism and seasonality and to focus on sustainability and quality, in which small and family hotels have a very important role,” Brnjac said.

She welcomed the initiative to introduce the Eco Green Hotels brand saying that the  association had prepared this at the best time, now that visitors are shifting their focus from health and safety to enjoying nature, food and mingling.

Brnjac said that the significance of family and small hotels has been recognised in the new Tourism Development Strategy  2030 and investments within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to allocate as much as possible of the HRK 2.2 billion intended for tourism towards entrepreneurs.

The ministry said in a press release that about 60% or a total of HRK 1.2 billion is earmarked for direct investment in the private sector with HRK 720 million allocated to hotels and accommodation establishments, including supporting amenities such as bars, restaurants, entertainment parks, congress halls – everything that will transform Croatia into a year-round destination.

Minister Brnjac said that the focus of all strategic activities will be on the green and digital transition, social responsibility in tourism, education and tourism accessible to everyone, which she discussed with representatives of small and family hotels in Split.