Croatian minister of tourism, Darko Lorencin, and the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Ratomir Ivicic, have participated in the presentation and the annual tasting of Croatian wines at the Astor Centre in New York during their official visit to the USA on Tuesday. They have also took part in three masterclass workshops named – ‘Taste Croatia’, ‘Discover Croatia’ and ‘American Winemakers who fell in love with Blue Adriatic’.
The aim of this event was to introduce our wines and their diversity to the american public. On this occasion Croatian winemakers also presented special features of four Croatian wine-growing regions and our wineries that have won numerous international awards: Agrolaguna, Badel 1862, Benmosche Family Vineyards, Bibich, Degrassi, Feravino, Galic, Grgic Vina, Step, Korta Katarina, Kozlović , Krauthaker, Lagrådet, Markus, Matosevic, Milos, PP Orahovica, Rizman, Rota wine, Saints Hills, Stina Wine, Suha Punta, Vineyards Volarević, Zigante and Zlatan Otok. Approximately 500 wine experts, media representatives, distributors, restaurateurs and tour operators attended the event.
Lorencin and Ivicic also met with Patricia Ornst and Sabrina Smith, Delta representatives, one of the largest airline in the United States, with whom they discussed the possibility of establishing new direct air line towards Croatia.
‘American tourists are looking for the sun, sea and beach when they come to Croatia, but they are also interested in various other tourist products such as wine and gastronomy, as well as active holidays. That is why are all guests who arrive to our country in the off season of great importance to us. They prolong our season, and that is one of the main priorities of our tourism policy’, said the Minister. He has also shown genuine interest in negotiations on the introduction of a direct line from New York or Chicago to Zagreb due to its positive effect on increase of tourist traffic to Croatia. ‘One of the main themes of this business trip is increased traffic with North America. We have already reached an agreement with the Canadian company Sky Greece who will introduce a direct line to Zagreb in June’, the Minister concluded.
‘We are a small, charming and yet still undiscovered country and I believe that the Americans will be very interested in discovering parts which are still foreign to them’, said director of HTZ Ivicic.
After New York, the Minister Lorencin and Director Ivicic are traveling to Canada where they will participate in the official presentation of the flight idea Toronto –Zagreb. The event will be held today, in Baqka Gallery Cafe. While in Toronto, the Minister and the Director will also meet with major tour operators and agents as well as have a few interviews with Canadian media representatives.
