Croatian tourism companies hosted families from Ukraine in a holiday and psychological recovery program
During May 2026, a group of 99 Ukrainian citizens, mostly families with children affected by the consequences of the war, stayed in Istria, where they were provided with a free seven-day stay, rest and a psychological recovery program in Croatia. The initiative was carried out in cooperation between the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine and Croatian tourism companies Aminess Hotels & Resorts, Maistra and Valamar, with coordination by the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT) and the Association of Employers in Croatian Hospitality (UPUHH). According to information from the organizers, the goal was not only to provide accommodation, but also to enable families who have been living for a long time under the pressure of wartime events to spend several days in safety, peace and structured activities outside an everyday life marked by uncertainty.
The program included 13 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 28 children under the age of 12, together with members of their families. The participants were accommodated in three Istrian facilities: Maistra's Resort Amarin in Rovinj, Aminess Planet Camping Maravea Resort in Novigrad and Valamar Bellevue Resort in Rabac. The organizers state that conditions for rest, family time and psychological stabilization were provided there, along with additional activities through which they became acquainted with the natural and cultural features of Istria. The initiative is particularly important because it addresses families who, because of war, losses, captivity or long-term separation from loved ones, are exposed to multiple emotional burdens.
Cooperation between Ukrainian institutions and the Croatian tourism sector
According to information from the organizers, the humanitarian initiative was supported by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Hotel & Resort Association (UHRA) and Taras Lysyi, executive director of Halytska Svizhyna and head of the charitable organization Foundation for the Development of Ukrainian Entrepreneurship. The initiative was carried out as part of the project "Together Shoulder to Shoulder" ("Razom Poruch"), organized by the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. According to its own publicly available information, this headquarters is, among other things, responsible for supporting the families of prisoners of war, missing soldiers and unlawfully detained or missing civilians, as well as for the reintegration and recovery of Ukrainian defenders and their families.
The State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine is at the same time developing the national program "Journey to Yourself. Paths of Recovery", which, according to the agency's announcement, is aimed at the systematic emotional and psychophysical restoration of citizens through travel, natural landscapes, cultural heritage and gentle practices for stabilizing the psycho-emotional state. In this context, travel is not viewed only as tourism content, but also as a way of temporarily stepping back from everyday pressures and as a supplement to broader forms of support. The Croatian initiative in Istria fits into the same line of thinking, although it is an international humanitarian cooperation and not a classic tourism package. The emphasis was on a safe environment, a change of surroundings, family connection and experiences that can help reduce emotional exhaustion.
Nataliia Tabaka, head of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, pointed out that Ukrainian citizens are exposed every day to emotional news, losses, fear and exhaustion, which is why even a short opportunity for rest can have special value. "In such circumstances, even brief moments of safety, warmth, care and emotional renewal become priceless. That is why we launched the national program 'Journey to Yourself. Paths of Recovery', focused on supporting psycho-emotional well-being. At the same time, through this humanitarian initiative for families affected by the war, our primary goal was to provide immediate support to those who need psycho-emotional rehabilitation the most", Tabaka said. She added that Ukraine and Croatia share common values and thanked UPUHH, HUT, UHRA and other partners involved in the organization.
Seven days in Rovinj, Novigrad and Rabac
Accommodation for Ukrainian families was organized in three well-known Istrian destinations, each with different tourism and natural features. Rovinj, Novigrad and Rabac were chosen as places where rest can be combined with staying by the sea, walks, family facilities and organized tours. According to official information from the tourism companies, Maistra's Resort Amarin is located in Rovinj and is intended for holidays in an apartment and resort setting, Aminess Planet Camping Maravea Resort is located near Novigrad and has been developed as a family seaside resort, while Valamar Bellevue Resort in Rabac offers facilities adapted to families and children. In this program, these capacities were placed in a humanitarian function, with an emphasis on recovery rather than a commercial tourist stay.
Additional accompanying activities were also organized for guests from Ukraine. They took part in guided tours in several destinations and became acquainted with the cultural and natural particularities of Istria. This part of the program is important because it allows families not to experience the stay only as a change of location, but to include structured, safe and unobtrusive content. For children and adolescents, especially those who have been exposed to wartime stress for a long time, organized activities can help create a sense of predictability and normality. For parents and caregivers, at the same time, such a break can open space for short-term relief and the renewal of family routines.
Bernard Zenzerović, director of UPUHH, assessed that the tourism companies involved in the initiative show a high level of social responsibility and solidarity. "This time they provided Ukrainian families with a safe environment, rest and beautiful experiences, but also the psychological recovery they urgently needed", Zenzerović said. His statement reflects a broader trend in which the tourism sector, especially in crisis situations, is not viewed exclusively through commercial indicators, but also through the possibility of directing available infrastructure, logistics and knowledge toward humanitarian goals. In the case of this initiative, that help was concrete: accommodation, stay, coordination on the ground and the design of activities for families.
