The Representative Office of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Hungary during the late autumn of 2025 connected Croatian and Hungarian tourism stakeholders through two complementary events in Budapest: participation in the election assembly of the Magyar Utazási Irodák Szövetsége (MUISZ) and a professional MICE presentation within the series "New places, new faces". Both meetings, held in November and early December, emphasized Croatia's status as a safe, close, and diverse destination that Hungarian guests continuously value due to the breadth of products – from leisure and active tourism to business gatherings and incentive travel.

According to the interest and reactions of the participants, it was further confirmed that Croatia combines two important roles on the Hungarian market: a destination for holidays with emphasized experiences and a destination for business gatherings with growing infrastructure. This is the framework in which the CNTB Representative Office in Budapest, with the support of domestic partners, systematically connects tourist agencies, tour operators, and corporate buyers, creating prerequisites for new contracts in 2026.

MUISZ Election Assembly: Dual presidency with an emphasis on continuity

Around a hundred members gathered at the MUISZ election assembly – predominantly representatives of travel agencies, tour operators, and relevant business entities from the sector. The assembly concluded with the election of a dual presidency: Dr. Erdei Bálint was elected as the new president, while Molnár Judit, the current president, was confirmed for a future term. The model of sharing authority in leadership indicates the membership's desire to combine continuity of work with new impulses and faster decision-making, while maintaining the broad representativeness of the association in relation to international partners and key markets.

MUISZ, founded in 1974, is the umbrella association representing the interests of Hungarian travel agencies and tour operators. Its role includes advocating for stable and predictable business conditions, developing professional standards, and improving service quality. For Croatia, the traditionally good channel of cooperation that MUISZ maintains with Croatian institutions and partners is also important – from joint workshops and education to targeted organized study trips.

The election of Dr. Erdei Bálint, a long-standing stakeholder in the sector, combined with the continuation of Molnár Judit's mandate, was perceived as a message of stability towards the market and international partners. Such a setup, pointed out interlocutors on the margins of the assembly, can accelerate the response to changes in demand and technology, while simultaneously preserving the continuity of dialogue with associations and tourism organizations in the region, including Croatia.

"New places, new faces": Budapest focus on MICE and investments in 2026

Shortly after the assembly, the CNTB Representative Office in Hungary organized a professional presentation for a business audience in the very center of Budapest within the "New places, new faces" series. Around twenty representatives of large Hungarian companies gathered, including procurement, marketing, and sales departments, as well as specialized agencies that plan and implement corporate events. The program was structured by regions, with an emphasis on capacities, logistics, and examples of best practices that can come into play already in the first half of 2026.

Clients' needs for flexible halls with natural light, advanced audiovisual equipment, and the possibility of quick setup adaptation were highlighted, as well as for hotel units offering "everything under one roof": accommodation, catering, networking facilities, and spaces for smaller workshops. Croatia, thanks to new and renovated facilities and strong transport connectivity, responds precisely to such demands. In practice, this means shorter planning time, predictable costs, and greater security in program delivery, which is crucial for corporate buyers.

The presentation also emphasized the value of connecting coastal and continental locations: for example, combining plenums in a coastal city with a team-building program in the hinterland or national parks. Such itinerary arrangements are particularly interesting to Hungarian buyers because they optimize travel time and increase experiential diversity at a reasonable price.

Case study: Hotel Pinija and the Zadar "Congress & Event Center Zadar"

In the hotel segment, attention was attracted by the presentation of Hotel Pinija from Petrčane (Zadar County), which on March 28, 2025, ceremoniously opened the Congress & Event Center Zadar. It is a modern, multifunctional center designed for congresses, conferences, incentive programs, and medium-sized business events. The architecturally recognizable circular design of the center blends harmoniously into the natural pine grove by the sea, while the internal organization of space is adapted to rapid changes in setup and scenography.

According to published hotel specifications, the complex features multiple hall configurations. The Donat Hall on the first floor stands out, with an area of 348 m², which accommodates up to approximately 320 participants in a cinema setup, with the possibility of adaptation for banquets, cocktails, and workshops. In combination with additional halls, foyers, and catering and accommodation capacities within the hotel, organizers can conduct the entire program – from registration to plenums and "breakout" sessions – at one location, without the need for external transfers.

The advantage of Zadar County in the MICE segment is also confirmed by good transport accessibility (A1 motorway, Zadar Airport), as well as diverse "post-event" content: walks through the historic center, gastronomic tours, trips to national parks and islands, sports and recreational activities. The combination of infrastructure and experiences, along with a strong local identity, makes the Zadar area a logical choice for programs that combine a substantive daily part and informal evening networking.

