UPUHH designed the awards programme based on 'green' trends in world tourism and criteria for green hotels.
The project is valued at around HRK 600,000, of which HRK 277,000 will come from the Tourism Ministry. It should contribute to improving the competitiveness of Croatian hotels and tourism industry in general.
The project involves organising workshops for the 20 hotel applicants and once an audit is conducted in cooperation with experts for green business, energy efficiency and green marketing, UPUHH will, together with the ministry, issue "Green Hotel" certificates.
Some of the criteria for the certificates to be issued include energy efficiency, recycling, green roofs, reducing harm for the environment, and so on.
The 20 hotels that have applied for the green certificates are located throughout Croatia on the coast and inland.
UPUHH hopes that other tourism associations will join in with this project and present Croatia's tourism as 'green' in the context of the entire tourism industry.
Croatia's tourism strategy until 2020 clearly notes its determination to change the domination of the 'sun and sea' idea of tourism and the seasonal nature of our industry to be more competitive, UPUHH said.