Why recovery programs are important for children and families
The war in Ukraine continues to have strong humanitarian, social and psychological consequences. In its materials on mental health and psychosocial support, UNICEF warns that the prolonged war in Ukraine has caused a deep mental health crisis, especially among children, adolescents and caregivers, who are particularly affected by war trauma. Such assessments are important for understanding why humanitarian responses increasingly speak about psychosocial support, and not only about material assistance. Food, accommodation and safety remain basic needs, but long-term life in fear, losses, separation from family members and interruptions to schooling create consequences that cannot be resolved only by physical care.
Eurostat data for the end of March 2026 show that 4.33 million people who fled Ukraine had temporary protection status in the European Union. According to the same source, minors made up almost one third of persons under temporary protection in the EU, which further emphasizes the scale of the challenge for the educational, health and social systems of receiving states. The Council of the European Union announced that temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine has been extended until 4 March 2027, while the fundamental rights from the 2022 decision are retained. In Croatia, according to the government portal Croatia for Ukraine, the reception and care of displaced persons is coordinated through an interdepartmental working group coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior.
Within such a framework, the initiative of Croatian tourism companies is not a replacement for institutional protection, psychological care or long-term integration policy. Its role is different: to provide a short, safe and organized period of respite for families coping with the long-term consequences of war. That is precisely why it is important for similar programs to be presented realistically, without exaggerating the effect of a single trip, but also without diminishing the value that several days of peace can have for people under constant stress. For children and adolescents, such an experience can mean an opportunity for play, rest, contact with peers and experiences that are not marked by war news. For adult family members, it can mean at least a temporary return of a sense of control and dignity.
Croatia's assistance to Ukraine and the role of tourism
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Croatia has been involved in the European system for receiving displaced persons. The government portal Croatia for Ukraine states that the Government of the Republic of Croatia, while condemning Russian aggression, expressed its readiness to provide humanitarian and technical assistance to Ukraine and established an interdepartmental working group to coordinate the reception and care of displaced persons. Temporary protection status gives displaced persons access to the rights and obligations arising from it, and the portal also provides information on the extension of cards and procedures for persons staying in collective accommodation. Such an institutional framework shows that the humanitarian response takes place at several levels, from state measures to civil, business and sectoral initiatives.
The tourism sector has a special role in this case because it has accommodation capacities, organizational experience and the infrastructure needed to receive larger groups. On its website, the Croatian Tourism Association states that it was founded as the umbrella sectoral organization in tourism and that it brings together the largest hotel companies and key sectoral associations, including UPUHH. Such a coordination role is important when individual companies take part in a joint humanitarian action, because it requires the alignment of accommodation, arrivals, users' needs and communication with Ukrainian partners. In this program, the participation of Aminess, Maistra and Valamar shows how the capacities of large tourism systems can be used for a goal that goes beyond the usual business season.
One of the participants, a Ukrainian servicewoman who recently returned from captivity, described the special emotional impression of the program. "For me, this trip to Rabac was like a week in paradise. The sea, peace, care and the chance to finally breathe, even if only for a short time", she said. Her statement sums up what often cannot be expressed only in numbers in initiatives of this kind: the value of a safe space, attention and distance from experiences that leave long-term consequences. The organizers announce interest in continuing cooperation, and the further development of such programs will depend on the capacities of partners, the needs of families and the possibility of connecting humanitarian assistance with a professional approach to recovery.
Sources:
- Original material provided by the organizers – data on the initiative, participants, locations and quotes.
- State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine – description of the national program "Journey to Yourself. Paths of Recovery" (link)
- Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War – description of responsibilities and support for families of prisoners of war and missing persons (link)
- Croatia for Ukraine – information from the Government of the Republic of Croatia on assistance and coordination of the reception of displaced persons from Ukraine (link)
- Croatia for Ukraine – information on temporary protection status and the extension of cards (link)
- Council of the European Union – announcement on the extension of temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine until 4 March 2027 (link)
- Eurostat – monthly statistics on persons from Ukraine under temporary protection in the EU, March 2026 (link)
- UNICEF Ukraine – materials on mental health and psychosocial support for children, adolescents and caregivers affected by the war (link)
- Croatian Tourism Association – data on the role of HUT as the umbrella sectoral organization in tourism (link)
- Aminess Hotels & Resorts – official information on Aminess Planet Camping Maravea Resort in Novigrad (link)
- Maistra – official information on Resort Amarin in Rovinj (link)
- Valamar – official information on Valamar Bellevue Resort in Rabac (link)