“Howdy, Croatia! Texas Roadshow 2026”: Croatia Strengthens Positions in the US Tourism Market Ahead of the World Cup
At the beginning of 2026, the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) continued to intensify promotion in the United States market, which has been cited for years in Croatian tourism as the most important long-haul market by total tourist traffic. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be played in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, the CNTB organized three business workshops in the state of Texas entitled “Howdy, Croatia! Texas Roadshow 2026,” designed as a direct connection between Croatian providers and American travel agents.
The performance in Texas was timed to coincide with the growing interest of the American audience in traveling to Europe and with the expected increased mobility during 2026, when the World Cup will bring additional visibility to host cities and increase overall travel activity. According to FIFA announcements, the tournament begins on June 11, 2026, and the host cities in the USA include Houston and Dallas, which further explains the choice of Texan locations for business meetings.
Three Cities in Three Days: Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas
The workshops were held in Houston on January 29, 2026, in Fort Worth on January 30, 2026, and in Dallas on January 31, 2026, using a format well known to the American market: short presentations, structured networking, and a series of pre-arranged “one-to-one” meetings. The organizers were LT Konture d.o.o. from Zagreb and the CNTB Representative Office in New York.
According to the published program, in each city, part of the event was dedicated to introductory speeches and presentations by Croatian partners, followed by blocks of individual meetings with agents. The concept is adapted to the way American intermediaries work, who, when deciding whether to include a destination in a catalog, seek clear operational information: capacity availability, duration and logistics of itineraries, seasonal recommendations, service levels, and reliable communication with local partners.
That is precisely why in Texas, emphasis was placed on selling points that are crucial to the American market: the possibility of combining multiple destinations in one tour, the availability of premium products, experiences that can be personalized, and a clear offer structure for groups and individual travelers. According to the organizers, American agents expressed satisfaction with the meetings held and the contacts made with Croatian partners, and some of them already have contracted groups of American tourists for 2026 and 2027.
Where the Workshops Were Held and What the Format Looked Like
According to information published on the organizer's website, the workshops were held at the following locations:
- Houston – The Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria (Founders Ballroom)
- Fort Worth – The Nobleman Fort Worth, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- Dallas – Warwick Melrose Dallas (Turtle Creek Ballroom)
The program typically included registration, introductory speeches and presentations, then networking over brunch, and a series of short individual meetings. Such a schedule has practical value: agents can complete dozens of contacts in one morning, compare the offers of different Croatian destinations and suppliers, and immediately agree on next steps, from sending offers to booking trial itineraries and study trips.
For Croatian participants, the format is also important because of the dynamics of the American market: overseas trips are planned earlier than in European emitting markets, and catalogs and programs for the next season are often finalized months in advance. This opens space for early sales but also places a greater emphasis on information accuracy, speed of response, and reliable operations.
Croatian Participants: Southern Destinations, Korčula Island, and Zagreb, Along with Hoteliers
Representatives of the public and private tourism sectors arrived in Texas from Croatia. Among the participants were the Tourist Boards of Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties, the Tourist Board of the City of Korčula, and the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb, while the hotel and catering sector's offer was represented by Aminess Younique Korčula Heritage Hotel, Liburnia Hotels & Villas, and Potestas Hospitality Group.
The composition of the delegation points to a clear strategy: to offer American agents recognizable Adriatic “magnets” like Split and Dubrovnik, but also content that helps in extending the season and spreading consumption, such as Zagreb as a year-round destination and Korčula as an island premium product that fits the trend of searching for authentic, smaller, and high-quality destinations.
For American guests, ease of travel is also important. In sales talks, Croatia is often positioned as a destination where multiple experiences can be combined in a relatively short time: historical centers and museums, national parks, gastronomy and wine roads, and islands with an emphasis on privacy and experience. Agents use precisely such combinations when creating 7 to 10-day itineraries, which are a frequent “standard measure” for trips to Europe in the American market.
In addition, American travelers are increasingly looking for trips with a clear narrative: themed tours related to cultural heritage and local tradition, experiences in smaller communities, quality gastronomic programs, and content that is not limited to the summer months. This increases the importance of continental and urban products, as well as selective forms of tourism on the coast, such as boutique accommodation, private tours, and content with higher added value.
Diplomatic and Institutional Support: Consular Network and the Croatian Community in Texas
According to the press release, the workshops were held with the institutional support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Los Angeles and Consul General Renne Pea. Additional support was provided by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia for the Houston area, Philip Bergquist, and representatives of the Croatian business community in Dallas and Fort Worth. In Dallas, the event was also attended by Klementina Mikuš, president of the Croatian Community for the Dallas and Fort Worth area.
Such a support network in the USA has a practical role: it ensures the visibility of the event, helps connect with local business circles, and facilitates communication with organizations that gather the community. In large cities where business contacts are often built through long-term networks of trust, the contribution of the diaspora and the business community can be an important factor in whether an initiative will receive additional “resonance” outside the narrow circle of tourism professionals.
For tourism projects that rely on B2B contacts, this can be particularly important: agents and partners, along with pure sales arguments, often value the reputational framework of the event—that is, who is behind the project, what the institutional support is like, and how sustainable the initiative is in the long run.
EACC and a Message to the Business Community: Tourism as Part of Broader Economic Cooperation
At the workshop in Dallas, the participation of Erin McKelvey, President of the European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC), was specifically highlighted. According to the organizers, McKelvey praised the initiative and expressed full support for activities aimed at strengthening cooperation between American and Croatian partners in tourism, with an announcement of support for future promotional projects.
