Dubrovnik hosted the finale of the Croatian Tourism Days (DHT) from November 19 to 21, 2025, and the gala ceremony for the Annual Croatian Tourism Awards was held in the evening hours of November 22, 2025, before more than 1300 participants from all over the country and abroad. In an atmosphere of unity and high standards that Croatian tourism has reached in the past year, key recognitions went to Istria, Slavonia, and Dubrovnik, but also to numerous destinations building differentiated experiences, sustainability, and quality of work.

The prestigious recognition for the tourism destination of the year – the champion of Croatian tourism – was won by Rovinj, a city that continuously invests in raising the quality of accommodation capacities, public spaces, and cultural-entertainment offers. For readers planning a stay, an overview of current accommodation in Rovinj can be a starting point for organizing a trip and exploring the city from a visitor's perspective throughout the year.

Best Tourism Event of the Year: HeadOnEast – Osijek

The event HeadOnEast – Osijek was declared the best tourism event of 2025. It is a multi-day program that, in its seventh edition from October 2 to 5, 2025, turned the Osijek Tvrđa into a large open gathering place of hedonism, street-gastro scenes, and urban content. Along with creative workshops, concert performances, and eno-gastro strides by regional producers, HeadOnEast confirms the position of Osijek as an urban Slavonian metropolis whose event calendar motivates a multi-day stay; information on accommodation in Osijek is useful as a guide for visitors planning to arrive for the next edition.

People in Tourism: "Anton Štifanić" and Lifetime Achievement Awards

In the category People in Tourism, the Annual "Anton Štifanić" Award was presented. Among legal entities, the recognition went to Folklorni ansambl Linđo from Dubrovnik, a national symbol of scenic folklore whose performances have closely connected cultural identity with the tourist experience for decades. In the same category, the award for an individual was won by Kristijan Iličić, a travel writer and travel promoter whose projects and engagement in the digital sphere inspire new generations of guests and hosts.

For exceptional multi-year contribution to the sector, two Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented: to Jak Andabak and Boris Žgomba, entrepreneurs who, through strategic investments, organizational strides, and international cooperation, strongly influenced the recognition and sustainable quality improvement of Croatian tourism.

Ambassadors of Croatian Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism and Sport presented special recognitions "Ambassador of Croatian Tourism", which bridge sport, social engagement, and country promotion. This year's winners are: skier Zrinka Ljutić, long-distance swimmer Dina Levačić, para-athlete Velimir Šandor, para-swimmer Emma Mečić, and the Croatian National Handball Team – on whose behalf the award was accepted by head coach Dagur Sigurdsson. Their results have a measurable promotional effect: sporting excellence generates media visibility that motivates arrivals in the pre- and post-season, especially in cities like Rovinj and Dubrovnik where sports and cultural calendars complement each other. If you are planning a trip, check accommodation in Dubrovnik and accommodation in Rovinj to help shape your itinerary.

New Stride: Award "Your Host of the Year – LOCAL HOST"

In line with trends of personalized service, for the first time, the award "Your Host of the Year – LOCAL HOST" was presented, and it was won by Selma Seifert, owner of the holiday home Divjake Log Home – Kraljica šume in the place of Plevci, Gorski kotar. This award recognizes hosts who focus on an authentic experience and care for guests, from locally curated content to sustainable practices in accommodation. Those interested in green vacations can check accommodation in Gorski kotar as a starting point for planning an active stay.

Sustainability as a Horizontal Theme: Recognition for the City of Dubrovnik

Special attention was also attracted by the award Best Island/Coastal Destination of Sustainable Tourism awarded to the City of Dubrovnik, among other things thanks to the visitor management system and the project "Respect the City" which brought measurable results in the distribution of tourist flows within the historic core. The model increasingly adopted by destinations of the narrower core area of the Adriatic is reflected in the good practice of visitor management. If you are planning a visit to the historic core, book accommodation in Dubrovnik in advance and study local recommendations on movement through the City.

"Man, the Key to Success – Employee of the Year": 22 Categories of Services and Professions

The Croatian National Tourist Board traditionally awarded the prize "Man, the Key to Success – Employee of the Year", which systematically valorizes excellence in workplaces without which there is no quality guest experience. This year's winners come from 22 subcategories – from agency and reception staff, through waiters, cooks, and tourist guides, to police officers, firefighters, and hotel housekeeping. The focus is on professionals who turn standards into practice and make the whole story sustainable: they care about safety, hygiene, reception, protocols, and communication, often under conditions of peak demand.

