CROATIA: UN Tourism has agreed to partner with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia and the University of Zagreb around research and innovation into sustainable tourism development.
As we reported in April last year, the partnership includes the establishment of a Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism, which will serve as a knowledge hub for research, policy development and capacity building, and the organisation of the Sustainable Tourism Awards.
Croatia, and particularly Dubrovnik, have undergone a notable transformation in recent years. Once cited as a destination struggling with overtourism, the city now aims to be one of the most sustainable destinations in the country.
This progress reflects a wider national strategy to invest in smart, inclusive and long-term tourism policies that prioritise local well-being, economic resilience and cultural heritage.
The new Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Zagreb will address a growing demand from UN Tourism’s Member States for applied, action-oriented research.
The Centre is expected to deliver high-impact outputs across six key areas:
- Tourism Governance: supporting multi-level governance systems with robust, data-driven policy frameworks;
- Sustainability and Inclusivity: advancing the social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainability through rigorous research and impact monitoring;
- Knowledge Exchange: acting as a platform for policy-relevant knowledge creation and dissemination;
- Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: bridging policy makers, industry and academia for evidence-based decision-making;
- Climate Action in Tourism: promoting low-carbon solutions, renewable energy and circular business models;
- Tourism Law: analysing and monitoring the application of tourism law in Croatia and beyond, offering guidance and assessments of long-term effectiveness.
In line with the UN Statistical Framework on Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism, the Centre will track the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism to guide public and private sector action.
The Sustainable Tourism Awards, will also launch in Croatia later this year.
Photo by Hrvoje_Photography 🇭🇷 on Unsplash