The involvement of chambers of commerce in tourism projects is an increasingly common practice because tourism is viewed as part of service exports and as a sector that opens doors to other forms of cooperation. Travel often precedes investments, business contacts, and conference tourism, and Texas, due to its strong economy, a large number of corporate trips, and a pronounced premium segment, is a particularly interesting market for destinations that want to increase spending per guest, not just the number of arrivals.
Such an approach is particularly relevant for Croatia in the context of strategic goals: strengthening the year-round offer, developing higher-value products, and reducing dependence on peak summer weeks. Cooperation with agents working with premium clientele and the corporate segment can bring more stable demand, with a greater emphasis on service quality and personalization.
Why the American Market is Important and What the Latest Statistical Signals Say
The CNTB bases its activities on the fact that the USA is the most important long-haul market, and trends are monitored through the eVisitor system and through official statistics. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics, in its release on commercial accommodation, states that in December 2025, 440 thousand arrivals and 942 thousand overnight stays were achieved, with growth compared to December 2024, and that foreign tourists accounted for the majority of overnight stays. In the structure of overnight stays by foreign tourists for December 2025, the CBS states that the share of overnight stays by guests from the USA was around 3.0%, noting that tourists from the USA, like tourists from Serbia, achieved fewer overnight stays compared to December 2024, while tourists from most other listed countries achieved more.
Such monthly indicators may not reflect overall annual trends, but they are important for two reasons. First, they show that the American market has a visible share even outside the peak season, which is a key topic for Croatia in the context of extending the season and a more even load on destinations. Second, they confirm that the market structure in the winter months can change quickly, so continuous promotion and maintaining relationships with agents is important to stabilize demand.
In practice, American guests often travel in small groups, spend above average, and expect a higher level of service. Due to long distances and the price of plane tickets, trips are planned in advance, so it is no coincidence that agents already have contracted groups for 2026 and 2027 in January. The roadshow in Texas was aimed precisely at that “early” sales period, when the frameworks for catalogs and organized programs are created, but also for individual trips that are often shaped months before departure in the premium segment.
World Cup 2026: An Opportunity for Additional Visibility, but Also a Reminder of Competition
The 2026 World Cup is one of the largest sporting events in the world and is expected to influence global travel flows in the summer of 2026. FIFA materials on the schedule and stadiums emphasize that the tournament is played at multiple locations in three countries, with a large number of matches and a long duration of the competition. For Croatia, which relies in a marketing sense on a combination of the sea, heritage, and experience, such a global “wave” of travel can be an opportunity for additional visibility, but also a reminder that the entire Mediterranean will compete for the attention of American travelers.
That is why B2B communication increasingly emphasizes elements that distinguish Croatia in the American market: compact geography that allows visiting multiple regions without long transfers, safety perception, a high level of authenticity and experience of local culture, and the possibility of combining the trip with events and themed programs. For the premium segment, partners on the ground are also important, from DMCs to hoteliers, who can guarantee agents reliability of delivery – from transfers and guides to special content like private excursions, gastronomic experiences, and higher-category accommodation.
Texas is a logical choice in this story also because of its market size: the Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth areas are among the largest American metropolises, with strong air connectivity, a large concentration of companies, and above-average purchasing power of part of the population. In such an environment, interest in traveling to Europe often combines with business trips, events, and sports content, which increases the value of contacts with agents working in a wider spectrum of the travel industry.
What Agents are Looking For: Content That Sells and Logistics That Work
According to market experience, American agents look for three key elements: a clearly structured product, reliable logistics, and a partner who can respond quickly to inquiries. For some agents, Croatia is already an established destination, but for others, it is still a “newer” option within the Mediterranean portfolio. Because of this, such workshops serve as a place where practical questions are clarified in a short time: when is the optimal time to travel, how to avoid peak periods in the most crowded cities, what are alternative locations for a quieter experience, and how to package the offer so it is understandable and comparable to the competition.
In the group travel segment, the topic of capacity is also important. If an agent contracts a group in January for the summer or autumn of 2026, they expect confirmations of availability, clear terms, and stable partners. This is precisely why, according to impressions from the event, part of the conversations in Texas focused on advance planning and on cooperation models that make it easier for agents to sell, and allow Croatian partners to fill capacities more securely and manage seasonality better.
At the same time, the “story” is also important for the American market: destinations that offer a recognizable identity, cultural and historical depth, and experiences that can be authentically told, enter premium programs more easily. In this sense, the combination of Zagreb, the southern Adriatic, and islands like Korčula allows agents to connect urban content, heritage, gastronomy, and the Mediterranean atmosphere in one itinerary, with different levels of accommodation and activities.
Next Steps: From Contact to Concrete Arrangement
Such roadshow performances rarely end with the signing of a contract on the spot, but they are often the starting point for a series of operational steps: exchange of offers, agreement on study trips, synchronization of itineraries, and reservations for groups. The organizers state that the interest of the agents confirms Croatia's status as one of the preferred Mediterranean destinations for the American market, and the fact that there are already contracted programs for 2026 and 2027 further indicates that part of the sales is already moving towards the realization phase.
For the Croatian tourism system, the challenge will be to maintain the continuity of appearance in a market that is competitive and sensitive to changes in air traffic, prices, and consumer habits. But that is exactly why direct B2B formats like the Texas roadshow are important: they allow Croatia to present itself as a destination with a clear offer and reliable partners, ready to respond to the demands of American travelers in a year that, because of the World Cup, will be under the scrutiny of the global audience.
Sources:- Croatian National Tourist Board – press release about the “Howdy, Croatia! Texas Roadshow 2026” workshops ( link )- Konture (LT Konture) – program, dates and locations of the roadshow in Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas ( link )- Croatian Bureau of Statistics – release “Arrivals and nights of tourists in commercial accommodation in December 2025” ( link )- FIFA – official information and schedule of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ( link )
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