Broader Cross-section of Categories: Investments, Hotels, Camps, and Experiences

Along with the central laureates, numerous recognitions were awarded in 21 program categories. In the category tourism destination of the year – champion of tourism, the victory went to Rovinj, while Poreč and Opatija were also on the final list of finalists. Among the prominent recipients are also hotel companies, camps, gastronomic projects, products of active, cultural, nautical, business, and health tourism, and rural programs that increasingly shape the annual travel calendar across Croatia. For example, recognitions in the segments "hotel of the year", "camp of the year", "business tourism", and "rural tourism" confirm that investments in accommodation, infrastructure, and content are of key importance for extending the season.

In this year, projects that contributed to the safety and quality of stay particularly stood out – from investments in public spaces and traffic corridors to education and rescue of tourists at sea. Such stories are best felt on the ground: a guest visiting Osijek because of HeadOnEast or Dubrovnik because of cultural events can more easily plan an extended weekend and distribution of activities if it is possible to compare accommodation in Osijek and accommodation in Dubrovnik in the desired period in one place.

Context: What the Awards Mean for the Market

The Croatian Tourism Days have long outgrown the format of an internal gathering of the profession. Given the calendar position – the last third of November – DHT gives a cross-section of trends precisely at the moment when plans for the next year are being concluded. Awards strongly influence the visibility of destinations and products, and often investment decisions as well. For Rovinj, for example, the status of tourism champion means additional international positioning in segments of high and luxury offers, while recognition to Osijek through HeadOnEast confirms the strategic value of urban regeneration of the historic core and content programming outside the main season. On the other hand, the award to the City of Dubrovnik for sustainability sends a clear message about the importance of visitor management at the most visited points of cultural heritage.

At the practice level, winners like Folklorni ansambl Linđo, Kristijan Iličić, Selma Seifert, and numerous laureates of the award "Man, the Key to Success" demonstrate how individual contribution – from artistic interpretation and digital content to hospitality – has a tangible effect on the visitor experience. In the era of personalization, guests increasingly choose hosts and projects with a clear character, which is also reflected in the occupancy of accommodation in Rovinj, Dubrovnik, and Osijek. Therefore, in planning a trip, it is worth reviewing accommodation in Rovinj, accommodation in Dubrovnik, or accommodation in Osijek in advance and thus harmonizing the budget, availability, and expectations regarding the experience.

Dubrovnik as Host: Logistics, Experience, and Sustainability

This year's host of DHT, Dubrovnik, is logistically demanding but an exceptionally attractive choice: excellent air connections in autumn, a clear structure of congress capacities, and the unique backdrop of the old city core enabled the holding of multiple parallel programs, expert panels, and B2B meetings. At the same time, the priority for the organizers was to harmonize the flow of participants with the rules of heritage preservation and the quality of life of the local community. The importance of timely reservation of accommodation in Dubrovnik for large gatherings and the distribution of accommodation capacities in the wider city area was particularly emphasized.

Looking Ahead

Concluding with the ceremony on November 22, 2025, the map of Croatian laureates for the next season is clear and encouraging: Rovinj as the champion of destination management, HeadOnEast – Osijek as a "case study" of an urban event that fills the city in autumn, Dubrovnik as an example of sustainable management, and Selma Seifert as a paradigm of local hosting that turns a vacation into a personal experience. On the ground, this will be reflected in a stronger pre-season and post-season, greater demand for authentic products, and growth of interest in active and cultural itineraries throughout Croatia.

Note on Methodology and Timeframe

The DHT awards are jointly granted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Croatian National Tourist Board, and the Croatian Chamber of Economy through 21 categories. This year, the finale was held in Dubrovnik from November 19 to 21, while the final gala evening was organized on November 22, 2025. The data in this text was created by checking official announcements of organizers and relevant regional media, and certain categories also have extended lists of finalists, emphasizing the breadth of the tourism offer. For readers planning trips, it is useful to compare accommodation in Rovinj, accommodation in Osijek, and accommodation in Dubrovnik in advance, considering that awards regularly increase interest and demand.