Zadar County Tourist Board expands campaign to important European markets
The Zadar County Tourist Board has launched a new international promotional campaign through which the destination is being presented more strongly on selected European outbound markets. According to the information provided by the Zadar County Tourist Board, the activities have been carried out since the end of April and are focused on the markets of Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechia, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, France and Sweden. This is a campaign that combines native articles, digital advertising and visually attractive content, with the aim of presenting Zadar County as a destination of authentic experiences, active holidays, cultural heritage, local gastronomy and high-quality tourism experiences. Such an approach follows broader trends in tourism promotion, in which destinations communicate less and less only a list of attractions, and increasingly try to shape a recognizable story about the area, way of life and experience of staying there.
The campaign comes at a time when Mediterranean destinations are competing for the attention of travellers in markets that are traditionally important for Croatian tourism. According to data from the Croatian National Tourist Board and the eVisitor system, Croatia recorded 21.8 million arrivals and 110.1 million overnight stays in 2025, which shows that tourism in the country continues to develop in conditions of strong international competition. In such an environment, Zadar County is trying to maintain visibility in markets from which a large number of guests arrive, but also to further emphasize the reasons for visiting outside the main summer season. For travellers planning a stay in the region, an important part of the decision, alongside transport accessibility and facilities, is also made up of accommodation offers in Zadar County, especially when the trip is planned in the pre-season or post-season.
Storytelling instead of classic advertising
At the centre of the campaign are inspirational stories and content adapted to individual markets. According to information from the campaign, native articles accompanied by photographs bring potential guests closer to different dimensions of life and holidays in Zadar County: staying in nature, active forms of travel, heritage, gastronomy, the coast, islands and premium tourism products. This format was chosen so that the destination would be presented through experiences, and not only through general promotional messages. In tourism marketing, this is especially important for markets where travellers are exposed to a large number of similar Mediterranean offers, from coastal holidays to city trips, nautical tourism and outdoor content.
Participating in the campaign are the Tourist Board of the City of Zadar, the Tourist Board of the City of Nin, the Tourist Board of the City of Biograd na Moru, the Tourist Board of the City of Pag, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Starigrad, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Kali and Falkensteiner Hotelmanagement d.o.o. Such a model of joint presentation makes it possible for different parts of the county not to be presented in isolation, but as a connected tourism area with multiple motives for arrival. Within that framework, Zadar can be communicated as an urban and cultural centre, Nin as an area of historical heritage and specific landscape, Biograd na Moru as a family and nautical destination, Pag as an island with a strong identity, Starigrad as a starting point toward Paklenica and Velebit, and Kali as an island community with a pronounced maritime tradition.
The official Work Programme of the Zadar County Tourist Board for 2026 also shows that destination promotion does not rely only on general advertising, but also on the development of tourism products. The document states the continuation of product promotion through websites, advertising opportunities, promotional materials, trade fair appearances and study trips for journalists and agents. In the same programme, outdoor and nautical tourism are particularly highlighted, and for the nautical segment it is emphasized that Zadar County, due to its natural basis, coast, islands, coves and straits, has strong prerequisites for a longer season. This is an important context for a campaign that does not address only guests interested in a summer beach holiday, but also an audience that travels because of activities, nature, culture and specific experiences.
Focus on the pre-season, post-season and year-round holidays
One of the key goals of the campaign is to strengthen the visibility of Zadar County in periods outside the main season. The pre-season and post-season are becoming increasingly important for destinations that want more balanced tourism traffic, better utilization of capacities and less pressure on infrastructure at the peak of summer. According to data from the gov.hr portal, the registration and deregistration of tourists in Croatia are carried out through the eVisitor system, the central electronic system for registering and deregistering tourists, which enables monitoring of tourism traffic throughout the whole year. In practice, these data are important for planning marketing activities, assessing the effects of campaigns and better destination management.