What Hungarian buyers are looking for – and how Croatia responds

Conversations with agencies and corporate departments point to several permanent criteria when choosing a destination for a business event: safety, simple accessibility, predictable costs, flexible spaces, and a diverse "bleisure" experience. Croatia offers European service standards, a wide range of hotel categories and halls, and a strong network of motorways and air connections, which reduces logistical risks. Additionally, sustainability is becoming increasingly important to buyers – reducing the carbon footprint of travel, prioritizing local gastronomy, short supply chains, and using digital solutions for efficient processes.

At the production level, the rise of hybrid and "tech-forward" formats requires reliable AV infrastructure, a fast network, and teams that know how to work with interactive content. Precisely projects like the new Zadar center increase the capacity of Croatian regions for medium-sized conferences and encourage the development of supporting services – from specialized catering to domestic event productions. This builds year-round demand and a more even distribution of load between top seasonal centers and those strengthening off-peak.

B2B format with clear outcomes

The "New places, new faces" series is designed as a targeted B2B format that brings an overview of the most relevant information for event planners in a short time. Unlike general fairs, this concept allows for precise matching of buyer needs with offer elements: halls with daylight, roof terraces for cocktails, space branding possibilities, wellness and sports, special gastronomic programs. This shortens the path from initial interest to a concrete offer, and decisions are made based on clear, comparable parameters.

For Croatian partners, this approach allows addressing practical questions in real time: availability of dates in shoulder seasons, capacity limits, AV specifications, hall setups, conditions for additional services (transport, hostesses, simultaneous interpretation, signage). Hungarian companies, on the other hand, get a clearer picture of the total value, which facilitates internal argumentation and budget approval.

Effects on the market: presence, trust, and preparation for 2026

Considering that Hungarian buyers often plan larger events 12–18 months in advance, timely presence in Budapest in early December 2025 gives Croatian partners a competitive advantage over destinations that are just announcing presentations. At the same time, participation in the MUISZ assembly maintains high visibility of Croatian institutions and underlines readiness for dialogue on joint projects – from education to study trips and targeted campaigns.

For destination management, this also means regional balance: alongside large centers like Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, or Opatija, cities like Zadar and their surroundings gain greater visibility on the MICE map, where new halls and contents become carriers of year-round programs. Thus, the most burdened centers are relieved at the peak of the season, and local communities achieve multiplied effects of consumption and promotion.

Adapting communication to the Hungarian business audience

The presentation also showed the importance of precise branding – clear messages and visuals that follow the expectations of Hungarian corporate teams: proximity and ease of travel, possibility of assembling the program like a "puzzle", quality accommodation, and contents for informal networking. In this context, digital tools are useful: virtual tours of spaces, hall configurators, capacity calculators, "one-pagers" with key parameters (area, ceiling height, maximum capacities by setups, available equipment). Such materials shorten the time needed to create a brief and facilitate internal project validation.

Croatian teams, including CNTB representative offices, play an important role in curating these materials and connecting the right contacts on the supply and demand side. Even the selection of the "New places, new faces" format is smaller in scope than fairs, but higher in efficiency because it gathers precisely those who make decisions or directly influence them.

Cooperation with MUISZ: a framework for long-term value

Relations with MUISZ, strengthened by participation in the election assembly, are the foundation for partnerships instead of ad-hoc sales. Long-term work with key agencies and tour operators – with repeated meetings, education, and data exchange – creates value measured not only by signed contracts but also by the growth of trust, greater representation of Croatia in annual plans, and more stable traffic outside the summer peak.

In this sense, the dual presidency of MUISZ with Dr. Erdei Bálint and the continuation of Molnár Judit's mandate signals stability and openness to new initiatives. For Croatian partners, this means a reliable contact and clear communication channels, especially when preparing events in the period from January to June and from September to November – periods that are traditionally most interesting for corporate gatherings.

Perspectives and next steps

Based on this season's conversations and inquiries, continued growth of interest in medium-sized gatherings (150–400 participants) with a combination of plenums, parallel workshops, and experiential content is expected. In this range, Croatian regions – from Istria and Kvarner to Dalmatia and the continent – can offer a wide selection of halls, hotels, and additional contents, and new projects for 2026 will further expand capacities and raise the bar of quality. The CNTB Representative Office in Hungary announces the continuation of targeted B2B activities and themed presentations that correspond to the specific requirements of Hungarian buyers.

Viewed from today's angle, December 5, 2025, the message from Budapest remains clear: Croatia is a competitive, rising, and reliable MICE and leisure destination for the Hungarian market. Through systematic work on relationships, precise alignment of the offer, and investments in the quality of space and service – with projects like the Zadar congress center – Croatia can further consolidate its position and enter 2026 with a full portfolio of confirmed events.

More detailed information about MUISZ is available on their official pages, while information about the opened Zadar center and hotel capacities can be found on the web sources of Hotel Pinija and destination portals. In the meantime, the CNTB Representative Office in Hungary continues with regular contacts with partners and the preparation of B2B meetings that specifically respond to the needs of Hungarian corporate buyers and agencies.