The aim of the platform is to boost the promotion of Croatia as a premium destination.
The platform is open to seven categories of companies: hotels, campsites, marinas, holiday homes, travel agencies, charter service providers and restaurants with top-notch services, HGK tourism sector director Andreja Vukojević said at the launch in Zagreb.
"We already have something to offer in this segment, and we should continue developing it as it has been proved that tourists visiting Croatia are willing to pay more for a better quality," said Vukojević.
Some of the criteria for joining the platform are membership of the HGK and compliance with the standards developed by the chamber in cooperation with other institutions and agencies for the seven categories such as authenticity, sustainability, the uniqueness of location and offer, and other elements necessary for unforgettable experiences.
Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac said at the event that Croatia has already been recognised as a premium destination.
This has been confirmed by the results so far in 2024, with an increase of 11% compared to the corresponding period in 2023, the minister said.
Also, in 2023, €14.6 million was earned in revenue from foreign tourists, which is 60% more than in 2016, said the minister, who supported the launch of the platform.
She recalled sizeable appropriations granted for the tourism sector, to be used also for the development of premium health tourism and other forms of tourism.
The director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) product development division, Slavija Jačan Obratov, said that since 2014, the HTZ has been working on the promotion of premium products and services.
According to some estimates, such products and services make up 15% of products and services in the global tourism industry, while luxury products and services account for 5% and medium and standard products and services for 35% of products and services in the global tourism industry, Jačan Obratov said.
The platform is important for joint promotional activities in the world, said the head of the HGK hoteliers' association, Josipa Jutt Ferlan.