For Zadar County, extending the season has several levels of meaning. The first is economic, because a longer period of demand increases the possibility of more stable business operations for tourism entities, from accommodation and hospitality to guides, carriers and providers of specialized services. The second is spatial, because by promoting different localities, the dispersion of guests outside the most heavily burdened points can be encouraged. The third is content-related, because outside July and August it is easier to communicate activities such as cycling, hiking, tours of natural sites, eno-gastronomic experiences, cultural routes and smaller events. Precisely for that reason, the campaign uses a broader narrative about the destination, instead of focusing exclusively on sun and sea.
In such an approach, the international position of Zadar and the county as a transport-accessible region is also important. Although the campaign itself does not depend only on air traffic, accessibility influences the decisions of guests who plan shorter holidays, city break trips or extended weekends. In periods outside the main season, travellers often compare several destinations according to the price of transport, accommodation, weather conditions, the range of events and the simplicity of organizing a trip. For that reason, the content in the campaign, if well adapted to individual markets, can play an important role in the inspiration phase, when the traveller has not yet made a final decision about the destination.
European markets and media partners
The campaign is being carried out on a number of markets that are important for tourism traffic in Croatia and Zadar County. Germany and Austria are traditionally among the most important outbound markets for Croatian tourism, while Poland, Czechia, Slovenia, Hungary and Slovakia are significant because of proximity, road accessibility and continuous interest in Adriatic destinations. The United Kingdom, France, Italy and Sweden in the campaign extend the reach toward travellers who may be interested in a combination of coast, culture, islands, nature and active holidays. Such a market structure shows that promotion does not rely on one guest profile, but on several demand segments.
According to the information provided, the campaign is being implemented in cooperation with leading European media brands, among which Krone Zeitung, T-online, The Guardian, Svenska Dagbladet, Der Standard, Les Echos, SiViaggia, Seznam, Onet, Blikk, Aktuality and Siol are listed. Publications in such media environments can increase the credibility of promotional content, because the native format enters a space in which the audience is already looking for information, inspiration or recommendations. It is important, however, that such content remains informative and clearly focused on the real advantages of the destination, and not on general claims that could be applied to any Mediterranean area.
Digital advertising further strengthens the visibility of the campaign. Display ads and visual formats enable repetition of the message and recognition of key motifs, while articles provide space for a more detailed explanation of destination stories. The combination of these channels is important because travel decisions are often made through multiple touchpoints: from the first encounter with a photograph or advertisement, through reading an article, to searching for flights, routes, activities and accommodation. When such a communication model is implemented in a coordinated way, the destination can more effectively connect inspiration with concrete travel planning.
Zadar County as an area of different tourism motives
The Zadar County Tourist Board presents the region on its official website through several destination units: Zadar, the Nin Riviera, the Biograd Riviera, the island of Pag, the Paklenica Riviera, the islands and the hinterland. Such a division reflects the diversity of an area that includes urban, coastal, island, mountain and rural elements. For international promotion, this diversity is important because it makes it possible to offer different markets and groups of guests different motives for arrival. Someone will recognize the region through historic cores and cultural landmarks, someone through national parks and activities in nature, someone through nautical tourism, and someone through gastronomy and the local way of life.
According to official information from the Zadar County Tourist Board, that organization was founded on 5 April 1995 with its headquarters in Zadar, and it consists of 28 members from the county area. This network of local tourist boards is important for the implementation of campaigns because local destinations have concrete content, events and information directly connected with guests’ stays. Successful destination promotion therefore does not depend only on one umbrella message, but also on the ability for local content to be included in the broader story in a timely manner. This is especially important for smaller communities, islands and the hinterland, which through joint campaigns can gain greater international visibility than through independent appearances.
In the context of active holidays, the area of Starigrad and Paklenica has a special place because it connects the coast and the mountain area of Velebit. The islands offer a maritime experience, a slower rhythm and the possibility of exploring places that differ from urban centres. Pag has a strong identity connected with the landscape, lace, Pag cheese and music events, while Nin and its surroundings connect historical heritage, sandy beaches and specific natural elements. Biograd na Moru is traditionally important for family and nautical tourism, and Zadar remains the county’s most recognizable urban point, with cultural and transport functions that influence the wider region.
