Lošinj as a second home: guest from Germany has been visiting the island since 1970
The Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj highlighted an example of long-standing loyalty to the destination through the story of Herbert Meinzer from Germany, a guest who has been coming to Lošinj since 1970. According to information published by the Tourist Board, over more than five decades Meinzer has created a strong personal connection with the island, its residents, nature and the tourism habits that have changed along with the development of the destination. His arrivals, most often in the spring and autumn months, show that for some guests Lošinj is not only a seasonal destination, but a place to which they return because of continuity, acquaintances and a sense of belonging. Such stories in island tourism have special meaning because they point to a relationship that goes beyond a classic stay in accommodation and an occasional holiday. In the case of a guest who has been coming since the early 1970s, it is also a testimony to the changes Lošinj has gone through from the time of more modest tourism infrastructure to today’s developed destination known for health, nature and a diverse offer.
First arrivals in Veli Lošinj and later stays in private accommodation
According to the statements of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj, Herbert Meinzer spent his first summer holidays on the island at a campsite in Veli Lošinj. Later, as the manner of travelling and staying changed, he stayed in private accommodation, and for the past ten years or so he has been a regular guest of the Lulić family. Such continuity of staying in the same destination shows the importance of the personal relationship between guests and hosts, especially in island communities where the tourism experience is often shaped through direct contact with the local community. Private accommodation is therefore not only a category of the tourism offer, but also a form of encounter that from year to year turns into acquaintance, friendship and the habit of returning. For visitors planning a similar, quieter stay outside the main summer pressure, a useful beginning can be accommodation offers on Lošinj, especially if they want to explore spring and autumn dates when the island is different than at the peak of the season.
Meinzer most often comes to Lošinj in periods when the island is experienced at a slower rhythm, before and after the most intense summer months. This is also important for understanding the contemporary development of the destination, because the tourism offer of Mali Lošinj is increasingly viewed outside the framework of exclusively summer holidays. The official pages of the Lošinj Tourist Board list events, outdoor activities, excursions, cycling and walking content, gastronomy and local products as part of the island’s broader offer. In this way, efforts are made to strengthen the motive for arrival in different parts of the year, which is especially important for destinations that want to reduce the pressure of the main season and distribute tourist traffic more evenly. Meinzer’s habit of coming in the spring and autumn months fits well into such a travel model, in which peace, climate, promenades, local restaurants and a personal relationship with hosts are as important as classic summer facilities.
A witness to changes from a few restaurants to a developed offer
During decades of arrivals, Herbert Meinzer was able to follow changes in the appearance, infrastructure and tourism offer of the island. According to the information of the Tourist Board, he pointed out that Lošinj today looks more orderly and more developed than at the time of his first arrivals. He particularly notices the renovation and construction of infrastructure, but also the growth of the hospitality offer. He recalls that there were once only a few restaurants on the island, while today visitors are offered a much wider choice of hospitality establishments, from traditional taverns to more modern restaurant concepts. Among his favourite places he especially singles out the Hajduk tavern, which shows how often personal memories of a destination are connected with specific people, flavours and places.
The official Visit Lošinj tourism website states in its description of the gastronomic offer that Lošinj cuisine is marked by Adriatic flavours and aromas and dishes prepared in a traditional way. This gastronomic framework is an important part of the island’s identity, especially for guests who return and who over the years follow not only changes in infrastructure but also the development of local habits in hospitality. In tourism promotion, Lošinj is also connected with the concept of “Taste of Vitality”, local products and the Mediterranean way of life, which enables the island to connect the gastronomic experience with the image of health and preserved nature. In such a context, restaurants and taverns are not only an accompanying service, but part of a broader story about the destination. For long-standing guests, precisely this combination of a familiar ambience and a changed, richer offer often creates a reason for a new return.
An island of vitality, health and preserved nature
In official tourism communication, Lošinj is positioned as the “island of vitality”, and the Croatian National Tourist Board, in its presentation of Mali Lošinj, mentions the mild climate, rich biodiversity, more than 1018 plant species, including medicinal plants, high-quality sea, first-quality air and more than 200 sunny days a year. The Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj on its pages additionally highlights the long tradition of health tourism, more than 125 years long, as well as pine forests, medicinal plants and the natural features of the archipelago. Such elements explain why some guests experience Lošinj as a place for long-term rest, and not only as a destination for a one-time summer holiday. For guests who have been coming for decades, the natural ambience becomes part of a personal routine and a reason to return, especially when it is connected with the climate, walks, the sea and the slower island rhythm.
According to official information from the Lošinj Tourist Board, the archipelago is associated with rich biodiversity, the quality of the sea and air, and content that includes beaches, museums, excursions, outdoor activities, walking and cycling routes. This diversity enables the destination to attract different profiles of guests, from those seeking a peaceful holiday to visitors interested in an active stay in nature. In the case of long-standing guests, the continuity of recognizable values is also important: the sea, coves, the scents of pine trees, old parts of the settlements and the feeling of a safe return. At the same time, the development of the offer must be aligned with the preservation of space, because the natural environment is precisely one of the main reasons why guests return. For this reason, Meinzer’s emphasis on caring for the cleanliness of the island is not a passing remark, but an important message about the relationship between tourism and the everyday life of the local community.
