The World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport will be partners in the establishment of a Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Croatia, the ministry announced in a press release on Friday.

A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed on Friday in Zagreb by the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Nikolina Brnjac, and the UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

A pioneer of positive change and innovation

In accordance with the UN tourism Rules, the Centre will be established as an independent legal entity in cooperation with the academic community. The University of Zagreb is a partner in the establishment of the Centre.

UN Tourism and the Ministry will cooperate in the implementation of initiatives and projects focussing on research and development in the field of sustainable tourism policy, promotion of sustainable tourism, elaboration of guidelines and recommendations for sustainable tourism development, exchange of knowledge and best practises for sustainable tourism and transfer of knowledge on management of sustainable tourism development.

The initiative to establish the Centre came from the World Tourism Organisation, motivated by the recognition of Croatia as a pioneer of positive change and innovation in shaping sustainable tourism policy at a global level, according to the press release.

Croatia leads by example in the development of sustainable tourism

“The establishment of the first Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Croatia in cooperation with the most important global organisation for tourism, UN Tourism, is a great honour and the best compliment for our reform. It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to strengthen the recognition of Croatia as a pioneer in the field of sustainable tourism, as well as for our academic and scientific community, for whom this centre provides an additional opportunity to improve their global cooperation in various areas related to the development of sustainable tourism,” said Brnjac.

Pololikashvili said that Croatia is leading by example in the development of sustainable tourism and has therefore been chosen as the location for the first Centre for Sustainable Tourism, which will further promote innovation and positive change in the tourism sector.

The new research centre in Zagreb will contribute to data-driven policy making at regional, national and destination level,, ensuring responsible and inclusive tourism development for the benefit of communities everywhere. Tourism is an important industry, and as trade in services was the third largest category of export revenue in 2019, just behind fuel and chemicals, we need a science-based approach to tourism sustainability, said Pololikashvili.