UK readers vote Croatia as one of top three destinations in world

The British papers The Times & The Sunday Times have ranked Croatia as one of the top three destinations in the world, and the country has received an award in the Best Country Award 2020 category, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Friday.

Croatia ranked third in that category, after Italy and New Zealand, and this year the awards were presented in a virtual setting due to the epidemiological situation.

The head of the HTZ's UK office, Darija Reic, took part in the online event, and she underscored that Croatia "with its fantastic tourist offer and tireless promotion undoubtedly deserves the title of one of the best countries".

"We have known for a long time that Croatia is a popular topic of any conversation about travel, and visiting Croatian destinations is what the Britons like to boast about in society, to the point that some were even willing to isolate after travel to the country (...) This success has strengthened Croatia's position in the UK as a destination of beautiful scenery and a diverse, high-quality tourist offer and we will continue to maintain our reputation on the market through further promotional activities," Reic said.

She also said that Croatia was presented as a country "full of whim, vigour and sunshine".

HTZ director Kristjan Stanicic said that the award further confirmed that Croatia had a stable position in the international market, especially given the fact that according to Eurostat data it had the leading position in the Mediterranean this year.

"Great Britain is one of the most important markets for Croatian tourism and I believe that as the global situation stabilizes, our loyal British guests will return to Croatia in greater numbers," Stanicic said.

Other countries shortlisted for the Times & The Sunday Times awards, this year presented for the eight time, include some of the world's best destinations such as France, Turkey, the USA, Dubai, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Thailand.

In addition to the best country category, there were 12 more categories, such as the one for the best city, airline and travel company, and the final winner was chosen by the readers.

The Times & The Sunday Times are one of the most influential newspapers in Great Britain. (Hina)

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