A message about responsible behaviour and the cleanliness of the island
As a long-standing admirer of Lošinj, Herbert Meinzer particularly warned of the importance of preserving nature and the environment. According to the Tourist Board’s announcement, he appealed for joint care for the cleanliness of the island, more responsible disposal of waste and especially cigarette butts, so that Lošinj would remain a pleasant and preserved place for the life and holidays of future generations. Such a message comes from a guest who observes the island over a time span longer than half a century, so it carries additional weight. Tourism destinations developing by the sea are especially sensitive to the issue of waste, because the everyday habits of visitors and residents are directly reflected in the appearance of public areas, promenades, beaches and natural landscapes. In that sense, responsible behaviour is not only an ecological message, but also part of the quality of the tourism product.
The official “Respect Lošinj” initiative of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj goes in the same direction. According to information published on the official Visit Lošinj website, the guide for responsible behaviour directs visitors to respect local customs, nature and the community during their stay on the island, with the message that the archipelago should be preserved for future generations. In this communication, a responsible attitude towards natural resources, support for the local community and preservation of the archipelago are emphasized. Meinzer’s message about waste and cigarette butts can therefore be viewed as a personal testimony that confirms the broader direction of the destination. It shows that the quality of tourism does not depend only on hotels, campsites, restaurants and transport infrastructure, but also on the everyday culture of staying in a space shared by residents and guests.
Guest loyalty as a value in contemporary tourism
The Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj has also previously publicly highlighted examples of long-standing guests and presented them with certificates of appreciation and occasional gifts. In this case, the director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj, Dalibor Cvitković, presented Herbert Meinzer with a certificate of appreciation and a commemorative gift, with thanks for his long-standing loyalty. According to the official organizational structure of the Tourist Board, Cvitković is the director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj, and local media reported that in 2026 he was re-elected to that position. Presenting a certificate of appreciation to a long-standing guest is a symbolic act, but in a tourism sense it carries a clear message: the destination recognizes people who return to it and who, through their experience, confirm the long-term attractiveness of the island.
In contemporary tourism, guest loyalty is increasingly important because destinations compete not only by price and the number of accommodation units, but by the quality of relationships, authenticity and the ability to make a visitor want to come again. The Croatian National Tourist Board, in its statistical overview for 2025, states that Croatia recorded 21.8 million arrivals and 110 million overnight stays in the period from January to December, according to data from the eVisitor system and the integrated eCrew system processed on 7 January 2026. Although these data refer to the national level, they show the breadth of the tourism environment in which individual destinations seek to distinguish themselves by quality, identity and attitude towards guests. For Lošinj, which positions itself through nature, health, active holidays, gastronomy and sustainability, long-standing guests have both promotional and social value. Their experiences often appear more convincing than classic promotion because they arise from real stays, repeated arrivals and personal connections.
A return planned for this year as well
According to information from the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj, Herbert Meinzer plans to continue his stay on Lošinj this year as well, with a new arrival in September 2026. This planned return additionally rounds off the story of a guest who first came in 1970 and who over the decades followed how the island changed. A September arrival fits into the pattern of travel outside the peak of the summer season, when Lošinj offers a calmer rhythm, more pleasant conditions for walks and an active stay, and a different experience of the place. For the destination, such a guest profile is valuable because it contributes to extending the season and to more stable tourist traffic. At the same time, his message about preserving the environment reminds us that the long-term attractiveness of the island cannot be separated from a responsible attitude towards the space that makes it recognizable.
The story of Herbert Meinzer confirms that tourism is measured not only by the number of arrivals and overnight stays, but also by the relationships that arise between the guest, the host and the place. According to the Tourist Board’s announcement, Lošinj has become much more than a holiday destination for him: a place of memories, habit and friendship. This also reveals the broader significance of long-standing guests for island communities, because they preserve the continuity of tourism memory and through their experience show how the destination has developed. If the development of infrastructure, hospitality and tourism content continues to be connected with the preservation of nature and local identity, precisely such guests can remain the best indicator of the destination’s success. In this story, Lošinj does not appear only as a tourism product, but as a space to which people return because they experience it personally.
Sources:
- Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj – delivered information about Herbert Meinzer, a long-standing guest of Lošinj, the presentation of the certificate of appreciation and the planned return in September 2026 (link)
- Visit Lošinj / Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj – official information about the offer, events, gastronomy, the archipelago and the Respect Lošinj initiative (link)
- Visit Lošinj / Respect Lošinj – guidelines for responsible behaviour of guests, preservation of nature and respect for the local community (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – official description of Mali Lošinj as a destination of vitality, health, mild climate and rich biodiversity (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – statistical indicators of tourist traffic for 2025 according to data from the eVisitor system and the integrated eCrew system (link)
- Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj – organizational structure and information about the director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj (link)