Competition in the Mediterranean and the importance of clear positioning
In recent years, the Mediterranean tourism market has been marked by strong competition, changing traveller behaviour and greater sensitivity to prices, safety, transport connections and service quality. Destinations that want to remain visible must simultaneously communicate a recognizable identity and prove that they offer value for money. For Zadar County, this means that promotion must go beyond general images of the coast and sea, because such motifs appear in the communication of almost all Adriatic and Mediterranean destinations. Precisely for that reason, an emphasis on authentic stories, local experiences, cultural layers, nature and diversity can help in differentiation from the competition.
The Croatian Bureau of Statistics publishes regular releases on tourist arrivals and overnight stays in commercial accommodation, and these data provide a broader framework for monitoring demand trends. Still, for destination management it is also important to look at data from eVisitor, which cover wider tourism traffic, including commercial and non-commercial accommodation facilities and nautical charter through connected systems. In practice, this means that promotional activities should be observed together with traffic indicators, guest structure, length of stay, spending and visitor satisfaction. A campaign can increase visibility, but the long-term result depends on the quality of the experience that the guest receives at the destination.
A particular challenge remains the alignment of growth and sustainability. Zadar County has an exceptionally attractive coastal and island area, but precisely such areas require careful management. Promotion of the pre-season and post-season can help reduce pressure on July and August, but only if it is accompanied by available content, open facilities, transport connections and local services. Otherwise, the marketing message can be stronger than the actual offer on the ground. That is why campaigns that include local tourist boards and partners are important, because they can better connect communication with the real possibilities of the destination.
Promotion as part of a broader tourism strategy
According to the Work Programme of the Zadar County Tourist Board for 2026, planned activities cover several areas of promotion and product development, including advertising, trade fair appearances, study trips, digital channels, outdoor offer and nautical tourism. This shows that the current international campaign is not an isolated activity, but part of a broader effort to continuously present the destination on markets and develop content that can motivate arrivals. In tourism, continuity is especially important because the perception of a destination is built over years, through advertising, media publications, recommendations, guest experiences and the availability of information.
The campaign of the Zadar County Tourist Board therefore has a dual function. On the one hand, it should increase the international visibility of the region at a time when travellers are deciding on a holiday or shorter trips. On the other hand, it confirms the direction in which the destination wants to position itself: as an area of authentic experiences, diverse tourism products and holidays that are not limited only to the peak of the summer season. For guests exploring Zadar, the islands, the hinterland, Paklenica, Nin, Biograd na Moru or Pag, the campaign can serve as a first incentive, while the final decision to arrive will depend on a combination of price, accessibility, content, recommendations and personal interests.
The success of such an approach will be measured not only by the number of ad impressions and articles read, but also by whether the campaign will contribute to a better distribution of tourism traffic, greater recognizability of less prominent parts of the county and stronger interest in arrivals outside the main season. If promotional messages continue to be connected with high-quality local content and clear information for travellers, Zadar County can further strengthen its position among competitive Mediterranean destinations. In this, the continued cooperation of the county tourist board, local tourist boards, private partners and media channels in markets that shape European tourism demand will play an important role.
Sources:
- Provided original text – information about the campaign of the Zadar County Tourist Board, included partners, markets and media channels
- Zadar County Tourist Board – official information about destinations, the organization and the tourism offer of the region (link)
- Zadar County Tourist Board – Work Programme for 2026, data on planned promotional activities, the outdoor product and nautical tourism (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – Annual Report for 2025 and data on tourism traffic according to the eVisitor system (link)
- gov.hr – explanation of the eVisitor system as the central electronic system for registering and deregistering tourists in the Republic of Croatia (link)
- Croatian Bureau of Statistics – official releases and announcements in the field of tourism (link)